Masters' Prizes at Road Races

dna_leri

At the weekend, I won a masters' prize in local 8K race. As well as the overall first 3 male and female, there were prizes for first 2 males and females in each 5-year category from over 35 to over 60. Including juniors there must have been 34 prizes. With only 175 entrants that means about 20% of us got a cash prize.

As I sat through the prize-giving it just seemed too much.

Don't get me wrong, I was delighted to get the money - it paid for my entry fee and more. It just seems a lot of prizes to give out to people over a certain age. I can understand it in National Championships where medals are awarded in each category but in a local road race?

Even if there were more entrants, I think it would be enough to give prizes to first over 40, O50 & O60 (male and female) and leave it at that. What do you think? If you are under 35, do you think you are discriminated against ?

robinph

It probably a bit excessive of the race organisers to have so many categories for every 5 years from 35 upwards, and for that to then be actual cash type prizes as well. There is a small series of races that I occasionally do where there may only be 20+ people in it and it works out that unless you are very unlucky everyone mostly gets a medal for being in the top 3 of their age group. They are only cheap tat medals though, but everyone loves getting them as it's going to people that would normally get nothing.

But another race series that gets a couple of hundred turn up and charges more for the entry only gives a bottle to the overall winner and then each age category winner. Which is too far the other way on the generosity scale I think.

Burgman

If a race advertises prizes for various age categories, it should give those prizes, regardless of the number of entrants. More prizes should cause bigger attendances and vice versa. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work out like that.