My first marathon was the Seattle Rock n' Roll last year. I think that the high entry fee is absolutely justified. Rock n' Roll events are huge and very well organized. The expo was enormous, there were bands every mile, the medals and shirts were awesome, and there were plenty of aid stations and restrooms. Traffic control was flawless and the course was very well marked. There were a huge amount of volunteers and police and first aid service were immediately available. There were lots of spectators which made it even more fun. There were live bands at the finish line.

If you look at prices local half marathons, you will find that they are still probably in the $60 to $80 range and will not have nearly the same amount of support as Rock n' Roll.

I think it comes down to the type of event that you'd really like to run. If you want the glitz and glam and fun of Rock n' Roll, you should go for it. If you would like to complete a half marathon with something more low-key, then you might not find the price of Rock n' Roll worth it.

Rock and Roll races epitomize everything that is wrong in racing today. I will never do one of their races. I will expand on this later. For now, goggle their Vegas marathon from a few years back where hundreds of runners fell ill from contaminated water.

^^You're in my neck of the woods!!!^^

Rock and Roll races epitomize everything that is wrong in racing today. I will never do one of their races. I will expand on this later. For now, goggle their Vegas marathon from a few years back where hundreds of runners fell ill from contaminated water.

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I love supporting my local race companies who support local businesses and local charities.

...but $100 is a huge price tag for a half-marathon!

Try running Disney. January's Disney Marathon weekend prices (sales opened last week, price hikes aren't planned until the end of June and almost all the events are SOLD OUT):

No thank you. I have zero desire to do anything Disney. My wife and I went to Magic Kingdom years ago to scout it out and I was seriously underwhelmed by Disney. I don't have anything against Disney at all, just not my cup of tea.

I'm torn about the R&R races. Our local Rock N Roll race (RnR Philadelphia Half) was a long-established race that Competitor Sports bought out about 5 years ago. (It used to be called the Philadelphia Distance Run and the course is FAST - including some of the fastest half marathons ever run.)

It is one of the three big annual running events in the Philadelphia area each year (along with the Broad Street Run 10 miler and the Philadelphia Marathon). I used to be in awe of the runners in these events before I ever thought I could run.

So far, I've run Broad Street. I've done the HM at the Philadelphia Marathon weekend (NOT the same as the RnR Philly Half)... and am going to run the Philadelphia Marathon this November.

I had planned to use the Philly RnR in September as a tune-up race/benchmark during my marathon training, but I just don't really like what I've heard of RnR.

I have run the WDW Half at Disney... and enjoyed myself, but it is SUCH a mob scene, it is practically torture to get to the starting line.

I tend now to agree with Carson, that RnR (and to a certain extent Disney) are what is wrong with endurance events today. And I am a certified Disney-phile.

The more I think about it, I will probably not run the Philly RnR this year, and will instead seek out a smaller, locally owned/managed race.

The major city races (Boston, NYC Marathon, Chicago and - to a lesser extent Philly) are not owned by for-profit companies... they contract out the management, but they are owned/operated by either running/athletic organizations (NYC/Boston) or the cities themselves (Philly definitely, and - I think - Chicago).

One thing that truly bothers me are the fact that RnR and Disney rely so much on volunteer support - just like any other race - while still charging such high prices. I'd love to see a breakdown of their fee and how much actually goes to the expenses of the race vs. how much eventually goes to charities, etc.

Having said all that... at least Disney and RnR are still timed events that provide the opportunity for athletes (amateur, casual and serious) to train and test themselves in a way that is not easy to achieve on your own time.

Don't even get me started about color runs, electric runs, etc... which are ridiculously expensive for 5Ks and don't even time the entrants!

I dont like the mega-race events. (like the RnR's). There are logistic problems with travel, parking, congestion. Have to fight through slower traffic early in the race.

Count me as one who prefers the mid-size races.

I have done the Rock n Roll in San Antonio for the past 3 years, and am signed up for the one this year also. I personally love it!

Big races aren't always the best or most organized or well run. I ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco and I can tell you that the San Francisco Marathon was WAY better run and organized. Sure, there wasn't as much pep and palpable "Girl Power" cheer in the air, but my gear got to where it needed to be, it didn't take me nearly 40 minutes to even reach the start line and the busing system they have was superb.

Do I regret running the NWM? No, because it was my first race and it will always be memorable, but I wouldn't run it again.

They should make a men's marathon where you get a 6-pack and a basket of porn at the finish line.

Big races aren't always the best or most organized or well run. I ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco and I can tell you that the San Francisco Marathon was WAY better run and organized. Sure, there wasn't as much pep and palpable "Girl Power" cheer in the air, but my gear got to where it needed to be, it didn't take me nearly 40 minutes to even reach the start line and the busing system they have was superb.

Do I regret running the NWM? No, because it was my first race and it will always be memorable, but I wouldn't run it again.

They should make a men's marathon where you get a 6-pack and a basket of porn at the finish line.

Hah! Forget the porn. You should have legitimate strippers putting the medals on your neck at the finish line.

I think Stripper Librarians have their own corral at Vegas, just ahead of the Elvi.

In a related note, I just found out Meb is pacing the 1:30 group at the SD RnR Half.

I did the RnR half in Nashville this past weekend. It was expensive but it was pretty fun.

I got put in a slower coral and paid the price. I started in coral 30 and at one point I was with 13-14. This caused major problems with having to swerve around everyone and try to grab my water on the go while everyone else was taking it casual and walking. Plus it's a pain to find parking and get your legs massaged at the end of the race (way too long of a line). However, the higher volume of runners resulted in more bystanders cheering you on which I liked.

Bit late to the thread, but I ran the Philadelphia RnR last year, and am running it again this year. It is a HUGE race, and it is a lot of fun. While they do donate some to a local charity, it is a for profit race series. Some people don't mind this, others do. In terms of the logistics I was impressed. It was well organized, the people at aid stations were well equipped, and the energy along the course was fantastic.

If you want a smaller but still well run half marathon race in the Philadelphia area look up the races that Uberendurance Sports puts on. I ran a half in early November last year that was so scenic it was amazing, well staffed, and a lot of fun. I think the total number of runners was around 500. The entry fee was about $65. It was my fastest half last year. This group puts on several races throughout the year generally in the half to full to ultra range.

Since another poster mentioned one of the other big Philadelphia races - Broad Street, I'll put my 2 cents about that one. I ran it last year and this year. Last year things were fairly well organized, but the snacks at the end were bruised and over ripe fruit and the medical help was staffed by utter incompetents. My husband fell at mile 7 and managed to shatter his kneecap (he finished the race under his own power) and they put an ice bag below the injury, wrapped with saran wrap cutting into the kneecap. This year the race emails ended up in the majority of people's spam filters (if they arrived at all).

personally ive enjoyed their races. With the tour pass the cost isn't bad at all. I can see it being pricy for the half but if you look at prices for full marathons i feel its mostly comparable. All races are going up, Chicago is 185 this year, NWM is what 200. I paid 100 for RNR phoenix and 145 for RNR vegas. our local race where i live is 95 this year.