Would you risk injury for a charity?

I just read a thread where someone described how they started a marathon if poor condition... felt injured by 11 miles, and by mile 18 couldn't run... but walked to the finish, because he/she was "thinking of the charity".

I've seen this sort of comment many times before... so am I missing something, because what charity would expect you to risk injury?

What is the etiquette?  If you sponsor someone to run a marathon and they pull out injured before the start, or half way through...  would you expect to pay up or not? 

Personally if I sponsor somebody I would pay up regardless, but if they repeated it I wouldn't sponsor a second time, or would I, actually I probably would

I think these days most people using JustGiving or Virgin money to organise their sponsorship - so in general you would have paid up some time before the event. Would you have the 'balls' to then ask for your money back?

Plus for big races like VLM were charities have to buy their places, the runner has almost entered into a contract to pay the £2000 or whatever it is these days. I know when an ex did VLM a few years ago the chairty wanted half the money 4 weeks before the race!!

Hmm ... maybe.

If that was my one big event for the year and I didn't think the injury would get considerably worse if I walked another 8.2 miles then I would continue to the end to get my finishers medal!

I'd pull out if the pain was unbearable or if I had other races/events to think about and genuinely thought that the injury would be seriously worsened by walking.

In either case, I think the charity and sponsors would be pretty understanding. I certainly wouldn't ask someone for my money back if they'd had to pull out of a race with an injury. And to be honest, I'd rather someone I'd sponsored pull out if they were injured or felt unwell than continue and risk a serious or even fatal incident

I'm with xine 267. Reflect on the fallen few...no one minds another's DNF for bona fide reason although most would/do hate the thought of a personal DNF. Know of no charity who demand you finish.

 I would probably finish it.i would only run for a charity that meants something to me...i would think that the people i am helping might not ever have the opportunity to start a marathon and might live in pain all their lives...........

so if i would walk all the way to the finish if i could and then worry about the injury afterwards........

If i comiitted to doing it then i would as long as i was physically capbable of getting to that finish line

Walking from mile 18 is probably the quickest way back to the finish anyway ?

I'd not not pay the sponsorship if someone failed to finish. That seems a bit too harsh. 

I wouldn't pay it but i wouldn't ask for it back if i had already paid

But you don't "sponsor" folk anymore really do you? You "pledge" or "donate" on these charity pages.

I did exactly that some years ago. Hadn't realised I could defer so close to the run so went out and did it. Using prescription painkillers to get round. Couldn't train properly for a couple of months afterwards. Would I do it again I would hope not but unfortunately I'm not very bright when it comes to thing like that and would think about all the training I'd done to get there