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Shaindel B.
Shaindel B. Sendmail

Organizing a charity race... Advice? Tips?

posted 10 months ago | Report

Hi, Everyone,

I'm organizing a charity event for a local woman who must raise $150,000 to fund a heart transplant. I have a professional race organizer helping me, but I just thought I would throw this out there looking for advice and tips from anyone who could help.

We're hoping to have a 5K run/walk, 10K, half marathon, and some sort of cycling event. We're planning for the event to start and end at the same park and use the park's BBQ grills for the post-race food. We're also looking into getting activities for kids during the run/awards like a bouncy house and things like that.

Does anyone have any general advice? Tips? Must do's? Things absolutely NOT to do?

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer. I've never helped organize a race before, and this young woman needs help, so I want to do the best I possibly can.

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11 posts

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  • Stacey B.
    Stacey B. Sendmail

    How far out are you making the event?

    posted 10 months ago

  • Mark S.
    Mark S. Sendmail

    Maybe do a virtual 5k too? Make it so others outside your area can be involved?

    posted 9 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Mark S. said:Maybe do a virtual 5k too? Make it so others outside your area can be involved?

    Hi, Mark,

    How does a virtual 5K work? That sounds interesting!

    posted 9 months ago

  • Jan
    Jan Sendmail

    It's great of you to help with this.
    Two things come to mind reading your post...

    You have a LOT going on. With runners AND cyclists on your courses, I'd be very, very careful in the places where their paths are close to each other. Of course, their paths shouldn't cross. Or do you have runners 1 day and cyclists another?

    Also, if you do get a good turnout the bbq grills there may not make enough food fast enough. I'd have backup like a bbq restaurant on speed dial! As a mid-to-back-of-the-packer, there's nothing as irritating and disappointing as finishing a race to find that the food is all gone!

    BEST of luck!

    posted 9 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Stacey B. said:How far out are you making the event?

    Hi, Stacey,

    We're thinking October 13th. The race organizer wanted 6-8 weeks to do publicity...

    posted 9 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Stacey B. said:How far out are you making the event?

    Hi, Stacey,

    We're thinking October 13th. The race organizer wanted 6-8 weeks to do publicity...

    posted 9 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Jan said:It's great of you to help with this. Two things come to mind reading your post... You have a LOT going on. With runners AND cyclists on your courses, I'd be very, very careful in the places where their paths are close to each other. Of ... read more

    Hi, Jan,

    Thanks so much! I'm a professor and the young woman is a recent graduate of our college (she just graduated in June, actually)... She was very active in student government and is a great person, so I'm thrilled to be planning these things!

    We're in a small, rural area, so most races here to get lots of people, you have to do almost all of the distances possible. We usually stagger starts 7 a.m. for cyclicsts, 8 a.m. for 1/2, 8:30 for 10K, etc...

    Thanks for the pointer about the grills. I know the VFW are the people who manage this park, so I'll find out how many people the grills can typically serve at once. Thanks for the tip!

    posted 9 months ago

  • Jill W.
    Jill W. Sendmail

    I've helped organize a 5k run/walk and 1 mile fun run the past 2 years. I suggest face painting for the kids. Ask local businesses to be sponsors and either have their name and logo on a t-shirt of banner. Also, we made signs that we stuck in the ground throughout the course. It had quotes and pictures of the students we ran for. People said that they loved that.

    Supermarkets are very wiling to donate food and drinks. We had success with Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Shop RIte and Kings... the more, the better. Have a lot of people stationed to cheer throughout the course (maybe get some local cheerleaders). Last piece of advice- have all of the volunteers where bright colored shirts.

    Feel free to ask if you have more questions!!

    posted 9 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Jill W. said:I've helped organize a 5k run/walk and 1 mile fun run the past 2 years. I suggest face painting for the kids. Ask local businesses to be sponsors and either have their name and logo on a t-shirt of banner. Also, we made signs that we stuck... read more

    Jill,

    Thank you soooo much! This helps a lot. If I think of any other questions, I'll definitely ask you.

    Take care,
    S

    posted 9 months ago

  • Mark S.
    Mark S. Sendmail

    Here's a sample of a virtual 5k...I've done a few of them (simply because I support the charity that it's going to, exactly why you're organizing this anyway!)....one was here on DM for Thanksgiving or Christmas (golly my memory is going going gone these days!)

    http://atw5k.com/faq.html

    posted 9 months ago

  • Shaindel B.
    Shaindel B. Sendmail
    in reply to what Mark S. said:Here's a sample of a virtual 5k...I've done a few of them (simply because I support the charity that it's going to, exactly why you're organizing this anyway!)....one was here on DM for Thanksgiving or Christmas (golly my memor... read more

    Awesome! Thank you so much, Mark :-)

    posted 9 months ago

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