Cost of Running

Boy I love to track things and the cost of running is something I found in a blog that grabbed my interest! I think it is something that can easily add up fast.

Jan 2011

Nike Shoes and 1 X tights - $180
3 X Hash - $11
Gas to ARR Marathon - $45
Cave Creek Marathon - $10
Jan 2010

Run to the Future - $70
Gas to Run to the Future - $6
Arizona Running Club Dues - $20
Arizona Road Racers Desert Classic Race Fee - $47
Cave Creek Trail Marathon - $10
Gas to Desert Classic and Cave Creek Marathon - $19

Total miles for Jan equaled 286 and cost so far for Jan added up to $172 or a cost per mile of only 60 cents per mile.  If I can keep this trend up I'll be doing better than last year.  Also, I have no races planned for Jun/Jul and I'll be moving in Aug, so I expect my racing and training to be interrupted slightly. 


Feb 2010 - 189.9 miles/$189.5 or $1 per mile (year to date 476 mi/$361=$.76 per mile)
Sedona Marathon Race Entry Fee - $88
Gas to Sedona and Back - $36
Saxx Performance Underware - $42
Tom Thumb 50K Race Donation - $10
Tom Thumb Race Course Entry Fee McDowell Mountain Park Fee - $6
Gas to Tom Thumb Race - $7.50

Mar 2010 - 242 miles versus cost for the month of $294 or a per mile cost of $1.21 per mile.  So far this year I've spent $656 and ran 718 miles keeping the cost per mile at $.91.  If  I get into Across the Years that will be a huge outlay of money ($200; not getting the swag to save $80), which will put my cost per mile pretty high, since I have to have that paid no later than 30 May 2010.  I'll continue to expense it in the month of the race, not when I actually spend the money. 

Old Pueblo 50 Miler Race Entry Fee - $118
Gas to Sonita and back $36
Entry into park to volunteer for Mesquite Canyon 50K - $6
Gas to Mesquite Canyon 50K - $15
Gas to Desert Classic 1/2 Marathon - $30
Sunglasses/socks/sunscreen - $89

Apr 2010 - With the end of the month I'm happy to say it was a very cost effective month of running per mile.  I got in 205.1 miles and the total cost added up to just $74 or a per mile cost of just $.36.  I'm at 923.2 miles for the year and a total cost up to the end of April of $729.5 or $.79 per mile. 

Copper Basin 50K Race Donation - $20
Gas to Copper Basin and Back - $25
Parking at Copper Basin - $5
Mail back broken Garmin - $10
Back Medicine Warming Patches - $5
Gas to Volunteer at  Pat's Run - $2
Saxx Performance Underware - $7

May 2010 - Looks like I will close out the month with 236.9 miles and a cost of $233, or just over $.98 cents per mile. 

Whiskey Row Marathon Entry Fee - $80
Gas to Whiskey Row and Back - $25
Gas to Rio Vista 8K - $10
Hamster Hotfoot Donation/Food - $25
Gas to Hamster Hotfoot - $10
New Nike running shoes - $83

June 2010 - Looks like June ended up with 260 miles and total cost was $132 for a cost per mile of only $.51, which is a really good month!  So far my total cost adds up to $1095 through the end of June and total miles equal 1420 or a cost of $.77 a mile.  I have several high dollar races coming up, but hope to keep my cost well under a dollar mile at year end. 

Goggles - $10
Flagstaff 50K gas - $42
Park Entry Fee and Donation/Food $20
Vibram Five Fingers - $60

July 2010 - Got in 234 miles of running this month with very minimal costs.  Total cost only ran $45 or a per mile cost of only $.19.  What a nice average, and the yearly total comes to $1140 divided by my miles to date of 1655 or a cost per mile of $.69.  I'm pretty happy with that especially since I've got an expensive month of Oct/Dec coming up. 

Sole Sports 5K - $5
Gas to Sole Sports 5K - $5
Nathan Hydration System 22 ounce - $35

August 2010 - Pretty good month for miles versus cost.  I got in a total of 222 miles and a cost of just $104 or a cost per mile of $.47 per mile.  Next couple of months will not be so good due to high entry fees, but it is looking for a good year below a dollar a mile.  So far I'm looking at a total of $1244 spent against 1877 miles or cost to date of $.66 per mile. 

ARR Summer Series 5K - $15
Gas to Summer Series 5K - $8
Vibram Five Fingers - $50
Gu for Buckeye Endurance Run - $31


September 2010 Huge month of running with 406.1 miles and fairly cheap running month per mile.  Spent only $155 or $.38 per mile.  Now for the year I'm looking at $1399 against 2283 miles up to this point or per mile cost $.61 per mile.  It really helped to get in so many miles. 

Hash/Gas Bisbee - $10
Gas to Buckeye Endurance Run - $45
Javelina 12 Hour Night Run - $54
Gas and entry to park - $48
Hash Entry Fee X 2 - $8

Oct 2010 Again a pretty good month of running with 301.5 miles and a cost of $384 or per mile cost of $1.26 per mile.  I like to keep it under a dollar, but this month had a lot of activity in it and I just couldn't help it.  For the year I'm at a total of 2584 miles and a cost of $1783 (per mile $.69).  I'm not running any races in November, even though I really want to run the Fat Ox 50, but I really need to keep the cost down.  I think I'll be looking good throughout the rest of the year, and even though the sport can be expensive, I feel like I am not going overboard. 

Javelina Jundred Race Entry Fee - $200
Gas to Javelina Jundred and Back -$45
Mt. Lemmon Marathon - Entry Fee - $50
Gas to Mt. Lemmon - $20
Team RWB Singlet - $30
Headlight batteries/recharger $35
Hash - $4

Nov 2010 - 288 miles this month against just $69 of cost for the month or $.24 per mile.  For the year I'm up to 2872 miles against $1852 or $.65 cents a mile for the year.  I  bought minimal gear, but will have to buy some more once I get up to Chicago. 

Everyone runs 1/2 Marathon and Gas $20
Hash and Gas - $14
Cold weather gear - $35

Dec 2010 - Had a pretty good month of running of 345 miles against a cost of $297 or a cost of $.86 per mile.  For the year I ran 3218 miles and spent a total of $2,149 or a cost of $.67 per mile.  I'm pretty happy for keeping it under last years cost of .75 cents a mile. 

Hash X 3 plus gas - $22
Watch - $50
Across the Years 48 Hour Race - $180
Gas to ATY and back $45

Total Cost estimate for 2010 as of Sep 2010 - $2149
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Now for what I can remember from 2009 in which I ran 2,733 miles or a cost of
75 cents per mile

Garmin 405 - $300
Running/swimming Shorts - $250
Nathan backpack and hip water system - $110
Nathan hand water bottles - $20
Five pair of running shoes - $400
Rock N Roll Marathon Entry - $100
Arizon Road Racers Dues - $20
Desert Classic Marathon Entry - $50
Lost Dutchman Marathon Entry - $65
Orange Curtain 100K in California Entry - $60
Gas for Orange Curtain/Lost Dutchman and Desert Classic $110
Runners Den 10K - $25
Hotel for Orange Curtain Race - $90
Arizona Summer Classic 5K Race - $25
Bataan Memorial Marathon - $60
Silicon Valley Marathon Virtual Race - $50
Javelina Jundred Entry - $150
Gas for Javelina, Summer/Desert Classic, and Go Daddy races - $50
Go Daddy.com Half Marathon - $50
Desert Classic 30K - $30

Total - $2050
This is a rough estimate, but pretty close, so divide that by 2733 and I get 75 cents per mile for 2009, which is pretty good price for the enjoyment I get out of running. Who would have thought that when I go out for a 10 mile run I'm really spending about $7? Crazy right? Well I think I will be racing less in 2010, so I may save some money, plus I'm not planning on spending so much on running gear this year.