It is sometimes said that running is free - you just need a pair of shoes. But there's the crunch. I reckon on a pair of shoes, price approximately £50, lasting about 750 miles. (Running shoes are a classic example of 'your mileage may vary' with some people (manufacturers) recommending shoes be replaced every 300 miles and others going up to 1,000 miles. I am a light runner and find that the uppers generally fall apart before the midsoles go. Perhaps this is due to them being left 'orrible 'n' muddy but if I tried washing them between runs they'd never get dry!) Anyway, fifty quid divided by 750 miles gives a cost of about 7p/mile - cheap, but not free! Comparing runners' rubber with cars', four new £50 tyres every 20,000 miles is only 1p/mile!
But what about other clothing? I don't get through much running gear other than socks and shorts (the elastic goes, either due to too much washing, or to too much time left rotting unwashed - you can't win!). Say two pairs of socks and half a pair of shorts every year. At £6 for socks and £16 for shorts at my average of 20 miles a week that's twenty quid divided by a thousand miles, or 2p/mile. Total clothing bill: 9p/mile!
But there's more ... fuel! Although cost per Calorie is obviously highly dependent upon diet most common high-carbo foodstuffs are a few pence per 100kCal. For example an unsliced brown 800g loaf costs around 80p and supplies around 2,000kCal resulting in about 4p/100kCal. To a first approximation we use about 100kCal to run a mile, regardless of pace. Hence a mile costs 4p in fuel. Comparing with motoring again, 40mpg at £3.50/gallon (it's shocking when you go back to the old units, isn't it!) gives about 8p/mile.
Total cost of running: 13p/mile. This isn't much less than motoring costs! If you want to take comparisons to the extreme I guess you could equate private medical insurance with servicing your car - they are similar costs!
OK, This isn't exactly rigorous science but I think it does make an interesting point.
| Ash Excellent Eight | Neolithic Marathon | |
| Bradninch Guildhall Chase | Oke Croak | |
| Charmouth and Golden Cap Challenge | Pewsey Hill 10 Mile | |
| Dartmoor Dash | Quantock Beast | |
| Exmouth Beach Run | Revelstoke Run | |
| Five Parishes Cross Country | Shave Cross Mini Marathon | |
| Grizzly | Talaton Trotter | |
| Haytor Heller | U Burrator Horseshoe! | |
| 11th Gibbet Hill Race | Victoria Park Road Race (park drives, not roads!) | |
| Jog Shop Jog | Woodbury Wobbler | |
| Kit Hill Run | Xmas Pud Mud Run | |
| Luppit Lollop | Yes Tor Challenge | |
| Midsummer Dream Footpath and Pub Run | Zzzzz (too tired for any more after that lot!) |
[I have taken liberties with I, Q, U, V, X, Y and Z as I couldn't find proper matches for them. All the others are genuine ... including W! The only one that really doesn't work is the Quicksand 15 so if someone could persuade Qantas to sponsor it I would be very grateful!]
| Advent Adventure | Nicky Nook | |
| Bicton Blister | Ossy Oiks | |
| Chagford Challenge | Purbeck Plod | |
| Dartmoor Discovery | Quicksand 15 [very dubious, this one!] | |
| Egdon Easy | Revelstoke Run | |
| Fulfords Five | Sidmouth Saunter | |
| Grindleford Gallop | Talaton Trotter | |
| Haytor Heller | Ugborough 10K | |
| Ilminster 10K | Victory V (5!) | |
| Jack and Jill Challenge | Wound Wither Wood Welay Wace | |
| Kettlewell Kanter | Exmoor Doone X (10!) | |
| Luppitt Lollop | Yorkley Gallop | |
| Mendip Muddle | Grizzly |
Have you ever wondered where the sports shoe companies got their names? Then read on, MacDuff ...
Some alternatives courtesy of Stewart Paterson: