Some avid runners who are unhappy with the results of the lottery for the 40,000 slots in this year's Blue Cross Broad Street Run, have decided to take matters into their own hands.
Shortly after the lottery closed on Saturday, Feb. 15 (after a three-day extension to the original entry deadline due to bad weather) numerous ads from people seeking to purchase, trade, or sell slots in the race began surfacing on the classifieds website, Craigslist.
The stories behind the ad posts vary. The lottery apparently spoiled plans for people who wanted to do joint runs. They posted to the site seeking a bib sale or transfer for a sibling, spouse or running partner that did not earn a slot through the race lottery. There's also the tale of the hopeful first-time runner, and an odd request for a bib swap with a "sexy single lady."
While registration for the run costs a mere $43, one runner, perhaps seeking to capitalize on the misfortune of rejected runners, posted an ad asking for a whole lot more. The lucky lottery winner listed a bib for sale with a $9,999 price tag.
Kristen Abel, 27, said both she and her father were disappointed to learn that they hadn't been selected in this year's lottery. Abel ran the race with her father last year and was looking forward to doing the same again this year. Now the pair are hoping for someone to drop out of the race and offer up a slot for transfer.
"I was really upset because I was really looking forward to running. My dad and I both signed up but neither of us was selected," she said. "So right now we’re just going through the transfer program and hoping for a slot to open up."
Runners have been grumbling about the lottery process since it was implemented in 2013. Race organizers say the shift to a lottery system was necessary because the first-come, first-served entry system from prior years discriminated against those who could not access computers when registration opened.
The Broad Street Run, which has taken place on the first weekend in May for the last 34 years, is the largest 10-Mile race in the country. The race has become so popular that, in 2012, all of the race entry slots were filled within five hours of the registration opening.
Race organizers maintain that the electronic lottery drawing is random and each registrant has an equal chance of being selected, whether runners register as individuals or groups, on the first or the last day of registration.
Lottery winners who cannot participate in the race for one reason or another are allowed to transfer their bib to another runner or defer their entry to another year, but they must do so through an official transfer with the race organizers.
The sale of bib numbers through unofficial exchanges -- like the ones being sought in some of the Craigslist ads -- are prohibited. A statement posted on BroadStreetRun.com explained the reasoning behind the prohibited bib exchanges:
“There are serious risks if we do not know the identity of every runner in the race. We must be able to track each and every person on the course in the event of a medical emergency. Our awards are based on those who registered for the race. We have had many problems over the years due to runners wearing another person’s bib. As with all events, we calculate a certain percentage of no-shows into our overall projections of the number of runners that are accepted. If our calculations are incorrect, it could mean not enough shirts, water on the course or food for our finishers."
Race organizers say that anyone who is caught participating in an illegal transfer of a race bib will be banned from future races.
There are a couple of legal options left for people looking to earn a slot in the race.
The official Broad Street Run transfer program allows buyers and sellers to post requests for bib exchanges through bulletin boards on the race website.
As of Wednesday afternoon, 288 runners had posted to the buyers bulletin board, seeking race registrations. The bulletin board designated for those offering to sell registrations has instead also been inundated with requests from buyers.
Runners can still register to run in support of one of four charities: the American Cancer Society, Students Run Philly Style, Back on My Feet or the Fairmount Park Conservancy. Charity runners are required to commit to a $500 fundraising goal for the charity of choice.
Joe Dougherty, 34, posted an ad on Craigslist seeking a slot in the race. Dougherty was not selected in the lottery, but his wife was. He has since signed up as a charity runner for Back on My Feet, an option he says he is grateful to have.
"I found out that the organization called Back on My Feet had an open slot and I took it. I have to raise $500 before the day of the race or they'll charge my credit card for whatever I don't raise, but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to raise the funds. I'm glad there is another option for me to be able to participate in the race," he said.
Veterans -- runners who have participated in the race for 10 years or more -- who were not selected in the lottery can also gain guaranteed entry to the race by submitting a request to bsrveterans@aol.com by March 1.
Photo Credit: Karen Araiza