Running Fundraising Ideas: What Sophie Learned From A 500 Mile Fundraising Challenge

In this episode of the Sapphire Running Zone podcast, Tim Rogers talks to Sophie Badman, an Events Fundraiser at Samaritans, about her own running journey and the fundraising lessons she has learned along the way. As someone who has raised money through her own running challenges and who now supports other charity runners, Sophie has experienced fundraising from both sides.

Her running story began with a single 10K after she decided to raise money for Samaritans, a charity that had previously supported her personally. That first event eventually developed into a challenge involving around 500 miles of running, numerous 10Ks, ten mile events and half marathons, while forcing her to find increasingly creative ways to keep people interested in her fundraising.

Have a listen to the podcast here

Running For Her Mental Health

Sophie started running around 2018, initially because of the positive effect it had on her own mental health. There was something about simply putting on her running shoes and heading outside that she found beneficial, and having previously received support from Samaritans, running also provided an opportunity to give something back.

Her first challenge was a 10K. She had secured her own place rather than taking a charity entry, so there was no minimum fundraising commitment and initially no ambitious fundraising target. She simply hoped friends and family might support what she was doing, but that first event proved to be the beginning rather than the end.

Sophie continued entering races and eventually set herself the much bigger challenge of covering 500 miles during the year while continuing to fundraise for Samaritans. What had started as one 10K became a series of events and a much longer fundraising journey.

Moving From 10K To A Half Marathon

One of the biggest steps in Sophie's running journey was moving from 10K events to the half marathon. Her first was in Dublin, which was also the furthest she had travelled for a race and her first trip away on her own.

She found the jump from 10K to 13.1 miles considerably more demanding than simply adding another few miles. Training took more time, while hydration and nutrition became increasingly important as her runs became longer, making the half marathon feel like a significant step up.

A typical training week included two 5K runs during the week followed by a progressively longer run at the weekend. Sophie eventually reached around ten miles in training before travelling to Dublin, although she admits that with hindsight she could probably have done a little more preparation.

The final stages of the race proved difficult and she walked for a short period after reaching around 11 miles. Although she initially felt disappointed about walking, crossing the finish line brought a very different emotion because she had completed her first half marathon and proved to herself that she could cover the distance.

The Difference A Great Crowd Can Make

Sophie later ran the Royal Parks Half Marathon in London and immediately noticed the difference that a large and enthusiastic crowd could make. With music, charity cheering points and spectators around significant sections of the route, there were times when the atmosphere helped carry runners through the difficult miles.

It was very different from events where runners can encounter long, quiet stretches with relatively little support. Having experienced both, Sophie believes crowd support can be particularly valuable for someone tackling a new distance and dealing with the inevitable doubts that can appear as a race becomes difficult.

One particularly simple recommendation from the podcast is to put your name on your running top. Hearing complete strangers shout your name can provide a surprisingly powerful lift when you are struggling, particularly if you do not have friends or family around the course.

Sophie travelled to both Dublin and the Royal Parks Half Marathon without her own supporters, so those cheers from the crowd became even more important. For runners choosing their first major half marathon or marathon, the likely atmosphere and level of spectator support can therefore be worth considering alongside the course itself.

Read more about Royal Parks Half marathon here.

When One Event Became A Much Bigger Fundraising Challenge

Fundraising for Sophie's first 10K was relatively straightforward. Friends and family supported her, particularly because they understood her personal connection with Samaritans, and she raised around £300 from that initial challenge.

The situation changed as Sophie continued adding races and was subsequently offered a London Marathon place with Samaritans, which came with a £2,500 fundraising target. Asking the same people to sponsor another 10K, another ten-mile race and another half marathon was never going to be enough, so she needed to find different ways of engaging people.

This is one of the most useful themes to emerge from Tim's conversation with Sophie. A long fundraising campaign needs different stories, activities and milestones because continually posting the same fundraising link with essentially the same message will inevitably lose its impact.

Running Fundraising Ideas: Inspire A Mile

One of Sophie's most successful running fundraising ideas was something she called Inspire A Mile. Before one of her longer events, she invited people to make a donation and nominate the name of a loved one, whose name would then be printed on the back of her running top.

Donations ranged from relatively small amounts to £20 or £30, and the idea gave supporters something much more meaningful than another straightforward sponsorship request. Sophie would carry those names with her during the event, creating a direct connection between the people donating and the challenge she was taking on.

It is an idea that could easily be adapted by other charity runners. A marathon offers 26.2 miles, while a half marathon provides 13.1, giving runners an opportunity to dedicate individual miles or sections of their race to people who matter to their supporters.

Turning A Virtual Run Into A Fundraiser

COVID disrupted Sophie's original running plans, including the London Marathon that was intended to be the finale of her challenge. It also forced her to think differently about how she could continue fundraising when normal events and activities were heavily restricted.

With virtual running becoming increasingly popular, Sophie organised her own virtual running event through Facebook. She bought medals herself and promoted the event through the Lonely Goat virtual running community she belonged to, with participants paying around £10 to enter.

There was some upfront expenditure because the medals needed to be purchased, but the event provided another source of donations without Sophie repeatedly asking the same friends and relatives for sponsorship. It also demonstrated how useful an existing running or online community can be when you give people something specific to join.

Cake Sales, Quizzes And Raffles

Sophie also experimented with more traditional fundraising ideas. Cake sales worked particularly well because supporters received something in return for their donation, while she had also planned a quiz night before COVID prevented it from taking place.

Another idea involved approaching businesses for prizes that could be used in a raffle. Sophie found that smaller local businesses could be particularly receptive to these requests, especially when there was a genuine local connection to the fundraiser or the cause.

Rather than concentrating entirely on large national companies that may receive huge numbers of requests, she recommends speaking to independent businesses and organisations within your local community. Your charity may also be able to provide a letter confirming that you are officially fundraising for them, which can help when making approaches.

The broader principle is to give people different reasons to support you. Sponsorship remains important, but raffles, cake sales, quizzes and other activities can bring money into the campaign from people who might not respond to another direct request for a donation.

Read more about organising a cake sale here.

Give People Different Reasons To Donate

A recurring theme throughout Sophie's fundraising was the importance of giving supporters something new. When she completed an event, she could share a photograph of herself with the medal and talk about what she had achieved, while an upcoming race gave her another milestone around which to build her fundraising.

She could also set smaller targets within the overall campaign, such as asking supporters to help her reach a particular total before her next ten-mile race or half marathon. These interim targets can make a large fundraising goal feel more achievable and provide a reason for people to act now rather than intending to donate at some unspecified point in the future.

Training itself also provided content. A longest-ever run, a particularly difficult session or even a training run that went badly could all become reasons to update supporters, allowing Sophie to tell an evolving story rather than simply repeating the same request for sponsorship.

Don't Only Share The Good Runs

Social media played an important role in Sophie's fundraising, particularly Facebook and Instagram, while LinkedIn has subsequently become another useful way of reaching a different network. Her experience suggests that the most effective posts are not necessarily those that simply contain a fundraising link.

Sophie believes runners should not feel they have to make every update look perfect. Training for a big running event inevitably includes difficult sessions, and there will be days when a planned run does not go well, motivation disappears or the distance feels considerably harder than expected.

Sharing some of those experiences can make a fundraising campaign more authentic. Supporters get to see what is actually involved in preparing for the event rather than only seeing photographs of successful long runs and race medals, while every training update creates another natural opportunity to remind people why you are taking on the challenge.

Sophie also found that timing could help. Posting around payday or the beginning of the month could remind people who had previously said they intended to sponsor her once they were paid, without having to approach every person individually.

Read more about using social media for fundraising here.

Look Beyond Your Existing Network

Eventually, most long-term fundraisers reach the point where they have asked their closest friends and family for support. That does not mean the fundraising has to stop, but it may mean looking beyond the people who already know you.

Sophie recommends turning towards the wider local community. Running clubs, local businesses, community groups and local media can all potentially extend the reach of a campaign, particularly if you have an interesting story or a strong connection with the charity you are supporting.

She contacted local media about her own challenge and secured coverage in the newspaper and through its social media channels. Runners can also speak to their local parkrun team or running community to see whether there are appropriate opportunities to share what they are doing.

The objective is not simply to put your fundraising link in more places. It is to find new audiences who might genuinely be interested in your challenge and the cause you are supporting.

Fundraising Ideas From Other Runners

Working as an Events Fundraiser at Samaritans has given Sophie the opportunity to see how other charity runners approach their fundraising. One simple idea she particularly likes is selling unwanted belongings and putting the proceeds towards the fundraising total.

Clothes, running kit and other items that are no longer being used can potentially generate useful amounts through online selling platforms or car boot sales. Instead of asking someone else to make a donation, you are turning things you no longer need into money for your chosen cause.

Sophie has also been inspired by one long-standing Team Samaritans runner who tackles the London Marathon dressed as a green telephone. Rather than concentrating entirely on finishing as quickly as possible, he stops and talks to people along the route, creating a direct connection between the way he approaches the event and the charity he represents.

What Comes Next For Sophie?

Sophie has continued running and has no intention of stopping. The Great South Run is among her upcoming challenges, while she is also hoping to return to the half marathon distance at the Cambridge Half Marathon after several years away from 13.1 miles.

The London Marathon remains firmly on her list too. Having originally secured a place before COVID disrupted her plans, she is now aiming to run it in 2028, having spent plenty of time experiencing the event from the other side while supporting Samaritans runners.

Sophie's conversation with Tim demonstrates how quickly a single event can turn into something much bigger. One 10K became hundreds of miles of running, half marathons at home and overseas and a fundraising campaign that forced her to keep finding new ways to engage supporters.

Perhaps the biggest lesson from the podcast is that successful fundraising rarely comes from doing the same thing repeatedly. Tell people why the cause matters, give them different ways to become involved, share the difficult parts of the journey as well as the successes and keep finding new stories to tell. The running challenge may provide the reason for fundraising, but everything you build around it can ultimately make the biggest difference.

If you'd like to support Sophie her fundraising page is here.

Have a listen to the podcast here