To feel you shouldn't expect people to sponsor you for Race4Life if you're not going to make an effort?

[StableButDeluded]

Perhaps it's just me being weird, but I can't shake the feeling that asking people for money to do a 'race' and then making no effort whatsoever to improve your fitness at all-so you're basically having a nice stroll-is somehow wrong?

I have a friend who is 'doing' raceforlife this year and she has already rolled her eyes at the mere idea of putting a little effort into improving her fitness so she can jog or even just part-jog the race. She's perfectly healthy, there's no reason she couldn't train a bit, but she just doesn't want to. And I know it's all for a good cause and it's not cos I'm too mean to give, but it really annoys me. I suppose i just think 'what's the point of doing a race then? You may as well sit on your arse and just donate a few quid online'

I did the race for life myself a few years ago, made a bit of an effort to train and felt very proud that I jogged the whole thing. I felt I earned my sponshorship money. So I was really suprised on the day to find whole swathes of people not even attempting to jog, not even doing a brisk walk, but just ambling along. I'd just be too embarrassed to ask people to give me money for doing that.

And obviously I'm not talking about people who have a medical condition that means even walking is an effort, etc, i'm talking your average fairly healthy woman. And I know it shouldn't really matter if it's for charity I suppose. But my niece recently trekked the Great Wall of China for Cancer Research, her mother (my SIL) died of breast cancer at 42 when my niece was 9. So to me, that kind of makes a mockery of people who are fit and well asking to be sponsored to basically have a stroll.

So,AIBU? and a grumpy old bag?

Yes YABVVU and a grumpy old bag.

The point of the race is not to improve fitness, it's to raise money for charity.

They could be sitting in a bath of beans for all I care as long as they raise the cash.

YANBU

If you expect people to give money for your efforts, there should be some effort involved.

It's not the London marathon fgs. It is promoted as a fun day out more than the fitness aspect anyway

YANBU, I agree.

Sitting in a bath of beans is a bit more 'out there' than strolling 5k. And pretty unpleasant, I would think!

It's about making some kind of sacrifice yourself in order to inspire others to sacrifice their cash - isn't it?

I know this is AIBU, but is there any need to call me a bitch-I haven't stepped on a kitten or anything.

As a survivor of breast cancer I'd like to thank ALL the ladies who are taking part in the Race For Life. I don't give a toss if you run, walk, stroll or cartwheel, I'm just grateful to you all for helping to save my life, preventing my daughters from being motherless and hopefully assisting the experts in preventing them and others from suffering this wicked disease.

Reread your OP. Then tell me it wasn't bitchy. 'So I was really suprised on the day to find whole swathes of people not even attempting to jog, not even doing a brisk walk, but just ambling along. I'd just be too embarrassed to ask people to give me money for doing that.'
ime, people who do race for life do it in memory of someone. Your money isn't more worthy than theirs, and nor is your effort.

I just donated a fiver to you Reality, for the relentless effort on linking the donation page! sorry it couldn't be more. If you walk as well as you post links on here you'll be there in no time!

I strolled it last year, I'd finished chemo just before I did it, and wasn't really up to running. I hope all the people running the race weren't thinking 'lazy cow'.
People were kind enough to sponsor me and I raised a couple of hundred quid. Some of the other people in the race were very young, very old, pregnant, some overweight. They had all made an effort, they'd made an effort to go out get sponsors and walk five k. - The money they raised goes towards research that gives people like me some sort of hope and a fighting chance.

OP YABU

well Im doing it again this year and wouldlove to jog but i have my girls with me who like to do it with me for their dad, so yes YABU

I think YANBU.
My sister did race for life as she had a friend who had breast cancer. She has spina bifida and I helped her train- she kept training to the suggested program even when she could barely move any more, and she kept up with her able bodied friends during the race, I've seldom been so proud of her, and she has made me proud a lot .
Perhaps you could donate some money to someone else doing race for life as well? Maybe someone who is doing it with a health problem, it would mean so much to them, and it all goes to a good cause anyway.

my first MN kiss!

No, I honestly never intended it to sound bitchy. it's my honest opinion, it's like MrsSawdust said, you're supposed to make an effort.And I mean this for anything you ask for sponshorship for. not just Race4Life.

I'm just questioning why people would sign up to a 5K race, ask people to give them money to take part but then not actually do much more than basically turn up.

And yes Reality, I will sponsor you. 100k, you go girl!

I did say I'm not talking about people who are ill or have a condition that makes walking difficult (sigh)

i guess its because if it was hard, and people had to run less people would do it. Its sold to people as a lovely day to be with people who understand and raise some money. I certainly couldnt do it if i had to run but love the fact i can do this and raise some money too

I think you are rather missing the point of race for life - its not a 'race', its for people of all fitness levels to come together and walk/jog/run whatever. Its an inspiring experience, for me really emotional to join with people many of whom have been affected in some way by this horrible disease, and feel I'm not alone and that people care enough to get out and raise some money.

What does it matter if they've 'earned' their sponsor money or not?

YANBU. I did a Race for Life last year. When I signed up I was very overweight and horribly unfit, to the extent that I could barely run for 30 seconds. I felt that if I was going to take sponsorship money from friends and family then I had to make an effort. I did lots of training, and though I didn't manage to run the entire 5k, I still ran further than I ever had.

As I was running I was really panting and I heard someone making a negative comment about me. When I finished the race I was dripping with sweat. A couple of teenage girls looked at me with disgust and I heard a comment along the lines of 'someone took it too seriously'.

When I did the race, a good family friend was suffering terribly with pancreatic cancer (he has since passed away). It was because of him that I signed up, and so I felt it was important to make an effort, and that any pain I felt was nothing really.

At the end of the day though, the important thing is that the money gets raised.

flibbertigibbert - on your behalf that people could be so horrid and rude. I hope you held your head up high.

YABVU

I'm doing it this year, Im overweight and unfit...am currently trying to do something about this but its a slow journey...I will be walking it...oh sorry "ambling along"

I thought by doing this and raising money (however little it may be) I was helping on someway

Guess I'll cancel this year and do it when I can jog it just to make sure i've really earnt it

Flibbertigibbert- so for you! Should be proud of yourself!

flibbertigibbert well done you. I am also overweight and helping my sister train was very hard for me, I think you should be proud that you ran the race because to be honest there is no way I would have done it!

Stablebutdeluded, I made the comment about my sister to point out that if disabled/unfit people run the race, healthy fit people should certainly be prepared to do so. Your comment was a little wersh.