Survey Results

I ended up with 24 responses to my training team survey. Because I did not realize I only had 10 days to view the responses, I am now locked out unless I pay for Zoomerang Pro which I do not intend to do. Prior to getting locked out, I did copy the more important data from the first 21 surveys, which I will share below. I am only including the questions that really have any value in their answers.

1. Do you plan to run a marathon in the fall of 2007?
7 - Absolutely
3 - Most Likely
8 - Maybe
4 - Doubtful
0 - No Way
So it looks like 10 people are in for a Marathon, with eight other possible runners.

2. If you plan to run, would you be interested in a marathon training team?
I am happy to say that 100% of you said yes to this question. I guess we did something right last year.

3. How would you rate the importance of the following features?

No real big surprises with the above results. The Weekend running groups with planned and supported routes was clearly tops on the list. It is also evident that having a race along the way is important, which we can work in again this year. The Clinics were low on the list. I think some of this has to do with the experience level of our runners. I think we could still do clinics again this year, but try to add to the topics to make it more interesting. Also, these clinics can be more valuable to runners who are training for their first big race.

4. How would you like the cost to be organized?
This was one of the questions I lost the responses to but I remember seeing the answers somewhat split. Some people liked having one fee for everything. Others wanted to pay their own race entry fee. Depending on the race (or races) for 2007, we could take either approach. If I can arrange a discounted race entry due to the size of our group, it may be beneficial to just have one fee for everything. I will wait to see how things go, and what race we decide to run.

5. Of the following fall marathons, what is your interest level?
This was an interesting question. To quantify the results, I had to weight your answers. If you were "absolutely" going to run a marathon, your answers were given more weight than those who were "maybes". I also weighted your response based on interest level in the races we listed. Depending on how I tweaked my numbers, Raleigh and Richmond were at the top of this list by a wide margin.

This makes for an interesting decision for 2007. By early next week, I will post something on the blog about some options for a training team for this fall. Although November is still a good waysoff, we should still make a decision and start our planning soon. The Sports Backers have already signed up over 200 runners for their 2007 team.

6. If we organize a team for Richmond, would you want to be part of the Sports Backers again?
100% of those interested in Richmond would partner with Sports Backers again. This is good to hear, and shows you all saw value in being part of the team. Don has already contacted me to see if we plan to be back again.

7.Are there other races you are interested in running?
This was another question, where I lost your answers, but I know there was interest in:

- The Rock and Roll Half Marathon.
- The DuPont Park Trail Marathon
- The Dismal Swamp Stomp
- City of Oaks Half Marathon
- Others that I cant remember

8. What activities would you personally like to see the Endurance Club try?
Triathlons was at the top of the list, which is no surprise considering several of you are already entered. Biking, both mountain and road were also high on the list. Competitive Whack-a-Mole, I believe actually came in 2nd. My kids will start a training class at Chuck-e-Cheeses next week for that. Kayaking was also put on the list, which I admit sounds like a lot of fun.

9. What do you think of the emails/blogs?
I combined two questions into one here, but the general response is that people enjoy both, so I will keep them going.

10. If you ran with the train team in 2006 would you recommend it to a friend?
This question had a 100% yes answer, which is another good sign.

11. What you be interested in coaching/leading?
There was some "soft" interest in this answer, but I did not find anyone jumping out of their seat to coach at the time of the survey. I really would like to have a half marathon training team this fall as well, so I am hoping someone out there will step up to the plate. You do not need to be an expert (see myself for evidence), but you do need to be able to organize and motivate. Let me know if you are interested.

Again, I will follow up soon with information about our plans for this fall, and get your feedback once again, now that we can narrow down to just a few choices. Thanks!