Ok now, before I get any complaints about being arrogant or an elitist or anything like that, let me first give my definition of an "elite runner." The way I think of it, in the running world an "elite" is anyone who places competition before participation. Elite runners range the gamut from full-on professionals to the local fast post-collegiate runners; the term to me also includes high school and college xc and track athletes as well as masters and age-group competitors. More than meeting a certain time standard, being an elite runner is more about having a competitive mindset.
So now that that's out of the way, let me also say this: while elite runners are often the most visible athletes to the general public, they do make up a minority of the running community. People are often intimidated or put-off by elites, thinking that the faster runners judge anyone slower than them as inferior, less worthy, "not a real runner," etc. Of course, when you actually meet an elite runner you'll probably find him or her to be as down-to-earth and encouraging as anyone else, but because there is that initial misunderstanding, participants and competitors rarely cross paths...it's a classic example of tribalism. For these reasons, elite runners are often the first group to be dismissed or brushed aside (if they are ever included in the first place) in the wider running community.
My argument is: even though they make up a minority of the community and even though they don't often spend a lot of at-once money, if you want your race/store/brand to be a long-term success, then you need to include the elite runners in your plan. While elite runners may not give your organization a lot of short-term dollars, they do give it less-quantitative advantages: elite runners give your organization immediate credibility within the running community (they're picky -- they patronize only top-quality organizations) while also valuing customer loyalty, often becoming patrons of your organization for life (because they're life-long runners, which is more than most participant runners).
Which leads me to the Reggae Run. Most runners in Cincinnati will recognize this run, as many have actually run it. It began in 1994 and ran through 2013, averaging 4-6,000 runners a year -- pretty big for a 5k! The Reggae Run was famous for it's festive, party-like atmosphere...it was a slow course without prize money or anything like that, but it prided itself on being a plain fun event. And then in 2014, after a location change the previous year, it was just...gone. Didn't happen. A race with a decade-long legacy, and then one year it just doesn't happen. And the next year, no race again.
Running history is littered with cases like these. Races start, businesses open; they're popular for a while and then they just disappear. The Reggae Run, Downtown Dash, even the Hudepohl 14k disappeared before being revived four years ago. Talk to anyone in Cincinnati, and they'll tell you the same thing is happening to The Running Spot: once the go-to running store with a near-monopoly, it's reputation is now suffering.
And what do all of these cases have in common? All of them either lost or never created a connection with elite runners. I'm not foolish enough to argue that elites alone are enough to keep your organization up and running, but if you value longevity in your business then they have to be a key part of your overall plan.
In some ways, running has never been more popular than it is now. There's a race every weekend, and new races keep cropping up. The fad now is "experience races" like color runs, mud runs, obstacle course races, hot chocolate runs, beer runs, glow runs, zombie runs...I could go on forever. I'm sure they're fun and all, but none of them do anything for the elite runner. What happens to these organizations when the novelty wears off? What loyal patrons will they have coming back year after year? Without that, where is the longevity? How do they last?
You want your running-related organization to get real popular real quick? Make it as fun and entertaining and experiential as possible. Don't expect that novelty to last, though. You want your running-related organization to last? Engage the elite running community. Embrace them as a vital part within the larger running community.
More and more I'm seeing a lot of novelty in the running world. And who are the first people squeezed out by that novelty? Elites, of course. That's concerning to me; obviously, because I'm an elite runner I want to be including in the growth of running, but also because I know it's not going to last. Eventually, the novelty will wear off, and then what? You're SOL.
Do yourself a favor: get to know the elite runners in your community. I promise they won't bite and they won't judge you for your times. They're really cool people and they'll do wonders for your organization.
So now that that's out of the way, let me also say this: while elite runners are often the most visible athletes to the general public, they do make up a minority of the running community. People are often intimidated or put-off by elites, thinking that the faster runners judge anyone slower than them as inferior, less worthy, "not a real runner," etc. Of course, when you actually meet an elite runner you'll probably find him or her to be as down-to-earth and encouraging as anyone else, but because there is that initial misunderstanding, participants and competitors rarely cross paths...it's a classic example of tribalism. For these reasons, elite runners are often the first group to be dismissed or brushed aside (if they are ever included in the first place) in the wider running community.
My argument is: even though they make up a minority of the community and even though they don't often spend a lot of at-once money, if you want your race/store/brand to be a long-term success, then you need to include the elite runners in your plan. While elite runners may not give your organization a lot of short-term dollars, they do give it less-quantitative advantages: elite runners give your organization immediate credibility within the running community (they're picky -- they patronize only top-quality organizations) while also valuing customer loyalty, often becoming patrons of your organization for life (because they're life-long runners, which is more than most participant runners).
Which leads me to the Reggae Run. Most runners in Cincinnati will recognize this run, as many have actually run it. It began in 1994 and ran through 2013, averaging 4-6,000 runners a year -- pretty big for a 5k! The Reggae Run was famous for it's festive, party-like atmosphere...it was a slow course without prize money or anything like that, but it prided itself on being a plain fun event. And then in 2014, after a location change the previous year, it was just...gone. Didn't happen. A race with a decade-long legacy, and then one year it just doesn't happen. And the next year, no race again.
Running history is littered with cases like these. Races start, businesses open; they're popular for a while and then they just disappear. The Reggae Run, Downtown Dash, even the Hudepohl 14k disappeared before being revived four years ago. Talk to anyone in Cincinnati, and they'll tell you the same thing is happening to The Running Spot: once the go-to running store with a near-monopoly, it's reputation is now suffering.
And what do all of these cases have in common? All of them either lost or never created a connection with elite runners. I'm not foolish enough to argue that elites alone are enough to keep your organization up and running, but if you value longevity in your business then they have to be a key part of your overall plan.
In some ways, running has never been more popular than it is now. There's a race every weekend, and new races keep cropping up. The fad now is "experience races" like color runs, mud runs, obstacle course races, hot chocolate runs, beer runs, glow runs, zombie runs...I could go on forever. I'm sure they're fun and all, but none of them do anything for the elite runner. What happens to these organizations when the novelty wears off? What loyal patrons will they have coming back year after year? Without that, where is the longevity? How do they last?
You want your running-related organization to get real popular real quick? Make it as fun and entertaining and experiential as possible. Don't expect that novelty to last, though. You want your running-related organization to last? Engage the elite running community. Embrace them as a vital part within the larger running community.
More and more I'm seeing a lot of novelty in the running world. And who are the first people squeezed out by that novelty? Elites, of course. That's concerning to me; obviously, because I'm an elite runner I want to be including in the growth of running, but also because I know it's not going to last. Eventually, the novelty will wear off, and then what? You're SOL.
Do yourself a favor: get to know the elite runners in your community. I promise they won't bite and they won't judge you for your times. They're really cool people and they'll do wonders for your organization.
Comments
Post a Comment