“Running is a cheap sport. All you need are shoes!”
Um, yeah, right. We runners know better than that. We have STUFF. Lots of it. And when it comes to training for and running a marathon, it definitely ain’t cheap.
Here’s a look at the costs associated with my Chicago Marathon training, which essentially began in February, and the race itself:
This giant pile of neon represents the clothes, gear and whatnot I’ve purchased this year for marathon training (*dog not included).
Chicago Marathon Race Registration: $185.00
Shoes (3 pairs): $300.00
Training (Chicago Endurance Sports): $229.00 FREE! (with my American Cancer Society charity team)
iPod Shuffle: $50.00
Headphones: $20.00
Garmin Forerunner 110: $120.00
Shot Bloks: $32.00
Clothing (1 pair of compression socks, 1 pair of compression sleeves, 3 pairs of shorts, 1 pair of tights, 1 pair of capri tights, 4 sports bras, 4 tank tops, 2 long sleeve tops, 4 pairs of socks): $600.00*
Other Races (Chi-Town 10K, Madison Half Marathon, PAWS 8K w/ GROUPON, Bastille Day 5K, Rock n’ Roll Chicago Half Marathon, Bix 7, Rock the Night 5K): $375.00
Body Glide: $9.99
Yoga for Runners Classes (20): $200.00
Gym Membership (9 months): $179.91
Massages (6): $550.00
Swag at the Marathon Expo: $100.00*
Parking at the Marathon Expo: $10.00
Marathon Race Day Transportation: $40.00*
TOTAL COST: $2,771.90
* estimated; also, I THINK that’s all of the running clothes I’ve purchased since February — and most everything was on sale.
Now, keep in mind that I don’t have to pay for a hotel room or a plane ticket. I also didn’t include costs for traveling to the Madison Half Marathon or the Bix 7 because I consider those vacations. And of course, I already owned a lot of gear and clothing heading into this venture.
Still, all told, since February, I’ve spent almost three grand on running and training. Wow.
But guess what? It’s been worth every penny. — Mags
Filed under: Angelic Thoughts, Gear Check
