Most early road races were organized by running clubs or individuals who were runners. While in graduate school at Miami University I started the women’s cross-country program as a club sport thru the Office of Intramural Recreation and the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. S

ince it was the team’s first year we didn’t have any funding. So, we sponsored a cross country 5K on the Western Campus and a five 5-mile road race in the fall. In the spring we created the Red Brick Run 5K which is still being held. I also hosted a couple of home meets for the women’s cross-country team. Like all early races there was no computerized timing, just a stopwatch and tic sheet and finish cards were handed out as runners crossed the finish line and then filled out by each runner and returned to create the results. After the race results were typed on a typewriter and sent out to the local media and runners (if they provided a self-addressed envelope.

Over the years I have probably directed or co-directed nearly 300 races. Besides the races I directed for four years at Miami University I also directed the Converse Midwest Meet of Champions, Columbus 10K, Circleville Classic 5 Mile, Circleville Classic 5K, Worthington Classic 5 Miler, Max and Erma’s 5K, Crew 5K, Arnold 5K, Arnold 5K Pump & Run, Granville Bryn Du 3K and Granville Bryn Du 5K. It is my hope to direct one more race this year and it will be the Circleville Classic 5K in Memory of Jeff & Jean McGowan 5K.

The cost of holding a road race has greatly increased over the years as the cost of everything associated with a race has increased, including race permits, insurance, t- shirts, race numbers and safety pins, awards, police protection and most races now hire professional computerized timing companies.

I was recently asked about the price of road races when road races started to become popular back in the 1970s and 1980s. Here are a few examples of the entry fee to run these inaugural races:

• Athens Marathon 1968 entry fee $2 and $4 for late entry fee.
• Glass City Marathon 1971 entry fee $2 and $4 late entry fee
• Dayton River Corridor Classic Half Marathon 1977 entry fee $5
• Cleveland Revco 10K 1978 entry fee $5
• Columbus Bank One Marathon in 1980 entry fee $7 and all finishers received a wind breaker.
• Cincinnati Heart Mini Marathon 15K in 1983 entry fee $6Toledo Blade 10K in 1983 event was originally free.The entry fee for the inaugural Boston Marathon in 1897 was $1.
• In my first Boston Marathon in 1980 the fee was $2.00, with an additional $1.00 for the bus to the start.