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Home > Forum > Triathlon Forum > Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds?

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Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds?
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audiojan
Jun 4, 20 7:53
Post #1 of 8 (475 views)
We had a bunch of races planned for 2020 and of course most of them has been cancelled. Not surprised or upset about that decision by the race directors. I'm curious what refund policies you see if you areas..

Here's my experience... most of the smaller races offer option of full refund or defer to 2021. Some races offer the same and also an option of entry in a race later this year. There's one (it's larger organization in New England, but I'm not going to name names) that doesn't offer any refund, only partial credit towards 2021 race or a virtual 1/2 IM. This race brands itself as beginner friendly and most people are doing sprints, so it's a strange option...

What do you see if you area of the country?
"Suddenly the thought struck me. My floor is someone elses ceiling"-Nils Ferlin
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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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exxxviii
Jun 4, 20 8:06
Post #2 of 8 (460 views)
I was only registered for 2 races at the time of the COVID meltdown. Neither offered a a refund. One was an IM-branded race, and the other was the world's most expensive 10K. (Did I say "most expensive?" Shame on me. I meant "largest.")
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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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BKyle
Jun 4, 20 8:09
Post #3 of 8 (453 views)
audiojan wrote:
most of the smaller races offer option of full refund or defer to 2021. Some races offer the same and also an option of entry in a race later this year. There's one (it's larger organization in New England, but I'm not going to name names) that doesn't offer any refund, only partial credit towards 2021 race or a virtual 1/2 IM.

My experience has been the opposite though the experience has been for gravel races. For example, our local gravel race offered a 50% refund for this year's registration and a 20% discount on next year's registration. The largest race I had signed up for (SBT GRVL) offered the option of a a deferral to next year's race or a full refund.
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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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Thom
Jun 4, 20 8:11
Post #4 of 8 (448 views)
Barry Roubaix- Rescheduled for Oct. Automatic deferral
TTT- Cancelled, will receive a partial credit (75%?)for next year's race.
TC 70.3- Yet to be seen.

Those were the only 3 races I had paid for.
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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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JMosey
Jun 4, 20 8:22
Post #5 of 8 (431 views)
I am signed up for three races this year:

Greenville Triathlon - deferred until next year.
Barry-Roubaix - postponed until later this year
Michigan Coast 2 Coast - postponed until later this year.

From the race director side, we have had to cancel one of the races we direct so far and offered our athletes three options:

  • 100% deferral until next year (normal policy is 50% credit towards next year).
  • Switch to virtual. We were told by a longtime industry veteran that our switch to virtual was the best he has seen to date. As first year race directors that meant a lot. although maybe being first year directors helps b/c we had no pre-conceived notions. We are offering custom shirts/medals, timing, finish line photos, etc. 2020 was supposed to be our 10th anniversary but we were able to switch early enough that we can brand the entire race around it being the 9.5 edition of our race. Athletes are embracing the change and we are having fun with the new branding. Might as well make the best of a crazy situation.
  • Donate their entry with a portion of the funds going to our charity partners. The response from our athletes was nothing short of amazing. I can probably count on one hand the number of rude emails we received out of the 1k + people who were signed up at the time we made the announcement.

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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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longtrousers
Jun 4, 20 8:29
Post #6 of 8 (421 views)
Challenge St. Pölten Austria (half distance).
3 options:
-full refund;
-full refund minus €70,- as a support for the organization;
-registration for 2021.

I chose the 2nd option.
Last edited by: longtrousers: Jun 4, 20 8:29
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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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hiker726
Jun 4, 20 9:22
Post #7 of 8 (372 views)
Only one race I was signed up for offered refund option (NYC Half) - option was refund or guaranteed entry for 2021.

The other races all local tri's there was no refund option a mix of defer to next year, defer to rescheduled date or transfer to another race later in year.
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Re: Race cancellations due to Covid-19... what is your experience with refunds? [audiojan] [ In reply to ]
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cassinonorth
Jun 4, 20 10:09
Post #8 of 8 (339 views)
IMFL 70.3- No refund option, Deferment options for about 6 races. Chose FL 2021.

Jerseyman Olympic- No refund offered, deferment to next year with a small administrative fee(not sure how much that's going to be)

Couple small 5k's I was registered for gave refunds or offered donation/deferment options. Donated the fee.

Last race I'm registered for is Philly Marathon, we'll see if that goes.
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