Free gift card for 2011 Marathon runners.

[frank2271]

Hi all,

Just got this email from Active.com.

"Active.com members who register by October 1 for the
2011 Walt Disney World Marathon presented by Cigna
get a $25 Disney Gift Card to shop, dine, and play. Visit
the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Welcome Center during packet pick-up at the Marathon Expo to receive
your Disney Gift Card."

Do you think this means Disney is having a tough time selling this event out? They are already giving all the runners a free day at the parks, now a $25.00 gift card? What do you think this means?

Frank

 

[Babylon Control]

They're definitely having a hard time filling the races. Here's the last official count from the Marathon website.

Marathon registration at 65%!
Half Marathon registration at 77%!
Goofy Challenge at 70%!
Family 5K at 50%!

 

[joel_maxwell]

Hey, they can have their gift card and free admission... fly me down and give me free room and board and Ill run the damn thing.

 

[dreamfinder]

Wow. They are getting desperate. I wonder what their break even point is.

 

[WishIwasThere]

Considering how much the registration charge is and that it has doubled over the past few years, I bet the 'break even' point is pretty low.

My guess is the cold weather last year and the increase in registration cost is keeping people away. Combine that with the new wine and dine 1/2 marathon. So you run a race where you know the weather will still be good or risk another frigid marathon. I bet that is affecting the amount of participants.

What if you already registered...do you still get the gift card? Or is it for new registrations.

 

[Disney Dawg88]

It absolutely has to be an incentive to get more people to sign up, especially after the numbers that Babylon put up from the website. Based on my experience in the past, these races definitely would fill up by now. I know the Goofy was always the first to fill up (often within a month of registration opening) and the half would soon follow usually by July. I'm really shocked to see those numbers . . . but I'm also excited because I completely forgot to register :sohappy:

 

[Babylon Control]

I'm waiting for 2012's races to open. I plan to do the 1/2 in 2012.

 

[madswithano]

I can't believe the races still aren't full. In my past experience the half fills up within the first few months! and the full shortly after. I wonder if the horrid winter weather in the South this year has anything to do with it?

 

[Disney Dawg88]

I can't believe the races still aren't full. In my past experience the half fills up within the first few months! and the full shortly after. I wonder if the horrid winter weather in the South this year has anything to do with it?

I'm shocked as well. I'm sure the weather has something to do with it but it has to be the economy and/or other factors. Most people who sign up, I think anyway, realize that it's in early-mid January and know that there's a chance it might be 85 and sunny (like in 2007) or near freezing (06 and 10). You really never know what the weather is going to be like until the week of the race.