CHARITY PLACES IN RACES - General running

brian watt

07/11/2002 at 17:29

Does anyone else think that Charity places in races are now conditonal on raising a lot of money. For example, I was sent details about a charity place for London Marathon - and they were asking for a minimum of 1,650 POUNDS - I would find that very hard to do. Surely charities should be grateful for ANY amount you can raise. Discuss.

Got The Runs ...

07/11/2002 at 17:39

I have to agree on that. Athough I can see their point in doing so, since I am sure that they do get the idiots who just take advantage of the offer, which will in turn make them a charity for runners! But I mean raising such amounts is almost impossible and outright ridiculous!

Plodding Hippo

07/11/2002 at 19:12

Think the chariites have to pay quite a lot for having the place anyway
Loads on this in the london marathon thread, heavy reading tho

Hilly

07/11/2002 at 19:40

Not £1650 though!

I personally would not run for a charity that expected me to raise that amount of money. I've been lucky enough to get places for London marathon allowing me the option to run for a charity or not. I would not run for a charity for a LFM place. But I accept others do!

Gradge

07/11/2002 at 19:40

Another annoying thing is that race organisers are giving the charities so many places.The edinburgh marathon has 1500 ballot places and 8500 charity places!i do not like to see any race fail but i do hope this one is a flop.obviously the charities are charged a lot more than the £27 payable by ballot runners- so it is the race organisers who are to blame for being greedy.I WONT be entering!!

neilruns .

07/11/2002 at 20:08

Charities pay £250 each for place in the London Marathon which they then "sell" to runners willing to raise £1000 to £2000. The large charities get together each year well before the FLM to decide where they will set the fundraising targets that runners will need to achieve.

The inequities of this are discussed at great length in the FLM forum, under the innocuous sounding title "An answer from FLM themselves".

Neil

Minnie the Minx

07/11/2002 at 20:44

Neil, what do you base your assumption on that "The large charities get together each year well before the FLM to decide where they will set the fundraising targets"?

Trogs.

pirate

07/11/2002 at 23:21

Yes, £1650 is a lot of money to raise but it is achievable otherwise they wouldn't ask for so much. I was so determined that 2002 was to be the year I ran FLM that I had to go for a Gold Bond place when I didn't get throught the ballot. I pledged to raise £1500. I wasn't working at the time, have no children so fundraising via school was out, and being a relative newcomer to the area don't know many people locally. However, I raised £1741.60 so it's not impossible.

When it comes down to it, no-one forces anyone to take a Gold Bond place but in an event like FLM, so many people want to do it that the charities can almost guarantee being able to get people to raise whatever amount they ask.

brian watt

08/11/2002 at 17:00

Like Graeme I saw the details about the Edinburgh marathon and thought those figures must be wrong! Edinburgh is a grear race but I think this will put a lot of people off! Thank you everyone for your answers - it's good to hear other views.

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