Set yourself a new challenge

Every now and then everybody likes to make a positive change in their lives or try something different. As such, organising or participating in a running event for charity can be a great way to improve your health and physical fitness as well as making an important contribution to a worthy cause.

Whatever charity you choose to run for, the funds you raise could help significantly to develop new medical treatments or fund important work projects in deprived areas. You should also find that many people are happy and willing to help you work towards your goal, whether by making a donation on your sponsor form or helping you organise the event itself. You might be surprised at how many positive feelings you can evoke from yourself and others by helping out a good cause.

If you are thinking of organising the event yourself, arranging the run to take place on the designated day or month of your chosen charity could help boost awareness in your area, and ensure that even more people turn up to take part and raise funds. If you don't have any prior experience organising such a large-scale public event, it can be worth taking the time to speak with your local council however, and also with the charity itself, to avoid potential problems further down the line.

These considerations mean more than just deciding whether to organise a 10k or 5k charity run - you also need to get an idea of just how many people you're hoping to attract on the big day, and you may also need to arrange for certain areas to be closed to traffic and pedestrians during the race hours. If you're concerned about the amount raised by the event failing to meet your own requirements - especially if you need to pay certain fees for land use - asking for a flat rate for each runner or walker can be better suited than relying on each participant to raise their own funds.

By starting your preparation a few weeks or months in advance of the race date, you can also work on developing a solid exercise regime to make sure you're more than capable of taking part when the day arrives. However, if this is your first race, you shouldn't be too focused on winning - simply completing the required distance will be a great feat in itself.

About the Author

Paul Buchanan writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.