Running can be cheap or expensive, depending on your approach towards it but for a woman in Singapore like me, running could be far more expensive for women than men.
If you belong to the leftmost end of the spectrum, you believe that running is the cheapest exercise in the world because you don’t need fancy gears to run; all you need is a pair of running shoes. Some people even run without running shoes.
However, people at the rightmost end of the spectrum believe that in order to reap the benefits of running, avoid potential pitfalls and challenge yourself to break your own limits, it is necessary to invest in quality gears, hire a coach and participate in numerous running events or races.
Most of us probably belong somewhere in the middle between both ends of the spectrum. Our decisions are unique and depend on many variables.
My Running Expenditure in 2017
The year of 2017 saw me participating in 20 races. The cost of 19 local race and 1 overseas runcation is S$2,661. Here is the list of all the races I participated in 2017.
- Safari Zoo Run 10km (S$80)
- Men’s Health Urbanathlon (S$128)
- OSIM Sundown Marathon 21.1km (S$80)
- Income Eco Run 21.1km (S$36)
- The Music Run (S$70)
- Run Free 10km (S$48)
- Meiji Run 10km and Meiji Yoga (S$90)
- PCCW Run (S$35)
- DreamWorks Day Run (S$65)
- Race Against Cancer 15km (S$59)
- Ground Zero Run 5km (S$53)
- Mizuno Ekiden 21.1km (S$40)
- CSC Run by the Bay 21.1km (S$63)
- Newton Challenge 32.195km (S$70)
- ASICS Relay 21.1km (S$55)
- YOLO Run 21.1km (S$68)
- Great Eastern Women’s Run 21.1km (S$76)
- Mizuno Wave Run (S$55)
- Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 21.1km (S$90)
- Gold Coast Airport Marathon 42.195km Runcation (S$1400 including flights, accommodation and activities)
Meanwhile, the total cost of all my running gears is S$2,404. Here’s the breakdown.
- Nike Zonal Strength Tights (S$370 for 2 pairs)
- Ticwatch 2 (S$359)
- ASICS fuzeX Rush (S$169)
- ASICS Gel DS Trainer 22 (S$199)
- Jaybird X3 (S$215)
- North Face Ultra Vertical (S$216)
- Nike Air VaporMax (S$269)
- New Balance FuelCore Sonic (S$149)
- Fitbit Ionic (S$458)
In total, the sum of my running expenditure in 2017 is S$5,065, or about S$422/month (approx. S$13.88/day).
How Much People Normally Spend on Running Each Year
The number of races that people participate in varies greatly from one person to another. Let’s assume that a typical runner joins 5 local races in a year. The average cost of race ticket is S$65. Thus, he spends about S$325 for races.
Assuming he runs 40km a week and his shoes last 800km a pair, he needs to buy 3 pairs of shoes in a year. If the average cost of shoes is S$180, he spends about S$540 for shoes.
Running wearables are on the rise these days. While the high-end Garmin fēnix 5 costs S$899 onwards, there are cheaper fitness trackers that cost less than S$150, such as Fitbit Flex 2 (S$148). For simplicity, we assume that he invests in Garmin Forerunner 30 and spends S$209. If he is a music lover, it’s likely that he will purchase a pair of sports headset, probably a Jaybird X3 (S$215).
Thus, his total running expenditure adds up to S$1,289 a year, or about S$3.53 a day.
If you haven’t been investing anything into running, or you’re facing the challenge to find the budget to invest in running, try to analyse your monthly expense and find a way to cut S$2 to 4 a day, or S$60 to 120 a month. Here are some suggestions: skip buying drinks when you eat out, make your own drinks instead; cook your own breakfast and dinner; downgrade your mobile phone plans if you’re on the more expensive plans.
How Much Do You Spend on Running in A Year?
So, what about you? How much do you spend on running in a year? Do you think you spend too much or too little? Do you think those things that you’ve spent on are worth the moolah?
Spending a lot of money on running wisely and effectively could be a good investment for health, well-being and personal satisfaction. Many runners fulfil the Self-Actualization stage (the stage where one achieves his full potential) in the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs regardless of how much they spend. The key is to spend the least amount of money to reap the highest possible benefits for yourself.
In the end, it’s not about how much money you’ve earned and saved that count; it’s about how much fulfilled you are with the life that you’ve created.
Are you a thrifty person or a spendthrift in running?
