It was interesting to read through this topic, because I was just contacted by a RD who wants a marathon measured that's a full 3 hours away from me. It's a small charity-driven race, so I doubt the RD will follow-through due to the cost.
I strugged with the pricing a bit because of the distance from me. I'm also torn because I feel compelled to help, but I don't really want to travel that far. In the end I offered to do it for about half of what could be considered a standard fee, but it's still a significant chunk of money for a small race in a small town.
As I put together a proposal, I couldn't help thinking that there's no way the RD would appreciate the amount of work involved in the measurement, and she would likely dismiss my offer as exorbitant.