Race Day Registration Fee
As I was on my way to ULTRA early this morning, my mind was bothered with several emails and comments sent by several disgruntled runners to RUNRIO.COM and its email addresses. There were those who were complaining about the “official race results”, others about the long queue ans still others about certain aspects of the race.
I believe that it’s ok, in fact good, for people to send their feedback and their thoughts or sentiments over what the recently held Rush to Infinity. We actually encourage it since it will help us improve our performance and also bring to our attention things we need to address and look into when we conduct future races. What’s not ok with me is the way some people express their thoughts because some are just downright rude or vulgar. I mean, c’mon, do we have to resort to cursing, name calling, the use of foul language?
So I decided to think about everything that is included in the registration fee that runners pay in order to join a race.
- Map of the course route
- Race bib with 4 pcs small safety pins
- Singlet or Finishers’ shirt
- Use of facilities such as portalets
- Adequate supply of water at predetermined water stations
- Clock/Timer
- Certificate
- Safety and security before and during the road race from vehicular traffic
- Adequate signages such as start/finish line, distance markers, etc.
And a whole lot of other things… but I don’t think the registration fee includes the right to throw fits at staff or at the event sponsors or race organizers. I also don’t think it gives runners the right to use foul or inappropriate language when dealing with the aforementioned people.
Coach Rio and his staff had admitted that he had committed a technical error during the race and immediately after. He even went further and sent out an apology letter to the race participants a few hours after. Few people would do this. I mean, what more can one ask? The mistake has already been committed and cannot be undone. Yet people still choose to dwell on what has already happened and continue to say all sorts of things, even after the letter of apology had been sent and personal replies have been given.
Some people even sent us comments that we were filtering out those feedback at Rio’s website. We won’t deny that fact - but we filtered them out because of the language or the tone of the comment that we felt wasn’t appropriate for public consumption.
Anyway, going back, I think most of the things that runners expect from a race was given, save for the accuracy of the official race results and the long queue at the finish line… Other than that, I feel that Rio and his staff have delivered what was expected of them.
As a final note, I understand that a lot of people were upset, disappointed or what … myself included since my name wasn’t in the official finishers list… it doesn’t give us the right to act in a way that is disrespectful or in utter disregard of someone else’s feelings. The comments and/or feedback sent shouldn’t even take it on to a personal level that has completely nothing to do with the race event anymore.
Hopefully, this issue subsides and I also hope that everyone learns from this experience, most especially Rio, who has been at the receiving end of what I think are very strongly worded criticisms.
TO COACH: Bawi tayo!
TO EVERYONE ELSE: Stay tuned for the next event… it’s surely gonna be big.
Jul 2nd, 2008 at 11:53 pm
Hello PR. First off, congratulations on the run last Sunday. Heard from all of the blogs that the weather was good running weather for all the runners.
Just wanted to mention that I’ve sent a couple of e-mails to Coach Rio through comments@runrio.com. I don’t know if they got through but it was out of support.
That being said, I’d like to share this with the running community there in the Philippines. Though I haven’t run in the Mizuno events, from what I’ve read, the events are being put on by Coach Rio and his staff put on are very good. What the runners receive are more than, to my estimation, about 60% of the races I run in here in the United States. I don’t know how long the group has been doing the events, but from my experience with volunteering at races, it’s an ongoing learning process. Your group has made significant strides!
I can understand the disappointment of what happened and all. My suggestion is that the runners can help be the solution to future Mizuno runs and not the problem. From the responses, a good majority of the runners were constructive in their comments.
Hopefully on August 17 (I think that’s the next event), the running community will get behind you, Coach Rio and the staff and support this event.
Jul 3rd, 2008 at 12:40 am
Hi Wayne!
Yeah, Rio got your email
He’s just kinda busy to reply, post event stuff and also with his teaching schedule… He’s actually looking forward to meeting you when you come here. Oh, did Rio mentioned that it will be on the 17th of August? I’m not sure whether he’s set a date yet… All I can say is that the next race is definitely going to be better… I’m not yet allow to spill the details of what’s to come… Rio has been doing this, if I’m not mistaken, since August of 2007… started with the Great UP Run, followed by ICTUS Century Run, then UP GIG Run, then Runnex@25, Champion 2, DocFit and now, Rush to Infinity. Rio’s experience comes from his being part of the running community since … I don’t know when…
Thanks also for the very constructive comments.
Jul 3rd, 2008 at 10:07 am
Hi BR,
My bad! I was looking at the philrunners website and had noticed that there was a Sta Lucia 5K/10K run on August 17 that has Coach Rio as the contact. I’m sure that has nothing to do with what Coach Rio and staff has planned.
That’s tremenduous that Rio and the staff have done this a little less than a year! The volunteer group called RhodyCo that I work for here in the U.S. had similar issues in their first year. They’re now one of the best in the country.
I’ll be in the Philippines in November (confirmed) and am looking forward to meeting you, Rio and everyone possible.
Thanks again and have a good weekend!
Jul 3rd, 2008 at 4:05 pm
Ey Bro,
Greetings from Cagayan de Oro! Kung pumunta ka dito, takbo tayo ha! Sayang di tayo naka-takbo sa Merville…
Anyway, I strongly agree with you on all aspects. I mean, let’s be civilized right? When a person makes a mistake and apologizes for it, we don’t have to rub it in by cursing, degrading and being rude to them. I mean, its not as if we haven’t made a mistake our whole lives right? Those people who do such rude things are worse than those who actually make the mistake and apologize, since they don’t realize their very own mistakes.
People make mistakes, but its in learning from these mistakes that things are improved.
Jul 3rd, 2008 at 4:08 pm
And to add to that, the group I ran with during the Mizuno Race really enjoyed the whole event! =)