This may be a totally stupid question.
But what is the registration fees for race for? Is it easier for RD’s?
or I guess I’m asking why is it easier or can RD not just send google doc type registration?
The money the race registration site takes for handling the registration and hosting it. Plus giving race directors various tools such as volunteer registration etc.
The entry fee to our SwimRun NC race is $350 for a team of 2. Basically $175 per athlete for a memorable race that last 4 to 6 hours depending how fast you are. There is no registration fee added on, we eat it (pay it from your registration), no additional insurance (again gets pulled from your entry fee), and we do not charge you for race photos either.
Herbert
No one “eats” it. Are you saying the event loses real money? No way.
Thx and yeah that makes sense.
If active is ditched, all other similar registration processing sites tack on the stupid processing fees. Has something to do with credit card companies. Now I’m not sure, but I think papal avoids this exorbitant fee.
As for USAt, with decline in partipants you need to cut staff and salaries as well. Lean out more… that stupid magazine with repetitive info every year, it’s as if they have an AI bot printing it
What value is there to the athletes? I would expect bike/run distances as advertised to be on point, if not more for margin of error
PayPal can be even worse in terms of the vig they charge.
Large organizations can often negotiate with their processor for beneficial terms (and will get the best deal on volume anyway).
You are not paying attention. This could easily be a fee that we add on for the racers to pay, but we choose not to do it. No one said anything about losing money.
The entry fee to our SwimRun NC race is $350 for a team of 2. Basically $175 per athlete for a memorable race that last 4 to 6 hours depending how fast you are. There is no registration fee added on, we eat it (pay it from your registration), no additional insurance (again gets pulled from your entry fee), and we do not charge you for race photos either.
Herbert
No one “eats” it. Are you saying the event loses real money? No way.
SommerSports,
I am curious to hear your perspective as an RD. Does USAT provide any tangible benefits to you?
As a participant, the only thing i differentiate are ironman races vs. iron-distance races.
Being a bit hypocritical, I never cared for USAT fees but do seek out UCI events for points, even though I am not at all competitive.
Not to put words into their mouth, but as a local who races SommerSports events (which are very well run btw) I doubt they’re big enough to self-insure or go through the hassle of procuring insurance outside of USAT.
Ah, another long winded email from Barry Siff. At least he tries to give you $15 worth of fluff every now and then.
I came in second in my age group at NYC Triathlon this weekend. I went to the Awards Ceremony where they made a big deal about being able to sign up on the spot for the “Championship†next year. I talked to a few other people and it didn’t seem to me like they were going to have a single taker across any of the age groups. Do they really think they are going to turn the NYC Triathlon into the Kona of Olympic distance? That people are going to fork over $300+ on the spot for a race 12 months away. It’s ridiculous. I think this is going to be an abysmal failure. I won’t even take my chances and sign up through the lottery for next year, and I’ve done it 3 years in a row. Like USAT said, if I can’t get a USAT score that will help me make All American, then I just as soon find a different local Olympic distance race where I can.
Since you have done it 3 years in a row, you know its an “event” and not a race.
NYC is a terrible place for a triathlon Championship. Now if they put on a duathlon Championship there, that would be awesome.
You are not paying attention. This could easily be a fee that we add on for the racers to pay, but we choose not to do it. No one said anything about losing money.
The entry fee to our SwimRun NC race is $350 for a team of 2. Basically $175 per athlete for a memorable race that last 4 to 6 hours depending how fast you are. There is no registration fee added on, we eat it (pay it from your registration), no additional insurance (again gets pulled from your entry fee), and we do not charge you for race photos either.
Herbert
No one “eats” it. Are you saying the event loses real money? No way.
To say this is a fee the racers are not paying is, well, …
Will I see you in Penticton?
I though that you only do USAT events.
Let’s see, I get USAT ranking points from the event, so 
.
Not sure why I even engage with you, as you hear what you want to hear.
The point was that we could have added on the entry fee after the fact and we chose not to do so.
NYC is a terrible place for a triathlon Championship. Now if they put on a duathlon Championship there, that would be awesome.
Agreed on the first part but not sure on the second. The bike course at NYC is not very challenging, so stronger bikers as well as stronger swimmers may avoid it as well.
I came in second in my age group at NYC Triathlon this weekend. I went to the Awards Ceremony where they made a big deal about being able to sign up on the spot for the “Championship†next year. I talked to a few other people and it didn’t seem to me like they were going to have a single taker across any of the age groups. Do they really think they are going to turn the NYC Triathlon into the Kona of Olympic distance? That people are going to fork over $300+ on the spot for a race 12 months away. It’s ridiculous. I think this is going to be an abysmal failure. I won’t even take my chances and sign up through the lottery for next year, and I’ve done it 3 years in a row. Like USAT said, if I can’t get a USAT score that will help me make All American, then I just as soon find a different local Olympic distance race where I can.
Since you have done it 3 years in a row, you know its an “event” and not a race.
NYC is a terrible place for a triathlon Championship. Now if they put on a duathlon Championship there, that would be awesome.
Well, it certainly felt like a race to me when I was pushing myself to the limit! But I get you main point, it’s not a good venue for a championship race. Particularly with the changing currents in the Hudson across the start, and the different transition areas which change the amount of time you run to transition. Also, there is a least 2 hours separating the first wave form the last, which will make for much different air temperatures. I don’t see how they can change any of that for next year. So at the very best, it’s only a championship within your age group. Your not competing with other age group for overall placement.
Perhaps I’m not understanding what you’re saying, but it sounds like the athlete still pays the fee, it’s just rolled into the registration cost. I run registration for a swim program and we use Active. Active gives us a choice. We can “absorb” Actives fee so that the registrant just pays for one line item, the swim-team registration. Or we have two line items at check-out: the swim-team registration and the Active fee. But in the former all we do is is raise our price to account for Active’s cut, so in reality the consumer is paying for Active, it’s just not as obvious in the former case.
Of course does the athlete pay for it, that is what the entry fee is for. To pay for various fees and costs. But we do not “double dip.”
In fact no one involved in the race takes money. No salary and no gas money. The only money I received from the race was for stuff I paid for with my personal money. IE, all the Boco Gear technical trucker hats for the athletes. Basically all goes back to the race and to the athletes. And what is left over goes to the NC park system.
Most of the USAT races I do have zero officials, and I am totally fine with that. 
Not even a USAT Race Referee based around transition? Seems unlikely.
in the former all we do is is raise our price to account for Active’s cut, so in reality the consumer is paying for Active, it’s just not as obvious in the former case.
the issue you guys are debating is drip pricing. it might not be a problem for you, but for some folks (me, for example) drip pricing is offensive. it’s even illegal in some countries (australia).
now, you take that australia example, it’s been a huge ironman success over the last half-dozen years, and drip pricing isn’t allowed. you have to disclose the entire price in the beginning of a transaction, and even in your advertising. so, that hasn’t seemed to keep ironman from flourishing. what it may do is keep companies from loading up the “fees” at the end.