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Lough Cutra Spectator Fee

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    #62
    peter kern
    Registered Users Posts: 3,359 ✭✭✭peter kern


    if the village needed to be funded then it needed to be added to the entry fee and let people decide if the race was then worth the cost. not sticking the cost on to those who want or are obliged to go because they have friends/family racing.

    people can then decide if they want ot pay to watch ( why should i pay for somebody to watch the race with my entry fee ????)


    especially given it was announced after people had entered.[/QUOTE]

    that is of course correct
    but as i undrstand it was mentioned before ( BTH i think said so)
    And i guess since it was not clear they are not charging it now.


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    #63
    peter kern
    Registered Users Posts: 3,359 ✭✭✭peter kern


    I kinda agree but disagree with a stadium charge for the sport.



    so do I
    and I do think the answer is not an easy one.

    and yes you are right It should not be disucssed on this thread ( which i guess is my fault, as i posted in the wrong thread sorry )


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    #64
    mossym
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 8,766 Mod ✭✭✭✭mossym


    peter kern wrote: »
    ( why should i pay for somebody to watch the race with my entry fee ????)

    .

    valid point, but from what they themselves said you're not, you'd be paying for the village to be there while you race.

    whether you use it or not is up to you

    whether people show up or not to spectate is up to them. you're not paying for them to watch.

    plus, anyway, wasn't it you who said we were all spending so much we shouldn't complain about a fiver, so what does it matter who it is paying for?

    now the point sconhome brings up about it being a castle access fee puts a slightly different spin on it. but they themselves said it was for the bouncy castle, and the parking, and the village. it's been badly handled from the off.


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    #65
    sconhome
    Registered Users Posts: 5,468 ✭✭✭sconhome


    peter kern wrote: »
    I kinda agree but disagree with a stadium charge for the sport.



    so do I
    and I do think the answer is not an easy one.

    and yes you are right It should not be disucssed on this thread ( which i guess is my fault, as i posted in the wrong thread sorry )

    We're all good now that Mods have split things up.

    In one way I think charging for spectators at an event and ploughing funds into the development of a sport is a good idea - its part of how soccer teams pay the players.

    For triathlon I think it is entirely the wrong approach. Not too long ago we were bemoaning the lack of public support, newspaper articles etc about triathlon and a charge would further drive people away from spectating.

    One of the magnificient things I witnessed at the ITU races in Hamburg was the stand (free) for spectators but the vast majority of those spectators were other triathletes and AGers while the remainder of the locals carried on about their day with a passing curiousity as to proceedings.

    You only have to think about it if you are spectating at a race. How oftne do you get asked "whats going on?" by someone who has no idea what the participants are up to?


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    #66
    Ron Gomall
    Registered Users Posts: 93 ✭✭Ron Gomall


    If the money is going to maintain the castle and clear the large amounts of litter from the spectators together with providing toilets and secure parking then €5 is a nominal fee. Organisers and owners of the grounds have Public liability insurance to pay in case of slips, trips and falls etc

    If it was €25, then it would be excessive- what's wrong with everyone wanting "free" all the time. I've a friend who runs, swims and rides an expensive bike !... No problem paying €5 to cheer them on and avail of the amenities during the race


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    #67
    Shedite27
    Registered Users Posts: 9,397 ✭✭✭Shedite27


    Is this the first triathlon in the world you have to pay to see? I assume there's none others you need to pay to see anywhere on the course, but are there any that you even need to pay for to get into the finishing chute? Any like Kona or stadium?


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    #68
    sconhome
    Registered Users Posts: 5,468 ✭✭✭sconhome


    Shedite27 wrote: »
    Is this the first triathlon in the world you have to pay to see? I assume there's none others you need to pay to see anywhere on the course, but are there any that you even need to pay for to get into the finishing chute? Any like Kona or stadium?

    Nope. The other events in the Castle series cost spectators money to get into the grounds. As mentioned before that is completely separate to the race fee.

    Think of it being like a triathlon on the Zoo grounds. Participants are covered by race entry but spectators / visitors would still have to pay.

    There are no events that charge people to spectate at when on open public spaces & roads.


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    #69
    Shedite27
    Registered Users Posts: 9,397 ✭✭✭Shedite27


    sconhome wrote: »
    Nope. The other events in the Castle series cost spectators money to get into the grounds. As mentioned before that is completely separate to the race fee.

    Think of it being like a triathlon on the Zoo grounds. Participants are covered by race entry but spectators / visitors would still have to pay.

    There are no events that charge people to spectate at when on open public spaces & roads.
    I understand their rationale, but is there any other Triathlons that people have to pay to be able to watch?

    ie. Any other on pieces of land that a spectator needs to pay to watch (not pay bus fares etc to get there)?


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    #70
    sconhome
    Registered Users Posts: 5,468 ✭✭✭sconhome


    Shedite27 wrote: »
    I understand their rationale, but is there any other Triathlons that people have to pay to be able to watch?

    ie. Any other on pieces of land that a spectator needs to pay to watch (not pay bus fares etc to get there)?


    Yes.

    Races held in private grounds that charge access fees to the public are technically charging people to spectate. Though if they are there to visit the grounds they get to see a triathlon for free.


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    #71
    Shedite27
    Registered Users Posts: 9,397 ✭✭✭Shedite27


    Right sconhome, I clearly can see that any on private land I would have to pay to get onto said private land, my question is, "Is there any other triathlon in the world that I can't rock up to watch at for free, and if so, which one?"

    If ya don't have one please just ignore my question rather than repeating your "private land" thing a third time. I get it!


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    #72
    tunney
    Registered Users Posts: 12,583 ✭✭✭✭tunney


    sconhome wrote: »
    Yes.

    Races held in private grounds that charge access fees to the public are technically charging people to spectate. Though if they are there to visit the grounds they get to see a triathlon for free.

    so basically all the races, and just the races, that this organiser runs


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    #73
    RacoonQueen
    Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 20,366 Mod ✭✭✭✭RacoonQueen


    OK, so I've typed this out twice before and not posted it.

    I've done my digging to find, Castle Tri series have added fees gradually year after year to different races.

    Back in May 2014 there was a fee for two races. In December 2014, there was still only mention of fees at these two races.

    In February 2015, there was still mention of fees at Castle Howard and Hever only, however, in April there was now also a fee for Cholmondeley.
    In October 2015, the same 3 races were mentioned, no mention of Lough Cutra or Chantilly.

    By February 2016, there was now a fee for Lough Cutra on their website. Now, there is also a fee for Chantilly.

    My main point here being, these fees are not being put on by the locations, or, have anything to do with insurance - if they were, why are they being introduced gradually like this? and if it was insurance based, why would they have dropped the Lough Cutra fee so easily? More so, they got a way with it in 2014, so they brought in a third in 2015, got away with it again and went again in 2016. Lough Cutra appears to be the only race with it's own Facebook page making it easier for Irish people to complain about the charges. However, if you go back on their Facebook page far enough, you'll see complaints about the spectator fee there too. I'd guess that the fee wasn't advertised previously anywhere other than the spectators page (which entrants are unlikely to read, to be fair) so the fee was an unpleasant surprise when people turned up to race but they had no choice but to pay it.

    If a competitor has 4 kids and their partner turns up to watch the race with the four kids and maybe one grandparent - an extra €22. That's hardly cheap, I'd imagine that doesn't include the food from the burger van etc? The 'spectator' fee could quite possibly bring in an extra few grand here.


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    #74
    davedanon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,062 ✭✭✭davedanon


    RacoonQueen wrote: »
    OK, so I've typed this out twice before and not posted it.

    I've done my digging to find, Castle Tri series have added fees gradually year after year to different races.

    Back in May 2014 there was a fee for two races. In December 2014, there was still only mention of fees at these two races.

    In February 2015, there was still mention of fees at Castle Howard and Hever only, however, in April there was now also a fee for Cholmondeley.
    In October 2015, the same 3 races were mentioned, no mention of Lough Cutra or Chantilly.

    By February 2016, there was now a fee for Lough Cutra on their website. Now, there is also a fee for Chantilly.

    My main point here being, these fees are not being put on by the locations, or, have anything to do with insurance - if they were, why are they being introduced gradually like this? and if it was insurance based, why would they have dropped the Lough Cutra fee so easily? More so, they got a way with it in 2014, so they brought in a third in 2015, got away with it again and went again in 2016. Lough Cutra appears to be the only race with it's own Facebook page making it easier for Irish people to complain about the charges. However, if you go back on their Facebook page far enough, you'll see complaints about the spectator fee there too. I'd guess that the fee wasn't advertised previously anywhere other than the spectators page (which entrants are unlikely to read, to be fair) so the fee was an unpleasant surprise when people turned up to race but they had no choice but to pay it.

    If a competitor has 4 kids and their partner turns up to watch the race with the four kids and maybe one grandparent - an extra €22. That's hardly cheap, I'd imagine that doesn't include the food from the burger van etc? The 'spectator' fee could quite possibly bring in an extra few grand here.

    Excellent post.


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