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?