Last week, we pulled back the curtain on how the RUNColumbus schedule is built—the thought that goes into race selection, timing, variety and creating a season that works for our team.
This week, we’re continuing The Making of a Season with another piece of the puzzle: what your RUNColumbus registration supports.
We know race participation adds up. We pay race registrations too, and like many of you, we feel the reality of rising costs. That’s one reason we are thoughtful about RUNColumbus pricing. We want registration to remain accessible while still supporting the year-round experience our athletes have come to expect.
Most of your registration goes directly back into that athlete experience—especially awards and recognition and our events and yearend celebration. It also helps cover the less-visible pieces that keep the series moving all season long, including operations, technology, communication and promotion.
Our registration pricing is intentionally tiered throughout the year. The earlier you register, the lower your rate. Early commitments help us anticipate the size of the team, plan awards and events, make purchasing decisions and prepare for the season ahead. Rather than charging everyone the same price, we like rewarding athletes who are ready to commit early.
We also work hard to create value throughout the season. Discount codes offered by participating races can add up quickly, and for many athletes, those savings help offset a significant portion—and sometimes all—of their RUNColumbus registration fee.
Spread across the year, RUNColumbus represents just a few dollars each month for a season of community, encouragement, recognition and shared experiences.
And because loyalty matters to us, returning athletes will continue to receive a lower registration rate as a thank-you for being part of the RUNColumbus community.
We’ll share the complete 2027 pricing structure as we get closer to registration opening on September 1. Until then, we’ll keep taking you behind the scenes of The Making of a Season—one piece at a time.
Let’s RUNColumbus TOGETHER.