Judging by the forum posts I'm looking at runners are very serious about this and I don't feel like being subjected to smug ire from classist elitist assholes. The course in question is 95% public sidewalks and I'll be damned if I'm going to pay $75 for a t-shirt, a number, and some snacks (in other words I don't intend to partake in any of them) and I don't even care about placing.
Maybe if I email the organizers and beg they'll give me a fake number so I don't get bullied or something I don't know. Has anyone done this before?
Edit: Thanks everyone you've been very helpful <3 I'm going to email the organizers and try to get a deal and if that doesn't work I'm going to just go for it. Maybe throw in $5 if theres a donation.
I was strongly considering this but I don't have a color printer and they seem to change the color each year. Also what if I passed the person with my number? I'm brand new to running just trying to feel out the culture here really, and if there were any real objections because all I'm seeing online is "What can't you afford it with your iphone 15??"
Printer paper might give you away. I've only been to one similar event and the numbers were printed on something like event wristbands.