Late entries

[GrumpyOldGuy]

It's ridiculous and makes no sense at all. Last minute hotel rooms are cheaper, last minute flights are cheaper, why not last minute race entries. Every race organiser wants to brag about their numbers and the size of their race - why not make it easy for spontaneous folks who decide the night before (or the morning of) the race to join in the fun?

 

Other folks - like me spend heaps of time travelling and can't, for business reasons, plan races too far in advance!!

 

You raise an interesting point indeed. If you have ever travelled in the usa you know that a hotel room is for eg $100.00 normally, however if by around 6/7pm that room is not sold it drops to say $70.00, the theory been that its better to fill the room and make a small profit than have it stand empty. Hopefully the guest will go down to the pub and drink a few beers, buy a burger etc.

 

Even some SA hotels have recently cottoned on to this and like you say you can very often get a cheap room at the last minute.

 

So yeah, I am with you, why not races, make a number limit and if it isnt full on the day sell those spaces cheaply - if it is full, well you cant enter on the day - so gamble if you want, but I still think if someone really wants to do the race they will book ahead and pay, the possibles on the morning of the race are just cream.

[leet22]

hmm some hotels are doing it the other way around. earlier you book the better rate. We ran at 95% tonite so if you wanted a room it would be R2100. when we ran at 45 it was R1200. I dont agree with it but its the way its going now a days. I would rather sell my rooms asap than turn ppl away with the rate.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Sure, if you are full or close to it, no-one is going to drop prices.

Mostly its when you have capacity that the price comes down.

 

Hense, have a race and say we accept 500 entrants, if you only get 450 entered before the cut off, sell the 50 on the morning 30% cheaper.

 

....seems to be logical to me.

[Gumpole]

Sure, if you are full or close to it, no-one is going to drop prices.

Mostly its when you have capacity that the price comes down.

 

Hense, have a race and say we accept 500 entrants, if you only get 450 entered before the cut off, sell the 50 on the morning 30% cheaper.

 

....seems to be logical to me.

 

Hotels and flights are booked through the internet or agents who can give 'crazy cheap' last minute deals.. it wouldn't work for cycling. Imagine I wake up at 4am to get to a race and enter on the line at 6am, discover that I wont get a 30% discount and then go home sulking!?

and if organisers give a discount for day entries then EVERYBODY will enter late = logistical problems and financial disaster on rainy days.