Would you enter a race if there was no prize fund?

[Billy Boy]

[Patrick]

Its late, I'm tired that why I pressed no

[Tony Bell]

When I was racing I didn't care if I won a box of Brillo Pads - Morecambe Weekend - or a barrow load of cash - er, that never happened, actually...
I think most of us are the same, aren't we?
I was just happy if I got a few quid to pay for the petrol money.

[Gary K]

Manx week always had good prize money, especially for the champion club!

[Mossy]

as a race organiser some of the replies here are very interesting.

My remaining comments refer to lower level races. Prem callender, major town centre crits and showcase events are another story.

one reply correctly pointed out that 80% of a race entry know they will not win. I have a big issue with the principal that a proportion of the entry fee should go on cash pay outs to the very few regular winners, you need losers as well as winners to make a race. So I prefer to give trophies or donated prizes. another tacktic is to use the entry money to pay for post race tea and sandwiches in a pub used as the race HQ. This makes organising more races feasable as no need to put upon vulunteers to supply these. But the other issue I have is if I get a bigger than expected entry, I don't like making a profit, so small cash prizes is an easy way to get rid of surplus cash.

This year I am running a series of evening races where the entry fee is an optional donation to charity and the prizes are so small its close to nothing.

in the highland games you can win good money for third place in the hopping race and still ride the cycling events run in the hill race.
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Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at
Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod
are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the
rghit pclae.

[Clubber]

Coming from a rowing background, I was pretty suprised when after my first race (at Hillingdon), having finished 4th or 5th, I got given an envelope containing cash (admittedly not a lot) - I thought that sort of thing happened before or during events

Anyway, I find it really odd that in non-pro/elite races that there's a cash prize. Surely near enough everyone is racing for the thrill/achievement of it rather than any kind of (pretty small) financial reward. I guess that a tankard or medal (as per most other sports) would be nice for winning a decent event but I reckon most people would be happy to save a couple of quid on the entry fee.

Not that I was complaining about the cash, mind, I got quite a few of those envelopes at Hillingdon - the advantage of racing 4th cat during the rowing-off-season. I suppose it was pot-hunting but in my/our defence we were all pretty cr@p tactically so any placing was generally hard fought...

[Richard Kennedy]

Erm, I'm going to come across as a dreadfully mercenary git here......but some of the replies on here surprise me. Possibly there's a difference in mentality between road riders (most of the replies so far) and track riders (mainly being a track rider myself) but, in my experience, when a track rider sees a low prize list they'll think "what a poxy event" National championships aside, we expect cash prizes! Goods just don't cut the mustard I tend to agree with other posters about long standing trophies with previous winners names one, there seem to be more trophies still being awarded on the track than on the road.

As for the argument about racing for nothing, I think the racing was harder fought given that there was £1000 on the line for the Golden Wheel scratch race than it would have been if there were no prizes (guess we'd have to ask Malcolm Elliott if he'd have sprinted as hard just for the trophy)

Before anyone accuses all track riders of being cash obsessed degenerates, there aren't prizes (or very vew) at track leagues, perhaps these equate more closely to the sort of "chipper" road events mainly being discussed on this thread and the open track events correspond to higher profile road events where prizes would be expected.

[dockeca]

Here's a non-radical, not new, un-original idea. No prizes for any event outside National or Regional A, National Champs, Premiers, Major series events. That should catch all the important ones. Everyone else rides for the glory and maybe a small trophy. Spend the spare cash on better facilities, or - heaven forbid - a profit for the organising club or team! A small possible reward for their efforts in providing sport for other people. Nothing wrong with that.
In a past life, right up to a level just below national league, basketball players pay to play matches with no reward, and the only people getting paid are the refs (I was one, at national/league finals level) and table officials to cover expenses.
It appears that there is a culture in cycling of having a tiny amount of cash as prizes for basic events - why? Most people win squit anyway (see de Rosa and me!).
If you compare what could be won in the 60's (£3-5 first at local events), when salaries amounted to an average of £15-25 a week, then look at today's rates, first prize in your local chipper needs to be over £200!It ain't gonna happen, so why bother at all if £20 is all that's on offer?

I think that the CSP (course sans prix) which happens at low levels in some parts of France because of high promotional costs, may be a way to go.
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Doc

"Any views expressed are entirely my own and not representative of any organisation of which I may or may not be a member. Unless I say otherwise."
"A Libertarian Crackpot" H.Peel

[Pantani]

[Zeco2]

The biggest irony of all must have been why amateur organisers and clubs promoted races for professionals. The pros' walked off with the prize money and we cleaned up the changing rooms afterwards.
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The British Monarchy = Institutionalised Privilage