As the Powerball lottery’s jackpot rolled over and over into the size of a gross domestic product for a small country, I continued to dismiss the odds. It seemed like such a waste of money to gamble, even at a dollar or two for a “potential” return of 1.5 billion. And while I like to think I’m Han Solo and request that you “never tell me the odds,” I’m really more of a C-3PO, fretting over all things and at times mumbling, “We seem to be made to suffer. It’s our lot in life.”
According to a Google search archived on January 6, 2016:
The odds of winning Powerball have always been pretty bad. But recently they got worse. A lot worse. The odds are now 1 in 292 million against you winning the $1.5 billion jackpot.
And yet while I didn’t buy a lottery ticket, I understand why for some there was a thrill and need to do so (and not just because of a gambling addiction). The hope and prospect of $1.5 billion for such a small investment sounds like an incredible return (because it would be) and dreams of what one could do with such astronomical sums of money are fun and plentiful. They’re inspiring even. But for so many, many people, that’s all they are and all they ever can be — dreams, fantasy, a fun diversion. And that’s ok. We need that sort of stuff in our lives.
I didn’t need the Powerball fantasy, but today marks yet another attempt by me on my own version of fantastical hopes and dreams.
Today marks the opening of the New York City Marathon lottery.
Basically, unless you prequalified with a fast time or commit to raising funds through a charity partner, you aren’t guaranteed entry into the race. The only way to get in then is through the New York City Road Runners lottery scheme. And I mean scheme.
Here’s a screengrab of the process:
As a result, I’m throwing $11 into the lottery pool for one chance at being randomly selected to enter the race. If I’m not selected, NYCRR’s keeps the $11 to essentially help defray the costs of running the lottery and other overhead considerations. There’s some serious profit involved there but it’s also not a cheap event to pull off.
If I do win the lottery and get a registration slot, then as a reward I get to pay another $255 (plus processing fees I’m sure) to enter. On the plus side, there were no fee increases from 2015 to 2016. So there’s that.
I ran the NYC Marathon in 2006 and it was and remains probably my favorite big city event. There’s something about the energy, atmosphere, and size of the crowd support — I’ve never seen so many people lining the streets. The crowds were 3, 4, 5 people deep all along the streets save for the various bridges. You run all five boroughs and really see the city and the disparate but shared community. There’s things I hated — the lottery, the long lead time hanging out at the starting line (because of closures I recall being at Staten Island around 6 AM and the race didn’t start until 10 AM). And I’ve had a lot of fun at a lot of races. But there was something to the New York experience that keeps me trying to get back.
Last year I entered the lottery and didn’t win. So that was $11 “wasted.” I wound up going to the city to cheer on Meg Sheehan as she ran her first marathon ever (and raised a bit of cash for The V Foundation For Cancer Research). I also got to hang out with my brother and mom and had a great time. But it was a humbling experience to rush about town trying to catch a glimpse of a runner and cheer her on. I always have tried to thank people who have come out to cheer me at my events but seeing what all is involved from that side of things I need to really do better at thanking them. It’s a tough job cheering. I’d rather be running!
And so I’ve slapped down my $11 with dreams of running NYC again. I can’t believe it’s been 10 years since I ran there. A lot’s happened since then. Some bad, mostly good. Miles and miles of road, both on my feet and in the metaphorical sense. So like many a Powerball Billionaire Hopeful, I cross my fingers and hope for a win. And just like 99.99999999999% of those Powerball Billionaire Hopefuls, I will probably be disappointed, shrug, and carry on with life.
Oh, and the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1. That’s a bit better odds than the Powerball.
If Han could do it… oh, who am I kidding? I’m no Han Solo. Go ahead, tell me the odds.
Competitor Magazine apparently puts the odds of “winning” the NYC Marathon lottery as 1 in 6.
I don’t know… I have a bad feeling about this.