AIBU not to raise money for my ballot place London Marathon.

[Nocharitymarathon]

I’m running the London Marathon tomorrow. I got a ballot place, against all the odds. I’m a long-term runner and have run multiple marathons including London and have raised money for charities every other time.

However, I kind of feel awkward asking people to put their hands in the pockets to sponsor me for something that is basically my hobby. I mean, if my hobby was chess, I wouldn’t feel like I had to raise money every time I had an important match. Or if it was football and I had a cup final, it wouldn’t be expected that I raise money for charity then either.

I work from home and have kids in secondary school so don’t really have the ability to do work place or school run whip-arounds. As my hobby is running, lots of others are asking around the running club to meet their sizeable donation requirements for charity places.

I’m also aware that with the COL crisis, times are tight for people. So, this time, I decided that as I am in an OK position financially, I would donate to other people’s charities rather than raise money myself. So that is what I have done. I’ve donated well in excess of £150 across multiple charities.

But I do get a shocked reaction from people when I say I am not raising money, people assume that the only reason you would possibly run a marathon is to raise money for charity, when actually I am just doing it for fun, because it’s my hobby.

I think I might feel guilty tomorrow when surrounded by charity vests.

AIBU not to have raised money?

YANBU - I've never raised money for any race (including my one and only marathon). If people want to donate to charity it will take them less than 30 sec on their phone to do so, they don't need you to chase them.

I hope you have a great race, I’m jealous as have never been successful in the ballot

I am a total running obsessive and couldn’t ask people to chip in for something I actively wanted to do. If I continue to be unsuccessful in the ballots I might eventually try and get a charity place and then of course I will fundraise but no way would I if I got in the ballot.

I do OTOH happily chip in to help friends and family when they run for charity or do anything to raise money for charity.

It’s not just ballot runners that don’t fundraise. Lots get spaces via good for age. Crack on.

I suppose without a fundraising target it’s a lot less pressure and if you happen to have rich friends (I def do not) then a general whip round for a good cause might be fairly easy.

If someone asks say feel free to donate to a charity of your choice on my behalf. I did a half before where I just felt super awks asking people to give me money so I just said feel free to donate for whatever charity you like. Since then have done more with charities because of causes I was passionate about.

Oh didn’t read the bloody post! If it’s a ballot place then no, I wouldn’t raise for charity! If I was going to do that I’d use a charity place. I regularly run events, I don’t do them for charity.

God, make the most of the ballot place - do not worry at all about charity money! I run two / three marathons every year and I don’t do ANY of them for charity and never have, I do them because I enjoy them. Have fun tomorrow!

Agree. If you want to run then pay for yourself. I’m also a runner and feel the same as you op.

I raised money for a cause that meant a lot to me when I did my first marathon (London ballot place) but haven’t for subsequent ones - it’s a hobby I want to do and have already proven I can do so don’t feel I can ask people to effectively fund that.

I’ve run it 3 times after getting in on the ballot, and have raised money ( varied between about £300 and £700) for a couple of local charities that my family have benefited from. I have a disabled child and wanted to raise money for them. The difference is I don’t have to raise a set amount (usually £2000 upwards) and my place hasn’t cost the charity anything.

Absolutely fine then!

Totally sympathise/agree. I’m running a marathon shortly too, not a charity place.

Have had a couple of people confused/ask so I’ve set up a justgiving page for a charity I like, donated some myself. And then, when people explicitly ask, have sent the link. But I don’t feel obliged to push more.

You're fine, OP 😀 I've run without fundraising before (and pointed anyone who offered to the Enthuse/Justgiving site of a friend with a fundraising obligation) and only once raised money when I had my own place; in that instance there were stories in the news that meant I wanted to align myself visibly with a VAWG charity and had topical material with which to solicit donations. I found being on a "team" rewarding and enjoyed not having to worry about raising a specific amount.

Enjoy your run!

I got a ballot place in 2023 - quite a few people told me they'd like to make a charity donation but each time I just said that it was something I was doing just for me and that I wasn't going to fundraise.

Totally agree, I think asking for sponsorship is something that should be a challenge for you. Now I’m not saying that running a marathon isn’t a challenge but you’ve done it before and you’re doing it for your own enjoyment. I think the tv coverage doesn’t help people’s perception of London as they really focus on the elite runners and then the charity fun runners, there’s very little coverage of your “average” 3:30-5hr club runner.

Also OP, wishing you all the best for tomorrow!

I love to run. I would never ask someone to sponsor me to do an event, it’s something I’m choosing to do for myself. A couple of times when I’ve done an event and people have asked to sponsor me, I’ve signposted them to charities I support. I’d only ever look for sponsorship to do something I’d find hard or unpleasant. 100% back your approach.

I do sometimes wear run gear which has the logo/details of organisations I support to raise awareness as getting the name seen at a big event is a great opportunity.

I find it weird that so many people care about your reasons for running and whether its for charity or not!

I suppose instead of donating to other people running for charity you could have just given that money to one of your choice instead and could then say you were running for them - wouldn't cost you any more and at least you could make sure it was going to a cause you agree with yourself rather than someone elses. Or just bungee a fiver to any charity and say youre running for them if people asking annoys you. But really its weird of them to care!

Edited becasue I misread (reading too quickly)- you are not in fact running for a charity ....😊Apologies..... think you can quite justifiably do whatyou like

I didn’t think if you got a place via the ballot it was anything to do with a charity? The charity places are for those who are desperate /(or are passionate about that charity )after not getting a ballot place

YANBU. I don’t like it when people
who I know absolutely love running ask me for running sponsorship. For many people, a marathon is a personal challenge- the fact that they might also be able to fundraise is a bonus.

If it’s a huge personal challenge for someone who didn’t start out as a runner, and who is raising money for a charity they’re really passionate about, I’m happy to sponsor them but otherwise no. I completely agree with you that running is an obsession hobby for many, and I don’t want to sponsor those people.

Sponsorship should be for something you would never normally do, and that will be exceptionally challenging for the person.

Last week someone asked me if I was being sponsored to run the London Marathon. When I said no, I didn't need to raise money, she said, "I mean, do companies give you shoes and travel expenses?" I wonder if there are people who assume that everyone running the marathon is on an all expenses paid junket 🤣

I got a ballot place last year and chose a charity to run for, only because so many people asked to sponsor me. It was a really small local community charity who appreciated the £300 I gave them.

I don’t think I would ever run on a charity place. The fund raising would be too much pressure on top of the training and I don’t feel I can ask my friends and relatives to effectively ‘pay’ for my place.
I have some runner friends who are on their third London, each time with a different charity. I know they’ve both struggled to raise the funds this year, because of charity fatigue.

have a great run.

YANBU.

It would be odd if you were raising money for charity, as you’ve got a place in the ballot.

Yanbu. Doesn't some of the ballot money go towards the London marathons linked charities anyway?