It's only taken just shy of four decades, but I'm lucky to count myself in the number of people who has been able to eke out a living doing something I'm soaked to the bone passionate about. And I'm happy to say that it looks like 2015 will be another year full of epic events, awesome race reports, willful-personal-boundary-expanding-suffering, and inspiration. Now that the 2014 season is over and there is time for a quick deep breath before the main work of next year begins, I find myself thinking about the core values of ENDracing and what changes and improvements to make going forward.
The value that our team is trying to offer with ENDracing events has nothing to do with gear or prizes. It is a value of experience.
Admitting this, seeking to attract participants with the size of a prize pool, finisher awards, or swag would be disengenuous. While we will continue to offer some level of prizing at our events (and hope to do a better job of communicating in advanced what the prizes will be), we are going to be spending less time worrying about this aspect of race production and more time on other elements.
Participants attending our events motivated by a desire for the experience are more than likely to leave extremely satisfied. As such, since these are the types of racers our events are designed for, we've decided one component of our prizing in 2015 will be transferrable ENDracing event credit--cash value towards future events. Local and regional racers earning the credit will save money on their next effort and folks travelling in for some of the bigger events can either make a new annual tradition or pass on the reward to help someone else come out and test themselves, ENDracing style. We're also seeking support from a few key local companies and a few national ones--folks that get what we do and want to support us even though we're small.
So here is our prizing plan for this year, all laid out nice and pretty:
All events will feature transferrable race credit (in various amounts) for podium placing. We're also hoping to give away high quality race garb (ibex or greenlayer) for podium finishers. In addition, we'll try to have some event specific prizing as follows (subject to change of course)...
Iceman: Cold Avenger masks
END-SURE: 100K finisher awards (similar to wine punts or other commemorative items)
END-SPAR: NAARS premium race prize pack
END-WET: Blue Seventy gear
Wilderman: Blue Seventy gear, plus other sponsor gear in the works.
Uff Da: Cash for elite (and possibly Ultra!), socks or buffs for all racers, finisher awards (similar to 2014)
Double Feature: Gift Cards or event specific gear (TBD)
All this being said, we want to reiterate the idea that there are easier ways to get gear that will always be far less taxing on your body and probably your wallet too. As far as ways to test the limits of your potential and gain exposure to some of that willful-personal-boundary-expanding-suffering, however, our races will continue to offer an exceptional value.
Happy training.
Andy and the ENDracing team
