A different twist
At yesterday's meeting of the Illinois Association of Park Districts and the Illinois Park and Recreation Association, one race director reported a new triathlon that would include ice skating as one of the event's three components.
Adding a different twist to an event can help attract participants if the race is a fund-raiser for a charity, foundation, or other not-for-profit organization.
Unlike a standard road race, which generally attracts people who want to run, an unusual event may attract donors, members, and prospects who support the cause.
Runners will care less about their finishing times and more about just completing the event - whatever it is.
The organization will enjoy a field filled with supporters (a rarity in a standard road race) and can focus on the fund-raising that it is most interested in.
So, make it different (like the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life), make it fun, and make it unique. People will talk about it.