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Scuttlebutt Poll:
Conflicts on the race calendar
(February 18-19, 2009) Coordinating local and regional area race calendars are keys to ensure good event participation. Enough events and enough variety help to maintain enthusiasm; too many events (or too many race days) forces people to make choices. The “build it and they will come” thinking is not enough.
Everything about an event is better when participation is high. The racing is better. The après-racing is better. The economics of race administration is better. Critical mass is… critical. Therefore, it was a surprise when the 2009 race calendar in Southern California saw a new event - The Border Run - scheduled on the same day as the region’s iconic April classic, the 125 nm 62nd annual Newport Beach, CA to Ensenada, Mexico race, which attracted nearly 400 entries in 2008.
What makes this story interesting is how The Border Run (two course options of 66 or 93 nm), which also starts in Newport Beach but finishes before the US/Mexican border in San Diego, seems to be capitalizing on the increasing concern of crime in Mexico. As the event website states, “Event organizers are promoting the contest as a challenging and fun alternative to the famous, long running Newport to Ensenada tradition…. a good long-distance race without a lot of the complications, expense and worry the Ensenada Race carries.”
Fair enough, but the question is whether it should it should be on the same day? Cool or not cool? The new event gets high marks for savvy marketing, and while there is another Newport to San Diego event during the summer (24 entrants in 2008), heading south in the spring lines up nicely with boats getting to San Diego for the Yachting Cup event in early May (116 entrants in 2008).
While The Border Run may attract boats that were not interested in the Ensenada race, it will certainly also take away some entrants that would normally have done the race. Which leads us to the question…
Was scheduling The Border Run on the same day as the Newport to Ensenada race...
Cool - 18.31%
Not Cool - 81.69%
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