Epic entry fee

[TeamBaja]

I have a question, that no one has answered for me. Why is the epic much higher $1'000.00 USD to international riders. We pay for flight, hotels and 2 weeks off from work. Is the only major event thats does it, not a single ironman, or other stage race penalized the tourist if you will, for taking part. 

 

I already paid, but it does bug me a lot.

[J Wakefield]

Have you contacted Cape Epic directly? 

[100Tours]

I have no affiliation here, but I was curious about the pricing difference - it's been 15 years since I did the epic. It is pretty common for SA service providers to price up their service for international guests (or rather to discount it for local traffic, but that's basically the same thing). In various forms this is something you see in pretty much any geography (E.European suppliers for example)

 

The 'early bird' option was priced at R68,300 for SAffers or $4,800 for foreign guests. That translates at R14.30:$1, which was the exchange rate at the end of January 2020 - better than I thought given recent currency volatility, I was anticipating they'd be charging +50% at least. So I'm not convinced that's a bad deal.

 

I'd also be interested to know if international entries get priority - my sense is that the international entrants get some priority on getting entry slots compared to the South Africans. So if you're paying something like a 2020 forward exchange rate for a preferential international entry I'm not sure there's much to make a fuss about?

[Stretch]

Every running event I know of, you pay more if you're not local

[daniemare]

Is the only major event thats does it, not a single ironman, or other stage race penalized the tourist if you will, for taking part. 

Really

 

Ride London: Local £79 foreign £109

Comrades Marathon: Local R600 African R1500 foreign R3800

Most of the Prestige City Marathons

 

Those are the ones quickly to mind as they are in my interest sphere, but it’s more common than you think. 

 

The Ironman Charge an international benchmarked price, regardless of where. So it’s different. 

Edited July 9, 2020 by daniemare

[Dirt Tracker]

I'd say its a locals discount to allow some of the guys here to be able to enter and keep some of the guys in it who helped build it to what it is. I get it's out of the league of of most people in SA already but looking at the price for a foreigners vs earning and what other big ticket / bucket lists cost I'd say it's better value.

 

With what I earn locally vs what I earn when consulting overseas I couldn't afford to find the cash from my SA earnings  against the rest of life costs but I could on a cost ratio from my US and EU cash as it's a smaller percentage. 

 

It's also the case with alot of game parks and lodges etc, locals can't afford them as they are angled at overseas visitors so there is a locals rate. Only when you come here and see what cost of living is, what you can get and how far your money can go and visa versa in the way that how little SA rand will get you even here.  

[daveno7]

Really

 

Ride London: Local £79 foreign £109

Comrades Marathon: Local R600 African R1500 foreign R3800

Most of the Prestige City Marathons

 

Those are the ones quickly to mind as they are in my interest sphere, but it’s more common than you think. 

 

The Ironman Charge an international benchmarked price, regardless of where. So it’s different. 

 

the cape town cycle tour also charges extra for foreign riders....its relative to the epic i know...but its there...

Edited July 9, 2020 by daveno7

[ChrisF]

For better or worse .... standard practice in the tourist industry.

 

Then again .... I know of cases where tickets were sold out to SA citizens, then their overseas friends buys their tickets .... (not Epic)

 

Seems part of the business model ....

[Kranswurm]

I have a question, that no one has answered for me. Why is the epic much higher $1'000.00 USD to international riders. We pay for flight, hotels and 2 weeks off from work. Is the only major event thats does it, not a single ironman, or other stage race penalized the tourist if you will, for taking part. 

 

I already paid, but it does bug me a lot.

You must be punished for our poor exchange rate..... :-)

[Grease_Monkey]

I am guessing USD price was worked out something like this:

 

R100 for an entry = 10USD

 

Then the Rand tanked...

 

Now 10USD = R170

 

Can't shift the USD price every time the rand drops.

[TeamBaja]

To be fair I just checked the pioneer and swiss epic, they both only have a single price. Also la Leyenda del Dorado, Translap, mongolian bike race. Either well be there next year.