HM for you or charity

When you run a hm do you run for yourself or for charity? What are the pros and cons? Do you get more support being a charity runner for example?

[Gabby08 Half Marathon]

I’ve not done one yet but I have places in two next year. I’m not going to do them for charity but if I ever do a marathon, I’ll ask for sponsorship for that. My step daughter died in January and I’d love to raise funds for the place that cared for her.

[Hidden in reply to Gabby08]

Wow two hm next year, go you! Sorry to hear about your step daughter and I understand how events like that can motivate a charity run.

[Gabby08 Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Thanks. She was severely disabled - though her death was still unexpected - and we had some incredible support with her care. I did a skydive to raise money six or seven years ago and raised about £3,000 for Hollybank Trust but haven’t done anything big since. I sort of promised myself I’d do a marathon in her memory before I hit 40 so I’ve got another three years to add on 14 more miles...😬

[misswobble Marathon]

All our local runs are charity events anyway so the entry fee is for the charity. On top of that you can fundraise as well but from conversations on here that has been problematic for some as I think it can be onerous

Our half tomorrow costs £30, not a small sum. If you do lots of events it mounts up

If you fundraise additionally at an event you get their tee shirt which has your Christian name on it, so folks can shout for you.

[Hidden in reply to misswobble]

Thank you, I did wonder how onerous the fundraising can be but whether other aspects outweigh the fundraising. Interesting things to consider.

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

I did a little fundraising when I did the Great South Run last year, but decided not to when I signed up for my first Half. Just wanted to take that pressure off myself, I think. Looking back it was the right decision. On the day, it is a mixture running so just do what feels best for you.🙂

[Hidden in reply to Sandraj39]

It is a question of extra pressure or extra motivation I guess. Maybe I should be selfish for the first hm. Thank you.

[Millsie-J]

I haven't asked for sponsorship for my runs but if I do a virtual run I like the to choose one where most of the fee goes to a charity. Earlier this year for example I did a Virtual 5k for Kidney Resesrch. Next month Im doing the RBL Poppy run. As a family we do lots of charity fundraising anyway. Late August we held a BBQ for 90 people in our garden and raised £2200 for Cancer Research and had a great afternoon with friends at the same time.

[Tomas Marathon]

I have fund raised for various cancer charities several times, although "fund raising" has simply meant putting up a justgiving page and then pestering friends, family and colleagues. I have stopped doing it though, as it ends up being the same people that have to fork out every time, and after doing it a few times their motivation seems to diminish - you again? doing another run? how exciting (!)

At some larger events the larger charities do lay on special benefits - separate cheer busses that cheer everybody but in particular their "own" runners, and I've even seen some with free post-race massages thrown in for free.

[Hidden in reply to Tomas]

Thank you Tomas for your perspective. I don't have a great friends and family base and yes they have been tapped up for sponsoring the little people for their charity 5ks. I had heard that there may be support for the charity runners such as cheering teams, before and after support but didn't know if they support during training or if you are still on your own.

[Tomas Marathon in reply to Hidden]

I haven't had any practical support during training from charities. I have, however, received information packs with good ideas about how to raise money for them.

[Hidden in reply to Tomas]

Ah I see lol! That says a lot about their priority...

[Tomas Marathon in reply to Hidden]

On the plus side, you at least get a nice t-shirt, and sometimes even iron-on letters to personalise it

[Fiendarina Half Marathon]

I have mixed feelings about running for charity. On the one hand, I hate asking people for money, and felt I was running a half-marathon for my own fitness-driven reasons, rather than the desire to support a specific charity. I was also concerned about drumming up sponsorship and then failing to finish the race! In the end, it seemed selfish to run without helping a charity, and my husband and I raised £650 for our local hospice. We just put up a fundraising page and emailed friends, rather than organising extra events, so it was not onerous - which is reflected in the amount we raised. Running in a charity T shirt with your name on did get extra cheers from the supporters, but the crowd was supportive of everyone really. I still don't like asking for money but I'm glad we supported the hospice!

[Hidden in reply to Fiendarina]

Thank you, I think this sums up my feelings really. I hate to ask, beg etc for sponsorship as it is always the same people. I may also feel the extra pressure to complete which doesn't help my training or maybe it could motivate me to do it! I guess I could just enter and then raise money for a charity rather than taking a specific charity place, food for thought.

[Fiendarina Half Marathon in reply to Hidden]

Yes, should say the HM I entered only cost about £30 to enter and was relatively easy to get a place. Appreciate for people who want to run an over-subscribed event like the London marathon, taking a charity place with huge fund-raising requirements might be the only realistic way of getting to run it at all.

[Madge50 Marathon]

Hi rfd, every event i’ve participated in to date has been raising funds for charity, usually some of the entrance fee goes to the charity as many of the volunteers come from the charity itself - some runs I do work in partnership with charities and that’s part of the ‘conditions’ of organising the run on their behalf.

I’ve pestered people so far on two occasions, but as Tomas says, it’s usually the same people you are asking all the time. It’s a very personal thing, I sometimes try and add something myself, by buying merchandise etc., like , in race for life, I bought a couple of tops and a couple of other bits. I’ve never experienced directly running and fundraising for a charity - e.g having promised a fundraising target so you get a place and a vest with your name on it. I think we all do what we can and what’s within our budget.

Mx

[Coddfish 10 Miles]

If there's a cause that really matters to you, stick up a justgiving page for it and pass around friends / colleagues / family. If a number of you band together for one cause you can just set up one page between you. It's possibly something to do occasionally, not every time you do an event. I think it's perfectly OK to do it for yourself, many entry fees include some sort of donation anyway (or you can just add a bit on top).