Running for Charity
Sep1520092:20 p.m.
It’s not long now until the results of the Virgin London Marathon ballot will be made public and when tens of thousands of runners will find out if they have an entry in the greatest marathon on the planet. For many if they don’t get an entry the alternative is a guaranteed charity entry. This involves the runner pledging to raise a pre-agreed amount of money in exchange for one of the charity’s entries. These days it’s not a given that you’ll get an entry just by agreeing to this fundraising requirement. Many charities have a waiting list and are very selective about who they offer entries to.
But what charity should you choose? For many it’s a very personal decision often linked to an incidence of death or illness in the family but for others it can be ‘I’ll make contact with as many charities as possible in the hope that one of them offers me an entry and I don’t care about the cause’. Some are enticed by ‘deals’ offered by charities – ‘raise X and we’ll give you Y’ – although these ‘deals’ are much fewer than they used to be. Are you more motivated to raise funds if you feel a real relationship with the charity that you’re running for? Or are you more concerned with running the race, and getting your place, and building a relationship later?
Don’t forget of course that if you get your own entry in the ballot you can still raise funds for charity. You become an ‘own place runner’.
Let me know how you’ll be choosing your charity this year.
Post views 1234
Comments (3)
Flanker2 'Aaww footnote, this is such a toughie to respond to without offending some people!!!! So, I'll just be honest as usual!...I won't know until after I've run the New Forest half, what it's like to run a race without worrying about sponsorship because I have never done it! I'm sure the marathon training would be easier without the extra stress of fundraising? Don't get me wrong, I think it's an incredible platform for fundraising, but I do just wonder if it hasn't all gone a little too far. Edit,,,,, I was going to carry on, but I know I'll be offending someone so I'll stop there and let you know how I feel after the NFH.' added 15th Sep 2009
Report as inappropriate
malcolms 'I started running through getting a charity place at the GSR,so can't knock them but since being bitten by the bug I have managed to get my own place through the ballots. The amounts demanded for a charity place in the London Marathon are enough to deter me from applying. You can only ask people so many times - there is such as thing as compassion fatigue.' added 16th Sep 2009
Report as inappropriate
andre 'I ran the London Marathon a few years back for a charity close to my heart. It made a huge difference knowing that the money raised would go to those who had helped us deal with what we had been through. I can't imagine just raising money for a random cause that meant nothing to me!' added 16th Sep 2009
Report as inappropriate