Great Manchester Rip Off

[Chaddy the Owl]

within my company, they are organising entries for the corporate challenge (£32)for this run. the company have offered to pay half, but it's still steep asking for £14 for a 10k. But the popularity is doing well, they've already got 33 people out of an office of 100 staff.
I refuse to line the pocket of the that fat geodie.

[Do one]

I agree £28 is a rip off and I'd never pay it but this topic has moved me to file my 1st post on this forum.

27,000 places have sold out in 6 days. Without the extra charge for corporate teams and whatever bond charities pay to secure places, thats over £3/4mill. Add to that sponsorship/assistance from BUPA, BBC, Tesco and Mancehster city council and its a lot of reddies for Nova making them an easy target for abuse. But why not have a go at companies like Fitness First who must make a packet from people wanting to get fit? At least Nova add something to the UK running (not jogging) community:

1) 6 of the top 8 and 10 of the top 16 fastest 10km performances of 2006 were ran in the great manc run.
2) 6 of the top 8 10 mile times were ran at Portsmouth in the great south run
3) 4 of the top 6 half marathons were ran at the great north run

so unless their courses are short, Nova clearly provide the best competative opportunities for the countries top road runners and from what I hear, most of them get put up for the night before and get their BFH, so I doubt they have to pay the £28.

Nova have also funded at least 3 of the top MD runners in the country to train overseas for prolonged periods in the last 12 months and in return only asked them to compete in one of their events (Great north mile, great north xc ect).

Therefore, I'm happy for 27,000 joggers to fund training and competative opportunities for our top athletes and don't mind if Nova cream a bit of profit off the top. Afterall, they are doing us a favour by keeping the joe joggers away from favourite local races

[Penguin]

within my company, they are organising entries for the corporate challenge (£32)for this run. the company have offered to pay half, but it's still steep asking for £14 for a 10k. But the popularity is doing well, they've already got 33 people out of an office of 100 staff.
I refuse to line the pocket of the that fat geodie.

true chaddy, but as you are an elite has your company not got the brains to let you have a place for nowt? after all you ain't a joe jogger

[fellhell]

Therefore, I'm happy for 27,000 joggers to fund training and competative opportunities for our top athletes and don't mind if Nova cream a bit of profit off the top. Afterall, they are doing us a favour by keeping the joe joggers away from favourite local races

Yes, but have you not considered that some slightly less elite runners would like the chance to have a good run without
a)paying through the nose for the privilege and
b)having to avoid joe jogger for the first 2k, because for your £28 they can't organise the start correctly??

[Sparth Bottoms]

Yes, but have you not considered that some slightly less elite runners would like the chance to have a good run without
a)paying through the nose for the privilege and
b)having to avoid joe jogger for the first 2k, because for your £28 they can't organise the start correctly??

yes i agree the event is great for elite athletes (fast course etc) and fun runners.

but for decent club runners the start among the masses in green flash and velour tracksuits is a nightmare- plus you risk a lynching when you climb in 10 mins before the start.

the answer is some kind of club runner section - but again this would probably be abused

[bestathlete]

Same vein different race -
I often did the GNR but when the price went silly I didnt bother any more. My main gripe was the start pens. Despite easily qualifying for a FLM championship start, in GNR it was either sub 70mins to get to the front row or start with the masses. No way i could ever do sub 70 so i ended up starting in the pack as near as i could to the front but still encountered hundreds of celebs/vips whatever to get past in the first mile. result - too fast off and dying by the end.

There does seem to be a bit of a problem at some of the big big races catering for runners who are neither paid-to-be-there-elite standard but nor are they in-it-for-fun types.

Re the Manc 10k in particular - it is less VFM 'cos it's so short but I imagine takes just as much manpower/organisation/police closures etc as a race twice the length, so it has to be a similar entry price.

[Chaddy the Owl]

i tend to agree, but its a lost hope i'm afraid. stick to the trafford 10k, better course, far cheaper, and equally as well organsied.

[Do one]

http://www.onrunning.com/onrunning/n...le.asp?id=3761

As I mentioned above, here is where some of the profits go (maybe someone at Nova reads these boards and felt the need to in some way justify the £28?) FLM also give financial assistance to young athletes, so let them both get on with providing for either end of the athletic spectrum and us club runners can stick to Heaton Park on Saturday where I don't expect to see too many teletubbies on the start line

[fellhell]

http://www.onrunning.com/onrunning/n...le.asp?id=3761

so let them both get on with providing for either end of the athletic spectrum and us club runners can stick to Heaton Park on Saturday

no. lets criticise nova as much as they deserve to be.

[Notlob till i die]

within my company, they are organising entries for the corporate challenge (£32)for this run. the company have offered to pay half, but it's still steep asking for £14 for a 10k. But the popularity is doing well, they've already got 33 people out of an office of 100 staff.
I refuse to line the pocket of the that fat geodie.

Don't wish to be controversial but ..... when I went to school half of 32 was 16
What did you get your degree in Paul ??
I do hope it wasn't Mathematics.