Let's Run: No, thanks, we don't need a private equity firm running the vast majority of running events in this country, from Let'sRun Editorial page, comments by Larry Eder

Let’sRun quoted me as noting that CGI spent approximately $475,000 US on elite support. I believe that, with more current information, I was under estimating the support. More accurate estimates are $1 million US on elite support in past year.

Julia Mallon, RNR San Jose 2011,

photo by PhotoRun.net

CGI is a for profit business. It’s success rises and falls with the support of its core consumer. For a capitalist society, the true power lies with the consumer. Don’t like a product? Don’t buy it! Don’t like a store or event? Don’t support it. It is that simple.

For the hundreds of thousands of runners who support CGI events, that is their ultimate power. CGI provides a service that is acceptable to the consumer in running, or they would not attend.

RunBlogRun loves the diversity in our sport, from local 5ks to cross country invitationals to all comers track meets to 40,000 in the RNR San Diego Marathon and half marathon. There are places for all in the sport.

The question was asked to me by an Olympic medalist, after hearing about CGI’s decision: ” Why do the Federations allow just anyone to put on races and events in our sport? It would not happen in any other activity in the world. Our sport and activity should not all be about profit, there has to be some support of the greater meaning of athletics.”

Enough said.

#CGI, #responsibilitytothesport, #eliteathletes,

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This is the quote of the Day on the Let’sRun.com site:

“We have a problem with the Competitor Group – a for-profit company owned by the $2.8 billion Calera Capital – owning many of the biggest races across the country, getting millions of dollars in public subsidies (think tax dollars), being allowed to close down public streets for hours on end, without doing anything to give back to the sport of running.

We at LetsRun.com love the professional aspect of the sport. It is our passion. It is also our belief that the pro runners are the ones who inspire future generations of runners. … We’ve long watched the rise of Competitor Group with suspicion and thought to ourselves, ‘It would be so much better if a non-profit like the New York Road Runners became the US Road Runners and put these races on all over the country. That way instead of the excess money going to private equity group it would go back into the sport whether it’s to elites or youth running programs.'”

To read the complete article, please go to:

http://www.letsrun.com/news/2013/09/no-thanks-we-dont-need-a-private-equity-firm-running-the-vast-majority-of-big-running-events-in-this-country/

Author

Larry Eder
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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