I used to join fun runs almost every week--until prices for registration hit stratospheric levels. Some five years ago, when I started running, joining fun runs cost anything between P250 and P400. Today, these runs cost as much as P1,300.
Event organizers argue that the hike in prices were due to more accurate time-tracking systems (chips) and the medals that they usually give away to finishers. But what makes these running events still worth my money is the shirt or singlet that we get.
There are the singlets that were designed and produced beautifully that I still use them years after the actual event. So imagine my disappointment when the shirt size I wanted (and had previously chose) were denied me.
See, my running buddy and I registered for the upcoming Adidas King of the Road 2013 run this July 7, 2013. We registered for the 16.8-kilometer (10-mile) run some two weeks ago for P1,300 in the Adidas shop in Greenbelt. Organized by ProActive, registration was swift. We received an email confirmation within minutes thanking us for joining.
But then after registration, we were told to come back to claim our race kits (shirts, race bibs, maps, etc.)--instead of giving it to us right there and then like is usually the case--anytime from July 1 to July 6 at designated Adidas stores in the metro.
This in itself is hassle. What if you live in the province? What if you lose your claim stubs? Who pays for your travel expenses? Which appointment do you need to cancel just to go back and claim your race kits?
During registration, we were told to choose which singlet size we wanted--it was part of the registration form. There were only several sizes available for runners to fit. Only one color was available for us to see, out of the six possible colors to choose from.
So we did--I got the extra small size. Yes, they were using the European measurement so even the "small" was a bit to0 big for me--and I'm a big guy.
However, last June 28, we received email and text advice that there would be an early race kit claiming from June 29 to 30. At first glance, this looked like a good thing. Those who live within the vicinity of the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig (designated place for early claiming) can get theirs before the regular claiming days, which would result to less crowding come July 1 to 6.
When we went to claim our race kits on June 28, at around 7:30pm (according to their advise, they would be open from 10am to 8pm), we were told that the shirt sizes we had previously chose--the extra small size--weren't available anymore.
Of course, I had to call the supervisor. According to the ProActive supervisor who introduced himself as Jay Em, all the extra small sizes are gone, claimed by other runners who got there earlier in the morning. They suggested we get the small sizes instead.
But like I said, even the small singlets are a bit too loose for me. I asked how they could have run out of the shirt sizes when they knew in advance which shirt the participants had chosen. Apparently, according to them, some of the runners who got there earlier in the morning changed their shirt sizes from small to extra small. And they gave in to that kind of request? Yes, Jay Em said.
So those who actually chose to have the extra small shirt sizes are left going home with bigger singlets. If extra small sizes were so limited, like what Jay Em claimed, then they probably shouldn't have given them to those who didn't pre-choose those sizes.
Apparently, those shirts were imported weeks before they even began to accept registration, hence they couldn't have accurately ordered the number of shirt sizes for every runner. Jay Em also mentioned how there is a disclaimer in the claim stubs saying they could not guarantee shirt sizes.
There's nothing wrong with running out of shirt sizes--but not during the early race claiming; not even during first day of claiming. I'd be a more understanding patron if they run out of shirt sizes in the last couple of days of registration.
They should never had asked registrants to choose their shirt sizes during registration if they couldn't guarantee they'd deliver. What's the point? Or if they'll just give away shirt sizes that registrants didn't choose beforehand, they should have just told registrants that choosing shirt sizes would be in a first-come-first-serve basis. Then, we would have claimed our shirts in the morning.
What happens to those who were to claim their race kits on July 1, after the early claiming ends on June 30? Will those thousands of runners also go home with bigger singlet sizes than what they chose?
After several minutes of looking at the thousands of shirts--and a talk with a very disgruntled customer (me!)--two extra small shirts magically appeared! Apparently, they weren't done sorting all the shirts. Then, I said, you should probably had not announced an early claiming if you weren't ready yet!
This is a small thing, really. It's just a shirt size. But, really, if it's that simple, then why couldn't ProActive get it right? It says a lot about how they care about their participants. I hope the actual run is absent of these mishaps.
Update (June 30): A friend of mine and fellow runner Irene Perez, informed me that she claimed her race kit today (after reading this blog entry last night) without hitch. She said claiming was fast and organized. There was no line. Most importantly, she got the shirt size she wanted. Thanks, Irene. We hope everybody else gets a pleasant claiming experience. :)
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