Is anyone aware of a creature who does runner replacement at a lower cost? ...
Answers: That price usually includes ripping out the old hearth rug, getting rid of it, and then doing the unknown installation. To save money you can rip up the behind the times stuff and tie it together for the garbage pickup. That will retrieve a lot of labor costs.
See if you can draw from the carpet place where on earth you are buying the new hearth rug to give you a righteous price including installation in that cleared out room as a pre-conditon for buying from them.
yes, do it your self