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?

My sister tried to get in via the ballot for 10 years and finally got a space for yesterday. She wasn’t raising money either. She feels same as you it’s her hobby and was doing it to tick off a bucket list item.

It is a race. You are a runner. It is great that people raise money for charity but it is by no means an integral part of the event.
I have done half a dozen marathons, more than a dozen ultramarathons etc. One (first marathon) was for charity. I am happy to sponsor people for racing but more so when they are pushing themselves out of their comfort zone rather than when it is their hobby

As people asked for an update, I did a sub-4. Pleased with that!

Fantastic! Well done!

Congrats! That's awesome 😍

FWIW I only ask for sponsorship for something that is genuinely a challenge. So first marathon, yes. Subsequent marathons, no.

I’ve got in twice through the ballot somehow and I did raise for both as back the it felt a bit silly not to when people kept asking but I didn’t really promote it all like when I had my charity place for my first London- that was 17 years ago and my target was £1350 no way I would take a charity place now as the targets are insane!

If someone has completed the marathon course before I wouldn’t sponsor them for a repeat attempt.

As a 4h37 pb -er, that’s absolutely fantastic well done

Not at all for a ballot place. I work in fundraising and the marathon is a really important source of income and exposure and we’re always grateful when ballot place runners fundraise. But the amount we’d expect is far lower. Basically to ensure we’re not out of pocket for the support we provide, vests, training tips or team groups, post race receptions, massages, cheer points etc.

If you’re doing it alone particularly as a seasoned runner there’s no need to worry about it and you’ve nothing to feel guilty about. Hope you had a fantastic day.

Good work! How are the stairs today? 😂

As a charity fundraiser, no need at all, if it’s the only time you’ll ever do one, you have a network and a cause you care about it makes sense, in your case iit doesn’t.

Not the best! 😬

Well done 🌟

A fantastic time - I was on the Mall at the green baggage collection point and the atmosphere was amazing but everyone coming through said how brutal the heat was.

Well done OP.!!

I got a ballot place the first time and did end up signing up to a charity- because I had a ballot place there was no minimum target, meaning I had something to say “X charity please” if people asked but meant I didn’t actually have to ask anyone myself.

I did also want the support of the charity because it was my first ever race and so getting a training session, pasta party and post race reception was really great for a scared first timer.

In the end friends and family donated about £500 (I chose a charity based around a condition I actually have and have received support from, which helped) and I added around £200 myself because the charity were so great. I was really proud to run in their shirt the first time, as a real milestone that I had started to overcome said condition, so it was a real full circle moment.

I haven’t fundraised for my subsequent marathons because I do now see it as my hobby!

My Dad has done it 3 times and fundraised everytime, raising over £10k for Macmillan. He is more focussed on raising the money than the race. The first time through coffee mornings etc to meet the target and the second and third times, he offered the choice to some customers of his business to make the donation instead of paying the bill- essentially donating the work he’d done to charity. This has been a really good way of doing it because he’s not asking friends and family (though a lot chose to give anyway!) and generally the charity gets more money this way as the businesses are fairly generous.

Also congrats on the sub 4, amazing achievement on a warm day!!!!

I feel like it would be odd to raise money for charity if you're running for charity.

That being said, I feel weird about donating money for someone who is running dor charity. They're likely doing it cause they want to and the charity is a bit irrelevant.

But congrats on your marathon!

Congrats on the sub 4 OP 👏👏👏

If someone is running for a charity it usually means they are running on a place that a charity paid for as ballot places (like OP got) are difficult to get in since so many people apply. Each ballot place costs a charity c.£480 just for the place. On top of that there’s admin to manage the process, entry console, determine who gets the places as far more applications than places, support for the runners, post race events, cheer points and materials on the day. Runners drop out, others don’t fundraise at all or enough so potentially cost the charity money (most charities will withdraw the offer of the place in this instance). Other runners get injured in which cases charities can often rollover the place for them (but that’s clearly a place that could have raised more the following year so that is factored in too. It’s months of work and at larger charities whole teams work on London marathon and other running events.

So if you get a charity gold bond (guaranteed entry) place you are expected to raise anywhere between £1500 to £3k to make it worthwhile for the charity. Most will choose to give places to those who are serious about fundraising as well as running.

My DP had a ballot place.

But in October his mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and died 6 weeks later, with incredible support (for the whole family) from our local hospice, so he did start a fundraiser.

He was very clear in all his messages that he did NOT have to raise money due to the ballot place, but still raised nearly £2k in a couple of months, there was absolutely no pressure, no bake sales, no harassing friends and colleagues. He's raised more than several of the charity-placed runners.

YANBU OP, hope your legs are working again!

I was thinking more form my personal point of view. If you want to run a marathon, cycle across europe or climb a mounting, i think you're doing it cause you really want the experience. Therefore I feel really weird about the whole concept of raising money. If the runner wants to donate the money, fantastic. But i kinda get the feeling whenever I get these requests (usually from quite wealthy people who are livign midlife crisis) that i am funding their dreams. I do sometimes donate if they are genuinely my friend cause I don't mind supporting their dream, but I just see it as a particularly charitable thing to run a marathon.