Tuesday, August 6, 2013

"Running" into Money (Saving money on races)

I love races!! I love saving money!! Saving money on races means that you get to run more races! Let's talk about great ways to get that race t-shirt as cheap as possible.


Plan your races ahead of time:
If you know that you really want to run a certain race sign up early. For example the See Jane Run Half Marathon was held on June 22 this year in Boise. If I signed up by March 22, the race would cost $75. If I signed up on race morning it would cost $105. I would have saved $30 just by signing up sooner rather than later.

Social Media:
It helps to "like" the race on Facebook and "follow" them on Twitter. The race will typically post any promotion they are having on both medias. Before signing up for a race I always check to see if they posted any deals. For example, if you are interested in the Idaho Wine Run this year, you can use the promo code "runinboise" for $5 off any distance (Thanks Run In Boise). They have a 5k, 10k, Half and full Marathon.

Volunteer:
Final Kick Events is this amazing company who puts on some of the best races in the Treasure Valley. They also happen to have the best volunteer program around. If you volunteer at a race they put on, you will get a free entry to one of their races. Super easy and simple. My husband and I volunteered at their Run 4 Luv race and I will be volunteering at the Idaho Wine Run before I run it. The Spartan race series has the same kind of program. Not only is volunteering good race karma but it also helps me race a lot without spending a lot.

Daily Deal Websites:
Groupon, Living Social, Yipit all good ways to sign up for a cheap race. Currently Groupon has deals on the Push 5k ($17) and the After Dark Dash ($25). I have used Yipit to get a race for $12 and Groupon to get a race for $17. The $12 race was the Torchlight 5k, you got a shirt, a beer after the race,  and some coupons in the race swag bag. Typically in race swag bags I always see a coupon for $15 off or 20% off shoes. $15 is more than the $12 I spent on the race so if I use the coupon it is like I made $3 running the race!

Newsletters:
Sign up for the newsletters when you sign up for races. Just today I got a newsletter from Active.com with an awesome promo code. Use the promo code "FIT1BUDDY" when you register yourself by August 9th for FitOne and get emailed a code good for 100% off the registration for a friend. Who doesn't love two for the price of one! Too bad I am already signed up for this race.

Check blogs:
Some blogs have discounts on upcoming races, both local and non-local. Some blogs even have giveaways for races. For example, I currently have a discount code for The Color Run! You can use the code "COLOR5OFF" to save $5 off. You can easily google and find lots of locations with race discount codes. Mom's Run This Town has an awesome section of race discounts.


There is no "I" in TEAM:
Sign up as a team and you typically save money. Most races if you have 4 or more people sign up you will get a team discount. For FitOne you only save $2, for The Color Run you save $5, for the Dirty Dash you don't save any money. You never know how much you could save by convincing your friends to run with you.


Do you have any other ideas on how to save some money on races? Did you find these useful? 


2 comments:

  1. Very useful! I was kinda bummed about the fit one code too. I paid 27 I think. =)

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    1. That's been my luck lately. Every race I signed up for recently I find a better deal a few weeks later.

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