Has the Central Valley reached the race saturation point?

Has the Central Valley reached the saturation point with running races? The answer may be "yes."

Take a glance at the calendar of events, and you'll see a myriad events. Some are perennial favorites, others are newcomers. Yet in any year, some will survive and others won't.

Many local groups think that putting on a 5K is an easy way to make money for their charity. That's the furthest from the truth, and you're lucky to break even the first year. These are the one-and-done types of events where their hopes of raking in some bucks didn't come to fruition.

Then there are the annual events, such as local turkey trots. Many continue to thrive with little promotion.

Yet still other events continue, but may have seen their heyday. Race organizers are trying to teach an old dog, so to speak, a new trick. This may mean new swag, bigger and glitzier finishers' medals, or other incentives. But these all cost money.

Will the race director each into his or her profits or pass the costs onto runners. And how big of an increase will runners pay before they refuse and just won't register. After all, there are tons of races out there from which to choose.

Just look at all of the half-marathons that have popped up the past few years. Events that once boasted a 5K and 10K now have a 5K and a half-marathon.

Some races, such as Disney Runs and the Nike Women's Half-Marathon, appear to be immune. With prices nearing $200 for a half (yes, we said a half), they still sell out in a As in a matter of minutes or have had to go to a lottery.

But other local races that increased their registration fees to cover the add-ons have seen registrations drop off.

As with any small business -- and these races are a form of small business -- a number will go under every year, with new ones starting out to replace them. And as in business, only those with strong business plans and the flexibility to meet changing consumer p
references will survive.