The Napoli City Half Marathon combines one of Italy's fastest half marathon courses with a race weekend in one of Europe's most distinctive cities. Runners get a predominantly flat route, long stretches beside the Bay of Naples and views towards Mount Vesuvius, while the historic centre, waterfront and famous food culture make Naples an excellent destination beyond the race itself. The event has developed rapidly in recent years and now attracts runners from around the world. Its reputation for speed has also been strengthened by some exceptional performances, including Italian half marathon records for both men and women. The Napoli City Half Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday 21 February, with the race starting at 9:00am. Entries are already open, making this a race you can begin planning for well in advance. If you are considering a European half marathon early in 2027, Naples offers an appealing combination of speed, scenery and a city that deserves more than a flying visit. The Destination Naples sits on the Bay of Naples in southern Italy, with Mount Vesuvius forming one of the most recognisable backdrops of any major European city. It is energetic, historic and full of character. The historic centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with narrow streets, churches, piazzas and centuries of history packed into a relatively compact area. The waterfront offers a completely different side of Naples, opening onto the bay with views towards Vesuvius and the surrounding coastline. Food is another reason to extend your stay. Naples is closely associated with the origins of pizza, but the city's food culture goes far beyond its most famous export. Spending an extra day or two exploring after the race gives you time to experience the city without worrying about how much walking you are doing before 21.1 kilometres of running. Naples can also be used as a base for exploring further afield. Pompeii, Herculaneum, Mount Vesuvius and the islands of the Bay of Naples can all be incorporated into a longer trip if you want to turn the half marathon into a proper Italian break. History Of The Napoli City Half Marathon The Napoli City Half Marathon has developed into one of Italy's most significant half marathons, combining a growing mass participation event with increasingly strong elite performances. Speed has become an important part of the race's identity. Italian distance runner Yeman Crippa ran 59:26 in Naples in 2022 to set an Italian half marathon record before returning in February 2026 and improving his national record to 59:01. Naples is also home to the Italian women's half marathon record. Sofiia Yaremchuk ran 1:08:27 at the 2024 race, giving the event both the men's and women's Italian records. Those performances are more than interesting statistics for elite running fans. They demonstrate the potential of the course and help explain why runners increasingly travel to Naples with a personal best in mind. Who Organises The Napoli City Half Marathon? The race is organised by ASD Napoli Running under the patronage of the Municipality of Naples. Napoli Running organises running events in Naples and the surrounding area and has helped develop the city's profile as an international running destination. The 2027 race will be the 13th edition and is included in the World Athletics, AIMS and FIDAL calendars. When Is The Napoli City Half Marathon 2027? The Napoli City Half Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday 21 February. The race starts at 9:00am from Viale J. F. Kennedy, with runners asked to meet inside the Mostra d'Oltremare exhibition centre from 7:15am. February can provide good conditions for distance running in Naples. The organisers describe typical temperatures around race time as approximately 13°C, although conditions can obviously vary and runners should check the forecast as race weekend approaches. The February date also makes Naples an interesting early season target. It requires much of your training to be completed during December and January, but gives you the opportunity to begin the year with a significant race rather than waiting until the traditional spring season. Napoli City Half Marathon Expo The 2027 Sport Expo takes place in Hall 3B at Mostra d'Oltremare, the exhibition complex that also forms the centre of the race weekend. The Expo will be open from 12:00pm until 8:00pm on Friday 19 February and from 9:00am until 9:00pm on Saturday 20 February. Admission is free. Race numbers must be collected from the Expo and there is no race day collection. Runners are normally required to collect their own number and present identification, although the regulations allow limited collection by another person using the required delegation procedure. The Expo has developed into a significant part of the weekend rather than simply somewhere to collect a race number. In 2026, it welcomed 25,759 visitors from 117 countries, with exhibitors and a programme of interviews, seminars and entertainment. Read more about race expos here. Race Morning The Napoli City Half Marathon starts at 9:00am from Viale J. F. Kennedy in the Fuorigrotta area of Naples, next to Mostra d'Oltremare. The exhibition centre acts as the main race hub and the finish is in the same area. Runners are asked to meet inside Mostra d'Oltremare from 7:15am. With a large field expected, arriving early gives you time to use the facilities, leave your bag and reach the correct starting area without adding unnecessary stress to the morning. Having the start, finish and main race facilities concentrated around Mostra d'Oltremare simplifies the logistics compared with races that have separate start and finish locations. It is still worth working out your journey from your accommodation before Sunday morning, particularly if you are staying in central Naples. Check the final race instructions when they are released because detailed arrangements for areas such as the starting grids, bag storage and access to the technical area can change. The course takes in stretches of the waterfront Napoli City Half Marathon Course The Napoli City Half Marathon has established a reputation as a fast course while still taking runners through some of the most recognisable parts of Naples. The route links Fuorigrotta with the city's waterfront and central districts before returning to the finish area. The detailed 2027 route has not yet been published, so the final course should be checked when the organisers release the new map. Recent editions provide a useful indication of the character of the race and the areas runners can expect to experience. The Start And Fuorigrotta Recent editions have started on Viale J. F. Kennedy beside Mostra d'Oltremare. From there, runners head through Fuorigrotta towards Piazzale Tecchio and Via Giulio Cesare before beginning the journey towards the coast. The opening kilometres include the Galleria Laziale, which connects Fuorigrotta with the Mergellina area. Although Naples is generally regarded as a fast half marathon, this early section contains some of the course's limited elevation change before runners reach the flatter roads beside the bay. Mergellina And The Waterfront After emerging from the Galleria Laziale, recent courses have reached Piazza Sannazaro before heading towards the waterfront and Via Francesco Caracciolo. This is where the setting becomes one of the defining features of the Napoli City Half Marathon. Runners follow the Bay of Naples with views across the water and, when conditions are clear, Mount Vesuvius providing the backdrop.The relatively flat waterfront roads also give runners the opportunity to settle into a consistent rhythm. Castel dell'Ovo And The Bay The route continues along the seafront towards Via Partenope and the area around Castel dell'Ovo. This brings runners past one of Naples' most recognisable landmarks while keeping the race close to the water. It is one of the sections that separates Naples from a conventional city half marathon. Rather than spending the entire race between buildings, runners experience long open views across the bay before the course moves towards the port and central Naples. The exposure of the waterfront means wind can potentially become a factor, even when temperatures are good for running. Race day conditions will therefore play some part in just how fast the course feels. The Port And Central Naples Recent routes have continued past the waterfront towards the port before following roads including Via Cristoforo Colombo and Via Nuova Marina. The course then moves into the central part of Naples, providing a contrast with the open coastal kilometres. Runners have travelled through Piazza Giovanni Bovio and along Corso Umberto before returning towards Piazza Municipio. The mixture of waterfront and central city streets makes this middle part of the race particularly varied. You experience the bay, port and historic city within a relatively short section of the course. The Return Along The Waterfront The return journey takes runners back towards the coast, with recent editions using the Galleria della Vittoria before reaching Piazza Vittoria and Via Francesco Caracciolo once again. By this point, the remaining distance is beginning to fall quickly and the predominantly flat profile becomes particularly valuable. There is no major late climb waiting for runners, although tired legs can make even the smaller changes in gradient feel considerably more significant. The course then heads back towards Mergellina and Piazza Sannazaro before returning through the Galleria Laziale towards Fuorigrotta. The Final Kilometres The closing stages bring runners back through Fuorigrotta towards Viale J. F. Kennedy and the finish beside Mostra d'Oltremare. For runners who have paced the opening kilometres sensibly, the course provides an opportunity to maintain or increase the effort through the final stages rather than having to manage a significant climb. The result is a course that combines genuine PB potential with enough changes of scenery to make the 21.1 kilometres interesting even when your main objective is simply to enjoy the race. How Difficult Is The Napoli City Half Marathon Course? Naples is one of the more approachable major half marathon courses from an elevation perspective. There are some changes in gradient, particularly around the connections between Fuorigrotta and the waterfront, but there are no long sustained climbs dominating the race. The official time limit for 2027 is 3 hours 30 minutes, making the event accessible to runners covering the distance at a wide range of paces. Anyone expecting to be towards the back of the field should still check the final regulations and race instructions for any additional course restrictions. For faster runners, pacing may present a bigger challenge than the elevation. A quick course and a strong field can make the opening kilometres feel deceptively comfortable, and running significantly faster than your planned pace early on can still make the closing stages difficult. The route takes in much of the city centre What Makes The Napoli City Half Marathon Special? Naples combines two qualities that do not always come together in a destination half marathon. It provides a genuinely fast course while also giving runners a strong sense of the city they have travelled to experience. The waterfront is central to that appeal. Running beside the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the distance gives the event an identity that would be difficult to reproduce elsewhere, while the sections through central Naples add a completely different atmosphere. The international nature of the event is growing as well. In 2026, 52 per cent of runners came from outside Italy, demonstrating that the Napoli City Half Marathon is becoming a genuine international destination race. Is The Napoli City Half Marathon A Fast Course? Yes. The Napoli City Half Marathon has established a strong reputation for fast running, and the performances achieved here provide convincing evidence rather than relying simply on the course being described as flat. Yeman Crippa's 59:01 in 2026 set a new Italian men's half marathon record, while Sofiia Yaremchuk set the Italian women's record in Naples in 2024. The event therefore currently holds both Italian half marathon records. For recreational runners, the same course characteristics can provide an opportunity to chase a personal best. The predominantly flat profile, large field and generally mild February conditions can all help, although sensible pacing and good preparation remain considerably more important than the reputation of the course. Is The Napoli City Half Marathon Good For First Time Runners? Naples can be an excellent choice for a first half marathon. The course does not contain the significant climbing found at some city races, while the 3 hour 30 minute time limit provides considerably more room than events with stricter cut offs. The size of the event means first time runners should pay particular attention to the practical arrangements. Race number collection takes place before race day, and you need to understand how you will reach Mostra d'Oltremare and how much time to allow before the 9:00am start. The destination can also make the goal more memorable. Combining a first half marathon with a weekend in Naples gives the months of winter training a very definite target at the end of them. Napoli Relay Runners who do not want to complete the full half marathon can take part in the Napoli Relay, a non-competitive event for teams of two held alongside the half marathon. The first runner covers 10 kilometres and the second completes the remaining 11.0975 kilometres. Shuttle buses take the second runners from Viale Kennedy to the changeover area at 10 kilometres, while transport is also provided to return the first runners after their section. The relay is connected with the event's charity programme and provides another way to experience race weekend without both members of the team needing to prepare for the complete half marathon distance. Running The Napoli City Half Marathon For Charity Running Naples for charity can add another purpose to the winter training required for a February half marathon. You can choose a cause that matters to you and use the build-up to an international race to give supporters a reason to follow your progress. The Napoli Relay also has a direct charity element, allowing two runners to divide the distance while supporting one of the projects connected with the event. If you are fundraising independently with your own half marathon entry, start telling people why you are running well before race weekend. Training updates, photographs, fundraising milestones and difficult winter runs can all help supporters become part of the journey rather than hearing about your fundraising for the first time shortly before the race. Read more about choosing a charity entry here. How To Enter The Napoli City Half Marathon 2027 Registration for the Napoli City Half Marathon 2027 is open, with entry prices increasing according to the number of runners registered. The first 2,000 entries cost €38, places from the 2,001st to the 4,000th runner cost €45 and subsequent entries cost €52. If places remain available, registration at the Sport Expo costs €60. Registration platform fees are additional. Online registration is scheduled to close at midnight on 17 February 2027, although it can close earlier if the event reaches capacity. Anyone planning to run should therefore not assume places will remain available until the official closing date. International runners should read the participation requirements particularly carefully. Italian races operate under FIDAL rules and eligibility requirements can differ depending on your age, nationality and athletics registration status. Some runners may need a Runcard and a valid medical certificate for competitive athletics, so check which category applies to you before entering. Where To Stay Naples has a huge range of accommodation, from hotels in the historic centre to properties around the waterfront and quieter neighbourhoods further from the busiest tourist areas. Staying centrally gives you easy access to many of the city's restaurants, attractions and transport connections, making it a convenient choice if you are combining the Naples Half Marathon with a longer visit. The city is large and busy, so don't choose your hotel purely on distance from the race area. Check how easily you can travel to the event using public transport and consider what the journey will be like early on race morning. Areas with good Metro connections can give you considerably more choice without making race day difficult. Naples is a popular destination throughout the year, and a major running weekend adds further demand for accommodation. Booking early can give you a wider choice of locations and prices, particularly if you want to stay in the centre or close to the waterfront. Compare Naples City Half Marathon accommodation and current prices → Our Verdict The Napoli City Half Marathon deserves a place alongside the better known European destination half marathons. It combines a genuinely fast course with a city and setting that make the trip worthwhile regardless of the time you eventually run. For runners chasing a PB, the Italian records achieved here demonstrate the potential of the course. For first time half marathon runners, the predominantly flat profile and 3 hour 30 minute time limit make the distance relatively accessible. For everyone else, running beside the Bay of Naples with Vesuvius in the background is a compelling reason to consider the race. Its international profile is growing quickly as well. More than half of the 2026 field came from outside Italy, suggesting that runners elsewhere in Europe and beyond are increasingly discovering what Naples has to offer. With a confirmed 21 February 2027 date, registration already open and one of Italy's great cities waiting beyond the finish line, the Napoli City Half Marathon has all the ingredients for an excellent early season race. Race website napolirunning.com Affiliate disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links, Sapphire Running Zone may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

Instagram can be a powerful fundraising tool for runners and other charity event participants, but simply posting your fundraising link and asking people to donate is unlikely to get the best results. Its real strength is giving people the opportunity to follow your challenge as it develops. If you're training for a marathon, taking on a cycling challenge, completing a long-distance walk or doing something completely different, you already have a story to tell. Instagram lets supporters see the training, understand your motivation, celebrate your progress and share the excitement as the event approaches. Good Instagram fundraising is therefore not about asking for money in every post. It's about giving people reasons to care about what you're doing and then making it easy for them to support you. Start With Why You're Fundraising Before worrying about Reels, Stories or hashtags, explain why you're raising money. People who follow you may know you're running a marathon, but that doesn't necessarily mean they know why you've chosen your charity. Tell them what the cause means to you. If there is a personal connection, explain it in whatever level of detail you are comfortable sharing. If there isn't one, explain why you chose that particular organisation and what you've learned about its work. Your first fundraising post should introduce the challenge, the charity and your fundraising target, but the most important part is your reason for doing it. Give people something they can connect with before asking them to donate. Make It Easy To Donate Someone who decides to support you shouldn't have to search for your fundraising page. Make the journey from seeing your Instagram content to making a donation as short as possible. Add your fundraising page to the links in your Instagram profile and make it clear what the link is for. When you mention fundraising in a post, tell people where they can find the donation link rather than assuming they'll work it out. Instagram Stories can make that journey even shorter because you can add a link sticker that takes people directly to your fundraising page. Use it when you're making a fundraising ask rather than expecting somebody to remember to donate later. Turn Your Training Into Content If you're fundraising through a running event, much of your Instagram content already exists. Your training gives you a stream of genuine updates without having to invent reasons to talk about your fundraiser. Share your first long run, the furthest distance you've ever covered, a difficult session, a terrible run in the rain or the moment you finally complete a distance that had been worrying you. As race day approaches, your number, kit, travel and final preparations all provide further opportunities. Not every update needs a donation request. Letting people see the work going into your challenge helps build the story behind the fundraising and gives you stronger reasons to ask for support later. Read more about using your training to help with your fundraising here. Don't Make Every Post An Ask If every fundraising post says essentially the same thing — "I'm raising money, please donate" — followers can quickly start ignoring them. Vary what you're giving people rather than repeatedly changing the photograph attached to the same request. Some content can explain your charity, some can show your training and some can celebrate fundraising milestones. You can introduce people affected by the charity's work where appropriate, share information supplied by the charity and talk about what you're discovering during the challenge. Then make direct fundraising asks at selected moments. They become part of the wider story rather than the only reason you ever mention your challenge. Use Stories For The Smaller Moments Instagram Stories are particularly useful for the everyday moments that probably don't justify a permanent post or Reel. A photograph before a training run, a screenshot afterwards or a quick video explaining how training is going can keep your challenge visible. They're also useful for fundraising progress. Share milestones, celebrate reaching halfway and thank people for getting behind you. When you make a direct fundraising ask, add your fundraising-page link so somebody can act immediately. Polls, questions and countdowns can also involve followers in the journey. You could ask people to predict your race time, choose between two pieces of race-day kit or count down to the event. The aim is to make supporters feel involved rather than simply presenting them with another request for money. Use Reels To Tell Short Stories Reels can help your fundraising content reach beyond the people who already follow you, but you don't need professional video or elaborate editing. A simple idea and a strong opening are more important. A short video could show the progression from your first week of training to your longest run, explain why you've chosen your charity or reveal how close you are to your fundraising target. You could also record something immediately after a difficult training session when the emotion of the challenge is genuine. Think about the story rather than simply the format. "I'm running a marathon" tells viewers what you're doing. "I'm running a marathon for the charity that helped my family" gives them a reason to keep watching. Use Instagram Live For The Right Moments Instagram Live won't be necessary for every fundraiser, but it can be useful when you have something worth sharing in real time. You could go live after completing your longest training run, provide an update as race day approaches or broadcast part of a fundraising event you're organising. Another option is to invite somebody from your charity to join you. A short conversation about its work and why you're supporting it can give followers a much better understanding of the cause behind your challenge. You can also use a Live session to answer questions and remind viewers how they can support your fundraising. Whatever fundraising event you have planned you can broadcast it to your followers with Instagram Live Show What Donations Can Achieve Your followers may know you're raising £2,000, but they might have little idea what that money means to the charity. Showing the potential impact can make your fundraising much more tangible. Ask your charity whether it has examples of what different donation amounts can help provide or how money raised from the event supports its work. That gives you useful content and another way of talking about fundraising without continually focusing on your own target. Instead of only saying "I need another £100", you can explain what additional donations could help the charity achieve. That puts the cause back at the centre of the fundraising. Ask More Than Once Don't worry about asking for donations more than once. A follower may miss your first post, see it but be too busy to donate, or intend to come back to your fundraising page and then forget. The solution isn't to repeat exactly the same request. Find natural moments to ask again. Completing your longest training session, reaching halfway towards your target, getting your race number and entering race week all give you something new to talk about. Your followers can then see why you're mentioning the fundraiser again. Each ask becomes connected to another stage of the challenge. Ask Other People To Share Your Fundraising Your Instagram audience doesn't have to end with your own followers. Friends, relatives, colleagues, club mates and other supporters may be willing to share your fundraising content with their networks. Give them something worth sharing. A strong Reel explaining your challenge, a good race photograph or a Story marking an important milestone is more appealing than simply asking somebody to repost a donation link. If several people from your running club are fundraising at the same event, you can also support each other's campaigns. Sharing one another's stories can introduce each fundraiser to different groups of potential supporters without turning it into a competition for donations. Read more about how your running club can help with your fundraising here. Work With Your Charity Don't overlook your charity's own Instagram account. It may already have an audience interested in the cause you're supporting and could potentially share some of your content. Tag the charity when it is genuinely relevant and find out whether it features fundraiser stories, race-day content or supporter takeovers. Don't expect every post to be shared, particularly if the charity has hundreds of people fundraising at the same event. Give its social media team something useful. A strong photograph, interesting personal story, unusual challenge or significant fundraising milestone gives them a much better reason to feature you than another screenshot of your fundraising page. Use Your Fundraising Milestones Your fundraising total gives you another series of natural Instagram updates. Don't wait until you've reached your final target before celebrating progress. If you're aiming for £2,000, reaching £250, £500 and £750 and £1000 and beyond all give you legitimate reasons to update followers. Thank the people who have helped you reach that point and explain what the next milestone is. Milestones also create positive fundraising messages. Instead of every update focusing on how much you still need, some can celebrate how much your supporters have already achieved. Make Race Week Count Race week can be one of the strongest periods for Instagram fundraising because your challenge suddenly feels immediate. Months of preparation are over and followers who have watched your training know you're about to do what you've been talking about. Show your final preparations, race number, kit and journey to the event. This is also a natural time for another direct fundraising ask because there's a genuine reason for renewed attention. On race day, share what you reasonably can without allowing Instagram to interfere with the experience itself. Friends or family supporting you may be able to capture photographs or videos that you can use afterwards. Don't Stop At The Finish Line Crossing the finish line doesn't mean your fundraising has to finish. The hours and days after an event can provide another valuable opportunity for donations. Share your medal photograph, explain how the event went and thank everyone who supported you. People who followed your training but never donated may finally act when they see that you've completed the challenge. If you're still short of your target, say so. If you've already reached it, there's no reason you can't continue raising more. A fundraising target is something to aim for, not necessarily a ceiling. Read more about fundraising after race day here. Final Thoughts On Instagram Fundraising You don't need thousands of Instagram followers to raise a meaningful amount of money. Friends, relatives, colleagues, club mates and other people who genuinely care about you can be far more valuable than a huge audience of strangers. Give those people a reason to become invested in your challenge. Explain why you're doing it, let them see the work involved, show them what their donations can help achieve and make supporting you as straightforward as possible. Used that way, Instagram becomes more than somewhere to advertise a fundraising page. It allows people to follow the journey from your first announcement through training and race day to the finish line — and gives them plenty of opportunities to become part of the story.

When did you last receive a personal letter from a friend asking you to support something that really mattered to them? In a world of fundraising pages, WhatsApp messages, emails and social media posts, writing a fundraising letter can feel decidedly old fashioned. That may be exactly why it deserves another look. A letter lands physically in someone's home. It does not disappear down a social media feed, compete with notifications or get forgotten among dozens of messages. Someone has taken the time to write it, address it and send it, which can make the request feel very different from another link arriving on a screen. Writing letters to everyone you know probably isn't the answer. Carefully choosing a smaller number of people and sending them a thoughtful fundraising letter, however, could provide another way to tell your story, ask for support and reach people who may have missed your fundraising elsewhere. Do Fundraising Letters Still Work? Charities have used fundraising letters for decades, but individual fundraisers rarely seem to consider them anymore. Most people setting up a fundraising page instinctively turn to social media, messaging apps and email to tell people what they are doing. Those methods can work extremely well, but they also create competition for attention. Your Facebook post might appear among dozens of other updates, an Instagram Story disappears and a WhatsApp message can quickly move down someone's screen. A letter is different because there is a physical object to open and read. It may remain on a desk or kitchen table long after a digital message would have disappeared from view, potentially giving someone another reminder of your challenge. None of that means a letter automatically produces a donation. The strength of the approach comes from the story you tell, the relationship you already have with the recipient and the fact that you have chosen to contact them personally. Who Should You Send A Fundraising Letter To? The strength of a personal fundraising letter is not about reaching hundreds of people. It is about identifying people with whom you have a genuine connection and deciding whether a letter could be an appropriate way to approach them. Think beyond the people you speak to every week. There may be old friends, former colleagues, extended family members, neighbours or people you have known through sport, work and community groups who would be interested in what you are doing. Looking through an old address book, contacts list or even your Christmas card list may remind you of people you had not immediately considered. Fundraising can be a good reason to reconnect, provided the relationship is genuine and the message does not simply feel like an unexpected demand for money. This is not an invitation to obtain addresses for people you barely know and send unsolicited fundraising requests. A smaller number of carefully selected letters to people who actually know you is much closer to the idea behind this approach. Why Can A Personal Fundraising Letter Stand Out? One reason letters have become unusual is that communicating digitally is so easy. You can send the same message to 50 people in seconds, which is convenient for the sender but can also make fundraising communication feel less individual. A letter requires more effort. Even if the main message is typed, adding someone's name, a handwritten note or a reference to something you share demonstrates that you have thought about who will receive it. That can matter when you are asking for support. People often donate because of a combination of the person asking, the challenge they are taking on and the cause they are supporting, and a letter gives you enough space to bring those elements together. It also gives the recipient time to respond. They can read the letter, put it down and return to it later without you expecting an immediate answer. What Should A Fundraising Letter Include? Start by explaining why you are writing. Tell the recipient about your challenge, the event you are taking part in and the charity you are supporting so they understand the purpose of the letter quickly. Then explain why you chose that charity. If there is a personal story behind your fundraising, tell it honestly. You do not need dramatic language or a lengthy description of the charity's history; concentrate on helping the recipient understand why this particular cause matters to you. Tell them about your fundraising target and what you are doing to achieve it. Training for a marathon, preparing for a long walk or taking on another difficult challenge demonstrates the commitment you are making yourself. Finally, explain clearly how they can support you. A fundraising letter should make donating straightforward rather than leaving the recipient to work out how to find your fundraising page. How To Ask For A Donation In A Letter You need to actually ask. A beautifully written explanation of your challenge is not much use if the recipient reaches the bottom and is unsure whether you are simply sharing some news or asking for their support. The request does not need to be forceful. Something such as, "If you would like to support me, I would be incredibly grateful for any donation towards my fundraising target" makes the purpose clear while leaving the decision entirely with the recipient. Avoid apologising repeatedly for asking or trying to make someone feel guilty. You are giving them an opportunity to support something that matters to you, not presenting them with an obligation. Once you have made the request, explain exactly what they need to do next. The easier you make donating, the less chance there is that someone intends to support you but never quite gets around to it. Put A QR Code In Your Fundraising Letter A QR code is one of the easiest ways to combine an old fashioned fundraising letter with a modern online fundraising page. Print a QR code linking directly to your page and the recipient can scan it with their phone and donate without having to search for you. Test the QR code with more than one phone before sending your letters. Make sure it goes directly to the correct fundraising page rather than a charity homepage or another page that requires the supporter to search again. It is sensible to include a short written web address as an alternative. Not everybody will want to use a QR code, and giving supporters more than one simple route to your fundraising page removes an unnecessary barrier. Read more about QR codes here. Including a QR code makes it easier to find your fundraising page. How Personal Should Your Fundraising Letter Be? Your letter should reflect the relationship you have with the person receiving it. If you are writing to a close friend, there is little reason for the message to sound like something produced by a charity's marketing department. Mention something relevant to the person if it feels natural. Perhaps they already know why the cause matters to you, have followed your previous challenges or have their own connection with the charity or event. You do not necessarily need to write every letter individually from beginning to end. You could create a core letter explaining your challenge and then personalise the opening or add a handwritten message for each recipient. The objective is not to pretend that every word was individually written. It is to make sure the person receiving the letter understands why you thought of them rather than feeling like one name on a mailing list. Should You Handwrite A Fundraising Letter? A completely handwritten fundraising letter can feel particularly personal, but it is not essential. If you are sending more than a handful, handwriting every letter may quickly become impractical and could make the message harder to read. A typed letter with a handwritten greeting, short personal note and signature can provide a good balance. You get the clarity of a printed letter while retaining elements that clearly came from you. You could also handwrite the envelope. These are small details, but together they help distinguish a letter from the mass-produced direct mail people may already receive from organisations. What matters most is authenticity rather than presentation. Expensive paper, elaborate designs and professional printing will not compensate for a letter that does not sound like you. A Fundraising Letter Template Your fundraising letter should ultimately sound like you, but having a structure can make the first one much easier to write. The following example can be adapted to your challenge and relationship with the recipient. "Dear [Name], I hope you're well. I'm writing because I've decided to take on [challenge/event] to raise money for [charity]. I've chosen to support them because [brief personal reason]. It's a cause that means a great deal to me, so I've set myself the challenge of [brief explanation of what you are doing]. I'm hoping to raise [target]. Training is already underway and [include a short personal detail about how it is going]. If you would like to support me, I would be incredibly grateful for any donation. I've included a QR code which takes you directly to my fundraising page, or you can visit [short fundraising page address]. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any support you can give me. I'll let you know how I get on. Best wishes, [Name]" Use this fundraising letter template as a starting point rather than something that needs to be copied word for word. Change the language, add details and remove anything that does not sound like something you would genuinely say. Should You Suggest A Donation Amount? For a personal letter to friends or people you know, there is usually no need to tell them how much they should donate. Your relationship with each recipient will be different, as will their personal circumstances. It can be useful to explain your overall fundraising target and how you are progressing towards it. Knowing that you are aiming for £2,000 gives someone context without suggesting what their individual contribution ought to be. If the charity provides examples of what different donation amounts could help achieve, you could include one if it genuinely strengthens your story. Make sure any statement about the impact of a donation comes from the charity and is current rather than estimating it yourself. When Should You Send Fundraising Letters? Do not wait until the final week before your event. A letter can work particularly well earlier in the fundraising journey, when you have time to introduce the challenge and allow people to respond without feeling that there is an immediate deadline. You might send letters after establishing your fundraising page and beginning your training. That means recipients can see that the challenge is underway and have somewhere to go immediately if they decide to donate. As race day approaches, you do not necessarily need to send another letter. An email, message or photograph showing how your training is progressing can continue the conversation with people who have already shown an interest. After the event, make sure those who supported you hear how you got on. Tell them your final fundraising total, share a photograph and thank them for helping you achieve it. Combine Letters With Your Other Fundraising Writing fundraising letters does not mean abandoning digital fundraising. The strongest campaigns often use several different ways to reach people because supporters communicate and respond in different ways. Someone might respond immediately to a WhatsApp message, while another person continually scrolls past social media appeals. Someone else may take more notice when an envelope addressed personally to them arrives through the letterbox. Think of letters as another fundraising tool rather than a replacement for everything else. They can sit alongside your fundraising page, social media, email, workplace fundraising and conversations with friends and family. Using several channels also means you are less dependent on one platform. You are giving people different opportunities to discover your challenge and support it in the way that works for them. Read about developing a fundraising plan here. Don't Forget The Cost Of Sending Letters Unlike sending an email or posting on social media, fundraising letters cost money. Paper, envelopes, printing and postage all need to be considered, particularly if you plan to send a significant number. That is another reason to be selective. Sending a smaller number of genuinely personal letters to people you know is likely to make more sense than treating this as a mass mailing exercise. Keep the costs proportionate to your campaign and decide in advance whether you are paying them yourself. The objective is to generate additional support for your charity without creating unnecessary fundraising expenses. You also do not need expensive stationery. A clear, sincere letter on ordinary paper can do the job perfectly well. Follow Up Without Chasing People A fundraising letter should never create an obligation to donate. If somebody does not respond, avoid contacting them specifically to ask whether they received the letter or when they intend to contribute. You can still share normal fundraising updates with them if you would have done so anyway. They may eventually donate, share your fundraising page with someone else or simply wish you well. Sometimes people genuinely intend to donate and forget, so a later general update can provide another opportunity without becoming a personal chase. The distinction is important: remind people about your challenge, but respect their decision about whether to support it financially. Ask For More Than A Donation A person who cannot donate may still be able to help. They could mention your challenge to somebody else, share your fundraising page or pass your details to someone with a particular connection to the charity. You can mention this towards the end of the letter without adding another complicated request. Letting people know that sharing your fundraising is also useful gives them another way to support what you are doing. This can be especially valuable when your reason for fundraising has a strong connection to the cause. Your letter may reach someone who knows another person for whom that story has particular meaning. Remember To Say Thank You If somebody responds to your fundraising letter with a donation, thank them personally. They have responded to an individual approach, so an individual acknowledgement is appropriate too. After your challenge, tell them what happened and how much you eventually raised. A race photograph, short message or even another letter can complete the story and show that their contribution was part of something worthwhile. Where possible, share something about what the fundraising will help the charity achieve. The finish line may be the end of your physical challenge, but the cause was the reason you asked people to support you in the first place. Read more about saying thank you here. Could An Old Fashioned Fundraising Letter Raise More? It would be easy to dismiss fundraising letters as belonging to another era. Most individual fundraisers now have faster, easier and cheaper ways to reach people, and digital tools should absolutely form part of a modern fundraising campaign. But that is also what makes a letter interesting. When almost every fundraising request arrives through a screen, receiving something through the letterbox from somebody you actually know has become unusual. You do not need hundreds of stamps or a complicated direct mail campaign. Choose the right people, explain honestly why your challenge matters, make donating easy and then allow them to decide whether they want to support you. Sometimes doing what everybody else has stopped doing is precisely what gets you noticed.

A good fundraising email can be one of the simplest ways to generate more donations for your charity challenge. While social media is useful for spreading the word, an email lets you speak directly to friends, family, colleagues and other potential supporters without relying on them seeing a post in a busy social media feed. Whether you are running a marathon, taking part in a sponsored walk or completing another challenge, knowing how to ask for donations by email can make a real difference. You can explain why the cause matters to you, share your progress and give someone a simple way to support your fundraising when the time is right. The important thing is not to treat email as a single request for money. Used at different stages of your fundraising journey, it can help you announce your challenge, share the story behind it, celebrate progress and eventually show supporters what their donations helped you achieve. Why Use Email For Charity Fundraising? Email gives you something that can be difficult to achieve through social media: a direct conversation with a potential supporter. Your message arrives in someone's inbox rather than competing with hundreds of posts, videos and advertisements in a social media feed. It also gives you more space to explain your story. You can tell people what you are doing, why you have chosen your charity, what you hope to raise and why their support would mean something to you. Most importantly, you can include a direct link to your fundraising page so donating only takes a few clicks. Email does not need to replace social media, WhatsApp or conversations with people you know. It works best as another part of your fundraising activity, particularly when you use it to reach people who might otherwise miss your updates. How To Write A Fundraising Email The best fundraising emails sound as though they have been written by a person rather than copied from a fundraising campaign. You do not need clever marketing language or a lengthy explanation of everything your charity does. Start by telling the recipient what you are doing. Explain the challenge, introduce the charity and tell them why you have decided to support it. If there is a personal connection behind your fundraising, explain it in your own words rather than trying to make the story sound more dramatic. Then tell people what you are hoping to raise and provide a clear link to your fundraising page. Keep the email easy to read and make the donation link obvious rather than hiding it at the end of a long message. A Simple Fundraising Email Plan You do not need to email supporters every week. A simple sequence could begin with announcing your challenge, followed later by a meaningful training update and then a fundraising milestone when you have genuine progress to share. As race day approaches, send a countdown email before following up after the event with your result, photographs, fundraising total and a proper thank you. This gives your campaign a beginning, middle and end without overwhelming the people you are contacting. Your social media posts, WhatsApp messages and face-to-face conversations can continue between those emails. Used together, these different channels give supporters several ways to discover and follow your fundraising journey. How To Ask For Donations By Email Asking someone for money can feel uncomfortable, particularly if you have never fundraised before. You do not need to apologise for asking, but equally you should not make someone feel under pressure to donate. A straightforward approach is usually best. Something as simple as "If you would like to support me, you can donate through my fundraising page here" makes the request clear while allowing the recipient to decide whether they want to contribute. Give people a reason for the request too. Instead of simply saying that you want to raise £1,000, explain why you are supporting the charity and, where possible, what donations can help it achieve. Your fundraising target provides the number, but your story gives people the reason to care. What To Include In A Fundraising Email A good fundraising email should quickly answer the questions someone is likely to have. What are you doing? Which charity are you supporting? Why have you chosen it? What are you hoping to raise? How can they donate? You do not need to answer each question separately. A short, personal message can cover everything naturally, particularly if the recipient already knows you. Including a photograph can make your email feel more personal too. It could be a training photo, an image connected to your reason for fundraising or something from the event itself as race day gets closer. Fundraising Email Subject Lines Before someone reads your fundraising email, you need them to open it. Your subject line should make it clear that the message comes from you and give them an idea of what the email is about. Subject lines such as "I'm running the London Marathon for [Charity]", "Can you help me reach my fundraising target?" or "I'm taking on 26.2 miles for [Charity]" are simple and clear. Later in the campaign, "One week to go!" or "I'm nearly at my fundraising target" can create a natural reason to open an update. Avoid making the subject line sound like an advertisement. You are usually contacting people who know you, so a message that sounds like you is more likely to feel genuine. Who Should You Email About Your Fundraising? Friends and family are an obvious starting point, but think beyond the people you see regularly. Former colleagues, running club members, neighbours, customers, suppliers and people you know through clubs or community groups may all be interested in your challenge. Look through your contacts rather than relying on memory alone. Fundraising often reveals how many people we have accumulated in our personal and professional networks over the years. That does not mean sending a fundraising email to everyone whose address you possess. There should be a genuine connection, and you should be particularly careful with professional contacts and any email addresses obtained through work or business. Personalise Your Fundraising Emails The reason a close friend might support you could be very different from the reason a colleague becomes interested. Dividing your contacts into a few groups allows you to adjust the message without writing a completely different email for every person. Friends and family might already know the personal story behind your challenge, while colleagues may need more context. Running club friends might be particularly interested in the challenge itself, whereas someone with a connection to the charity may respond more strongly to the cause. Even changing the opening paragraph can make an email feel considerably more personal. If someone believes you have written to them rather than simply added their address to a huge list, you have a much better starting point for the conversation. Read more about tailoring your message here. Fundraising Email Template For Friends And Family An email to friends and family can be personal because these are the people most likely to understand what the challenge means to you. Give them enough information to understand what you are doing without turning the message into a formal charity appeal. "Hi [Name], I've decided to take on [event/challenge] to raise money for [charity]. I've chosen to support them because [brief personal reason]. I'm hoping to raise [target], and the training is already well underway. If you'd like to support me, you can find my fundraising page here: [link]. Any donation would be hugely appreciated, but I'd also be really grateful if you could share my page with anyone who might be interested in supporting the challenge. Thank you for being part of it." Use this fundraising email template as a starting point rather than something that has to be copied word for word. Adding your own reason, experiences and personality will almost always make the message stronger. Fundraising Email Template For Work Colleagues Your workplace can introduce your fundraising to a completely different group of potential supporters. Keep the message friendly and remember that colleagues should never feel obligated to donate. "Hi everyone, I wanted to let you know that I'm taking part in [event] and raising money for [charity]. I'll be taking on [brief description of challenge], and I'm aiming to raise [target]. The charity is particularly important to me because [short explanation]. If you'd like to support my fundraising, my page is here: [link]. There's absolutely no pressure to donate, but any support or sharing of the page would be greatly appreciated. I'll keep you posted on how the training goes!" Before sending a fundraising message widely at work, check whether your employer has any rules about company-wide emails. It is also worth finding out whether your employer offers matched giving, as this could increase the value of the money you raise. Tell Stories, Not Just Ask For Money Your first email might introduce the challenge, but subsequent emails give you the opportunity to tell the story of what happens next. Training provides plenty of material without every message becoming another request for money. You might have completed your longest run, struggled through a difficult week, reached an important fundraising milestone or discovered that preparing for your challenge is much harder than expected. Sharing those moments demonstrates the commitment behind your fundraising and gives supporters a reason to continue following your progress. Humour can work particularly well if it suits your personality. A disastrous training run, terrible weather or an unflattering finish-line photograph can sometimes tell a much more engaging story than another polished fundraising appeal. Read more about telling your story here. Use Your Email Signature For Fundraising Your email signature can quietly promote your fundraising without you having to ask for a donation every time you send an email. Add a short sentence explaining your challenge alongside a link to your fundraising page. For example, you could use: "I'm running [event] for [charity]. Find out why and support my fundraising here." Keep it short enough that it does not dominate every email you send. Every normal email then creates another opportunity for someone to discover your challenge. This can be particularly useful at work, although you should check that your employer is happy for fundraising links to be included in company email signatures. Send Fundraising Update Emails Do not assume that everyone who wants to support you will donate after your first email. Someone may read it while they are busy, intend to donate later and simply forget. A genuine update gives you a reason to contact people again without repeating the same request. Reaching 50% of your fundraising target, completing your longest training session or having one month to go until the event are all natural opportunities. Mention your fundraising page again at the end of the update. This gives people another opportunity to donate while ensuring the email still contains something new for those who have already supported you. How Often Should You Send Fundraising Emails? There is no perfect number because every fundraising campaign is different. The important thing is that each email has a reason to exist rather than simply repeating the same request for a donation. For a marathon campaign lasting several months, you might send an announcement when you start fundraising, a couple of meaningful training or fundraising updates, a race-week message and a thank-you email afterwards. If something particularly interesting happens along the way, you have another genuine reason to get in touch. Think about the recipient rather than your fundraising target. You want people to enjoy following the challenge rather than feel as though every message they receive from you contains another request for money. Be prepared to use some humour when you select photos to feature in your emails. Well done to Simon Webb for sharing this finish line photo. He raised £2500 running the Manchester Marathon for Scoliosis Support & Research Send A Race Week Fundraising Email The final week before your event is one of the strongest opportunities to contact potential supporters. Months of training have led to this point, and there is now a clear deadline attached to your challenge. Tell people how you are feeling, how the training has gone and how close you are to your fundraising target. If you are £150 short of £1,000, saying so gives supporters something tangible they can help you achieve. You can also explain how people can follow your progress on race day if tracking is available. That helps turn people who have donated into supporters who are actively following your challenge. Ask For More Than Donations Not everyone receiving your email will be able or want to donate, but that does not mean they cannot help. Someone sharing your fundraising page could introduce your campaign to a person you would never otherwise have reached. Ask people to forward your email, share your fundraising page or tell someone else about the challenge. This can be particularly effective when your fundraising has a strong personal connection to the cause because your story may resonate with people outside your immediate network. A supporter who cannot donate may ultimately introduce you to several people who can. Giving people different ways to help makes your fundraising more inclusive and can extend its reach considerably. Send A Thank You Email After The Event Your final email should complete the story. Tell supporters what happened, share your finishing time if that matters to you and include some photographs from the day. Tell everyone how much you raised and, where possible, explain what their support could help the charity achieve. This shifts the focus from simply celebrating your own finish to reminding people of the reason you took on the challenge. Most importantly, say thank you. People gave their money, encouragement or time to support you, and a genuine thank you makes sure that contribution is recognised. Read more about thanking your supporters here. Final Thoughts On Using Email As Part Of Your Fundraising A fundraising email works because it gives you the space to communicate directly and personally with people who may want to support you. You can explain your motivation, tell your story, share your progress and make donating as easy as possible. The strongest approach is not to send one enormous email to everyone you know and hope for donations. Think about who you are contacting, adapt your message where appropriate and give people genuine reasons to follow your progress. Your challenge might ultimately be about reaching a finish line, but your fundraising begins much earlier. Bringing people along for that journey can turn a simple request for a donation into a much stronger connection with you, your challenge and the charity you are supporting.

For some runners, committing to a marathon, half marathon or another challenge for charity is the easy part. The uncomfortable bit comes afterwards, when fundraising advice starts telling you to ask everyone you know for money, promote yourself on social media, approach strangers and organise events. If that sounds daunting, you do not need to turn yourself into an extrovert to become a successful fundraiser. You will still need to tell people what you are doing and sometimes ask for support, but you can choose ways of fundraising that feel more natural to you. Being quieter can even bring some useful qualities to fundraising. Thoughtful messages, personal conversations, good planning and genuine storytelling can be every bit as effective as being the person who is happiest working a room. Work Out What Actually Makes You Uncomfortable Before deciding how to fundraise, think about which parts of it you would rather avoid. You might dislike asking somebody for money face to face but be perfectly happy writing them a personal message, while somebody else may enjoy a small fundraising event but hate posting about themselves on social media. This matters because there is no single way to be an introvert and there should not be a single fundraising formula either. Identify the situations you find difficult and build your fundraising plan around alternatives that achieve the same objective. Make Your Fundraising Page Do The Talking A strong fundraising page is particularly valuable when you do not want to explain your story repeatedly. Give people enough information to understand what you are doing, why you have chosen the charity and why their support would matter. Spend time getting this right before you start sharing the page. Good photographs, a clear personal story and information about the difference donations can make give potential supporters reasons to donate without you having to make the entire case every time you speak to someone. Keep the page updated as your challenge progresses as well. Someone visiting several weeks after you started fundraising should be able to see that the story has moved on. Read more about creating the perfect Justgiving page and Enthuse page. Write The Ask Before You Make It One advantage of messages, emails and direct messages is that you can decide exactly what you want to say before you say it. That removes the pressure of trying to introduce fundraising naturally into a face to face conversation. Create a basic message containing three things: what you are doing, why you are supporting the charity and where someone can donate. Then personalise it for different people rather than sending exactly the same appeal to everybody. Writing your message beforehand can also stop you apologising for asking. You are inviting somebody to support something important to you, not demanding that they give you money. Start With The People You Feel Most Comfortable Asking Your first fundraising request does not have to go to everyone you have ever met. Begin with the people you would feel most comfortable telling about your challenge, such as close friends, relatives or colleagues you know well. Getting those first donations can make the next stage easier. A fundraising page that already has some support feels established, while seeing your total begin to rise can give you confidence to widen the circle. You can then gradually approach other groups rather than launching one enormous appeal. Breaking the process into smaller steps can make the fundraising target itself feel much less intimidating. Use One To One Messages A large social media announcement can feel very public, but it is not necessarily the best way to ask for support anyway. A thoughtful message sent directly to someone can feel more personal and gives you an opportunity to explain why you thought they might be interested. You do not need to send dozens in one evening. Contact a few people, return to it another day and gradually work through the different parts of your network. This approach can be especially useful when contacting someone you have not spoken to recently. Instead of suddenly appearing with a donation link, take the time to reconnect and explain what you are doing. Let Your Training Give You Something To Talk About Fundraising becomes harder if every communication feels like another request for money. Your training gives you a much wider story to share. Talk about reaching a new distance, completing a difficult long run, running before work, training in bad weather or getting through a challenging week. These updates show people the effort behind your challenge and provide natural opportunities to include your fundraising link. That changes the relationship with potential supporters. They can follow the journey rather than hearing from you only when you want a donation. Choose Fundraising Ideas That Fit Your Personality You do not need to organise a packed quiz night, take a microphone or spend a Saturday approaching strangers with a collection bucket. If those ideas make you dread fundraising, choose something else. A workplace sweepstake, selling unwanted possessions, a small challenge among colleagues, a bake sale or asking whether your employer offers matched giving can all raise money without requiring you to become the centre of attention. You could also organise something with a more outgoing friend who is happy to handle the parts you would rather avoid. Think about your existing skills too. Someone who enjoys photography, baking, crafts, design or another hobby may be able to turn that skill into a fundraiser that feels far more natural than organising a traditional event. Ask Other People To Be Your Amplifiers Your fundraising network does not have to consist solely of people you can personally reach. A few supportive people can introduce your challenge to completely different groups. Ask close friends, relatives, colleagues or running club members if they would be willing to share your fundraising page. Your partner might mention it at work, a relative could share it with the wider family and your running club may be able to feature your challenge on its social channels. Be specific when you ask for help. "Would you share my fundraising page with your colleagues?" is much easier for somebody to act on than simply asking them to help with your fundraising. Make Your Fundraising Visible Without Starting A Conversation There are also ways to remind people about your fundraising without personally approaching them. Put your fundraising link somewhere people who are interested can easily find it. A QR code can be added to appropriate posters or fundraising materials, while your donation link can appear in your social media profile or email signature. Depending on your workplace, you may also be able to put a small notice in a communal area explaining your challenge and providing the link. None of these methods completely replaces asking for support, but they create additional opportunities for people to discover your fundraising themselves. Read more about using QR codes here. Remember That Your Network Is Bigger Than Your Friendship Group A common mistake is to think of a fundraising network as a list of close friends. It is much broader than that. Think about family, current colleagues, former colleagues, neighbours, running club members, old friends, clients, suppliers, sports clubs, community groups and other people you have met through different parts of your life. You are not going to ask all of them in exactly the same way, and some may not be appropriate to approach at all, but writing the groups down can reveal a much larger potential audience. This can be particularly helpful if large social situations are not your thing. You may have built many individual relationships over the years without ever thinking of them collectively as a network. Set Yourself Small Fundraising Tasks A target of £1,000, £2,000 or more can feel overwhelming if you translate it into hundreds of conversations about money. Instead, break the fundraising activity down into things you can actually control. You might decide to send three personal messages, write one training update or contact your employer about matched giving. Once those are done, you can leave fundraising alone until the next task rather than feeling that you should be promoting your page all day. Consistency is more useful than one enormous burst of activity followed by weeks of silence. Small actions spread across your training period can gradually build both awareness and donations. You Cannot Completely Avoid Asking There is a difference between fundraising in a way that suits you and hoping people will somehow discover your donation page. At some point, you need to make it clear that you would appreciate their support. That ask can be simple. Tell someone what you are doing, explain why it matters to you and give them the opportunity to donate if they would like to. Try not to judge the success of the conversation by whether that person donates. People have different financial circumstances and reasons for giving, and a "no" or no response is not a reason to stop asking other people. Read more about sharing your page here. Race week is a key time for your fundraising. Use Race Week To Make The Ask Easier Race week gives you one of the most natural opportunities to remind people about your fundraising. Months of training are about to become a real event, and people who have followed your progress may be particularly interested at this point. Share your final preparations, race number or plans for the day and include your fundraising link. This does not need to be a dramatic appeal; it can simply be an update explaining that the challenge you have been talking about is finally here. Do the same after the race. A finish line photograph, your result and a thank you to everyone who supported you provide another natural opportunity for people who intended to donate but never got around to it. Read more about fundraising after your race here. Final Thoughts On Fundraising For Introverts Successful fundraising does not belong to the loudest, most confident or most outgoing people. A quieter fundraiser can build support through good preparation, thoughtful communication, individual relationships and a story people genuinely want to follow. You may still have to move outside your comfort zone occasionally, because raising money ultimately involves giving people the opportunity to support you. But you do not need to spend months pretending to be someone you are not. Choose the methods that suit you, make the most of the people and technology that can help, and take the fundraising one manageable step at a time. Your personality does not determine how much you can raise for a charity you care about.

Hamstring pain can be particularly frustrating for runners. It may begin as a feeling of tightness at the back of the thigh, or it can appear suddenly during a faster run with a sharp pain that immediately forces you to slow down or stop. The hamstrings play an important role in running, helping to control the leg as it moves through each stride and contributing to the force needed to propel you forwards. They work particularly hard during faster running, which is one reason hamstring strains are commonly associated with sprinting and sudden increases in speed. Not every ache at the back of your thigh means you have injured your hamstring. Understanding the difference between normal muscle soreness, persistent tightness and a possible strain can help you decide whether to keep running, reduce your training or get the problem assessed. What Are The Hamstrings? Your hamstrings are a group of three muscles running down the back of each thigh. They help bend your knee and extend your hip, making them important for everyday movement as well as running. During running, the hamstrings repeatedly lengthen and contract as your legs move through the running cycle. The demands placed on them increase as you accelerate and run faster, particularly as the leg prepares to make contact with the ground. A hamstring injury usually involves damage to muscle fibres, although the severity can vary considerably. At one end of the scale there may be a relatively minor strain, while a serious injury can involve a substantial or complete tear. What Causes Hamstring Injuries In Runners? A hamstring strain can occur when the muscle is subjected to more force than it can currently tolerate. Sudden acceleration, sprinting, a fast finish or demanding speed session can expose the hamstrings to much greater forces than steady running. Changes in training can also contribute. Increasing your running volume or intensity too quickly, introducing speed sessions after months of predominantly easy running or returning too aggressively after a break can increase the demands on muscles that may not yet be prepared for them. Fatigue may also affect the hamstrings' ability to cope with those demands. Previous hamstring injury is another important risk factor, which makes proper rehabilitation and a progressive return to running particularly important for anyone who has strained a hamstring before. Read about common running injuries here. Tight Hamstring Or Hamstring Injury? Runners frequently describe their hamstrings as "tight", but tightness does not necessarily mean that muscle fibres have been damaged. You may simply notice stiffness after a hard training session, after increasing your mileage or following an unfamiliar type of exercise. Delayed onset muscle soreness can also cause aching and stiffness after demanding exercise. It usually develops in the hours after exercise and can be felt in both legs, whereas an acute hamstring strain is more likely to cause distinct pain in a particular area during activity. A strain becomes more likely if you experience sudden pain while running, particularly when accelerating or running quickly. Continuing to repeatedly test a painful hamstring by increasing your pace can aggravate the problem rather than telling you whether it has recovered. What Does A Hamstring Strain Feel Like? A mild hamstring strain may cause localised discomfort or tenderness at the back of the thigh. You might be able to walk relatively normally but notice pain when running, bending or straightening the leg, or when the hamstring is placed under greater load. More significant injuries typically cause sharper and more immediate pain. Some runners describe feeling as though something suddenly grabbed or struck the back of their thigh, while a more serious injury may be accompanied by a popping or snapping sensation. Swelling and bruising can develop following a substantial injury and may become more noticeable over the following hours or days. Walking or putting weight through the affected leg can also become difficult when the injury is more severe. Should You Run With Hamstring Pain? Running through sharp or worsening hamstring pain is not a sensible strategy. If pain appears suddenly while you are running, particularly during a fast effort, stop the session rather than trying to complete the planned distance. Milder discomfort needs a little more judgement, but pain that increases as you run or causes you to alter your normal stride should not simply be ignored. Repeatedly compensating for a painful leg can turn what initially seemed like a minor problem into a longer interruption to your training. If discomfort is persistent, keeps returning or you are unsure whether you have actually injured the muscle, a physiotherapist or other suitably qualified healthcare professional can assess the problem. Pain at the back of the thigh can have other causes, so it should not automatically be assumed to be a hamstring strain. What Should You Do Immediately After A Hamstring Injury? If you experience sudden hamstring pain during a run, stop running and avoid activities that clearly aggravate it. During the first few days, the priority is generally to protect the injured area while maintaining comfortable movement rather than repeatedly testing the muscle. Ice can provide short-term pain relief for some people, although it does not repair the injured muscle or necessarily speed healing. Compression may also help with swelling and comfort, particularly after a more significant strain. Avoid aggressive stretching or deep massage immediately after an acute injury. Pulling hard on a newly injured muscle because it feels tight can place unnecessary stress on damaged tissue rather than helping it recover. How Are Hamstring Injuries Treated? Rehabilitation generally becomes progressively more active as pain and movement improve. Rather than simply waiting until the hamstring stops hurting, recovery usually involves gradually restoring comfortable movement before rebuilding the muscle's strength and ability to tolerate increasing loads. Strengthening is an important part of rehabilitation because running places considerable demands on the hamstrings. Exercises can be progressed over time, including work that strengthens the hamstrings while they lengthen, before running and eventually faster training are gradually reintroduced. A physiotherapist can tailor rehabilitation to the runner, the location of the injury and its severity. Severe tears are very different from ordinary running strains and may require specialist treatment, although surgery is uncommon for typical hamstring strains. Read more about physios here. A physiotherapist can assess a persistent hamstring problem and help guide your return to running. How Long Does A Hamstring Injury Take To Heal? There is no single recovery time because hamstring injuries range from minor strains to major muscle or tendon injuries. A mild strain may settle within a few weeks, while a more significant injury can require considerably longer before normal training can be resumed safely. Recovery time also depends on where the injury is located, its severity and the demands you intend to return to. A runner preparing to resume easy jogging has a different requirement from someone attempting to return to sprinting or high-intensity racing. This is why simply waiting a predetermined number of days is not a reliable way to judge recovery. Pain, strength, movement and the hamstring's ability to tolerate progressively harder exercise are all important when deciding when to increase your running again. When Can You Start Running Again? Returning to running should be a progression rather than an immediate return to your previous training schedule. Everyday activities should be comfortable, and you should have regained sufficient movement and strength to begin exposing the hamstring to the demands of running. Initial runs will normally be short and easy, with distance and then intensity gradually increased according to how the hamstring responds. Faster running places substantially greater demands on the hamstrings, so intervals, sprinting and hard racing should generally return later in the rehabilitation process. Pay attention to how the leg responds both during and after each run. Being able to complete one easy session is encouraging, but the aim is to rebuild enough capacity for the hamstring to cope consistently as your normal training gradually returns. How Can Runners Reduce The Risk Of Hamstring Injuries? It is impossible to prevent every hamstring injury, but sensible training progression can reduce avoidable risk. Large and sudden increases in running speed or overall training load are best avoided, particularly if you have not done faster running for some time. Regular strength training can also help prepare the hamstrings and surrounding muscles for the demands of running. A programme that progressively challenges the hamstrings through different movements can be more useful than only starting strengthening exercises after an injury has occurred. A progressive warm-up before demanding sessions can prepare your body for faster running, particularly before intervals, hills and races. If you have previously suffered a hamstring injury, maintaining appropriate strengthening and gradually reintroducing higher-speed running can be especially important. When Should You Get A Hamstring Injury Checked? Seek prompt medical assessment if you have severe pain, heard or felt a pop, develop substantial swelling or bruising, cannot walk normally or notice significant weakness in the leg. A visible change in the shape of the muscle or a severe injury following a sudden movement also needs appropriate medical attention. Less dramatic symptoms may still benefit from assessment if they are not improving, repeatedly return when you run or prevent you progressing back towards your normal training. Persistent pain around the upper hamstring or close to the buttock can also involve the hamstring tendon rather than a straightforward muscle strain and may need a different rehabilitation approach. Final Thoughts On Hamstring Injuries From Running Hamstring discomfort is not always a hamstring injury, and post-run stiffness or muscle soreness is different from the sudden, localised pain of an acute strain. When pain appears abruptly during a run, particularly during faster running, stopping the session is a better option than trying to push through it. For a genuine hamstring injury, recovery involves more than simply waiting for the pain to disappear. Progressive movement, strengthening and a gradual return to running can rebuild the hamstring's ability to cope with training, while severe, persistent or recurring symptoms should be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional.

If you belong to a running club and you're taking on a race or challenge for charity, you already have a community around you that understands what you're trying to achieve. Your club mates know what marathon training involves, appreciate the significance of those long runs and will probably be among the people most interested in following your progress. That doesn't mean your running club should automatically become part of your fundraising campaign. Other members may be raising money for their own charities, the club may already support a particular cause and there is a limit to how often the same group of people can be asked to donate. The key is to involve your club in ways that help your fundraising without putting other members under pressure. Done well, your running club can provide much more than donations. It can help you reach new supporters, organise activities, make useful introductions and turn an individual fundraising challenge into something other people genuinely enjoy being part of. Start By Talking To Your Club Before putting your fundraising link into every club communication channel you can find, speak to whoever is responsible for running the club. Depending on its size and structure, that might be the chair, secretary, committee, run leaders or communications team. Explain what you're doing, which charity you're supporting and why the cause matters to you. More importantly, ask what the club normally does when members are fundraising. There may already be an established approach that gives charity runners opportunities to promote their campaigns without overwhelming everyone else. This is particularly important with club WhatsApp groups, email lists and social media accounts. Being a member doesn't necessarily mean you have permission to use those channels for fundraising. Asking first is both courteous and more likely to result in useful support from the club. Remember You May Not Be The Only Fundraiser This is one of the most important things to consider. If you're preparing for a major marathon or another popular event, there could be several people at your club raising money at exactly the same time. One might have a charity place in the London Marathon, another could be fundraising through Manchester, Berlin or New York, while somebody else may be taking on an entirely different challenge. You may also be supporting completely different charities. Everyone will naturally believe passionately in their own cause, but it isn't reasonable to expect the club to promote one member constantly while giving little attention to everybody else. Rather than competing for the attention and donations of the same club mates, think about how everyone can be given a fair opportunity to tell their story. The club could feature its charity runners together in a newsletter, occasionally highlight their progress on social media or create a fundraising section on its website. If the club already has an official charity partner or charity of the year, respect that relationship too. Your individual cause can still matter without expecting it to receive the same prominence as an organisation the club has formally chosen to support. Work Together With Other Charity Runners Having several members fundraising at once can actually create opportunities that wouldn't exist for someone working alone. Instead of three runners separately trying to organise three different fundraising activities, they could put on something together. A quiz night, social evening, special run or other activity could attract a larger audience while spreading the organisational work between several people. Each runner can still tell their individual story and support their own charity, but everyone benefits from working together rather than repeatedly approaching the same club members separately. The important issue is deciding how the money will be handled before you start promoting anything. If proceeds are being divided between different charities, supporters need to understand that clearly. You might split the money equally, allocate the proceeds from different parts of an event to particular causes or allow people to choose which runner's fundraising page they want to support. Whatever arrangement you choose, keep it simple and transparent. Nobody attending an event should be left wondering which charity actually receives their money, and all the participating fundraisers should agree how things will work before asking anyone else to contribute. There may also be opportunities for the club to celebrate everyone's fundraising collectively. At the end of marathon season or the calendar year, it could highlight the different causes members have supported and the combined amount they've raised. Several individual charity challenges then become something the whole running community can be proud of. Read more about fundraising with another runner here. Ask The Club To Share Your Story One of the easiest ways a running club can help costs absolutely nothing. Ask whether it can tell other members what you're doing through its normal communication channels. A short feature in a newsletter can explain the challenge, introduce the charity and tell people why you've chosen to support it. The club might also be willing to share occasional updates through its website or social media, particularly when you reach an interesting training or fundraising milestone. Try to give the club something worth sharing rather than simply sending the same donation link repeatedly. Completing your first 20 mile training run, reaching halfway towards your fundraising target or organising an unusual activity all provide reasons to update people. Your fundraising then becomes a story members can follow rather than a succession of requests for money. If several members are fundraising, the club could feature everyone together rather than publishing a constant stream of individual appeals. That gives each runner visibility while reducing the risk of club mates becoming tired of fundraising messages. Ask For Help, Not Just Donations It's easy to think that getting your running club involved means persuading more club mates to sponsor you. In reality, some of the most valuable support might have nothing to do with somebody putting money directly onto your fundraising page. One member might be a photographer who can take pictures at an event, while another could work for a company willing to provide a prize. Somebody might know the owner of a local café, pub or running shop, while another club mate could be brilliant at organising quizzes or creating promotional material. Others can simply share your fundraising story with people you would never otherwise reach. Think about what you need rather than just how much money you need. Asking someone to help organise an activity, make an introduction or spread the word can sometimes generate considerably more than asking that same person for another donation. It also gives members who cannot or don't want to contribute financially another way to support what you're doing. Make A Club Run Part Of Your Fundraising Running itself can become part of the campaign. Rather than adding a completely unrelated event to an already busy training schedule, consider whether one of your runs could become an activity that club mates want to join. You might organise a special social run, relay, fancy dress session or distance challenge. A marathon runner could invite different club mates to join sections of a long training run, while a group could collectively attempt to cover a particular distance connected with the charity or challenge. Speak to the club before changing an established session or attaching fundraising to it. A normal club night shouldn't suddenly become somebody's personal fundraising event without agreement, and whatever you organise should remain welcoming to members who aren't involved in the campaign. If you create a separate activity, try to make it accessible to runners of different abilities. The aim is to involve the club, not create another race that only the quickest or most experienced members can enjoy. Use Your Club's Local Connections Running clubs are often deeply connected to their local communities. Members may work for local companies, volunteer at events, know race organisers or have relationships with running shops, cafés, gyms, physiotherapists and other businesses. Those connections can be extremely useful. A local business that ignores an unsolicited fundraising email might respond very differently when a regular customer or somebody it already knows makes an introduction. Think beyond asking businesses for cash. A running shop might contribute a prize, a café could provide refreshments, a local venue might offer space for an event and another business could help promote what you're doing. Even if none makes a direct donation, their involvement could help you raise money elsewhere. Several charity runners can potentially benefit from those relationships too. A local business might be more interested in supporting a club fundraising evening involving a group of runners than receiving several separate requests for sponsorship. Involve Club mates In Your Training Journey Your running club is likely to see parts of your challenge that many of your other supporters don't. Club mates may be alongside you during dark winter training sessions, difficult long runs and the weeks when race day still seems a very long way away. Use some of that shared experience as part of your fundraising story. Photos from training, significant milestones and occasional updates about how preparation is going can help supporters understand the work you're putting into the challenge. With permission, you can also recognise the people helping you get there. This makes fundraising feel less like something separate from the running. Instead of suddenly appearing shortly before race day asking everyone for sponsorship, you've allowed people to follow the journey and understand why both the challenge and the charity matter to you. Race day brings new fundraising opportunities, from club mates sharing your progress and cheering you on to celebrating your achievement and giving your fundraising page one final push. Make The Most Of Race Day If several club members are taking part in the same event, race day provides another opportunity to bring their stories together. The club could highlight everyone who is racing for charity beforehand and share their achievements afterwards. Club mates who aren't racing can become part of the day too. They might support on the course, meet runners afterwards, take photographs or share updates with other members. Those activities don't directly raise money, but they can generate useful material for the final stages of a fundraising campaign. Don't assume fundraising has to stop when you cross the finish line either. Some people wait until the challenge has been completed before donating, while others may simply have forgotten. Sharing the result, photographs and your fundraising total gives you a natural reason to remind them. Read more about fundraising after race day here. Don't Keep Asking The Same People Running clubs can be incredibly supportive communities, but that generosity shouldn't be taken for granted. If members regularly take part in marathons and other events for charity, the same people could potentially receive sponsorship requests throughout the year. This becomes particularly important when several members are fundraising simultaneously. Ten charity runners cannot all expect the same clubmates to make ten donations, and nobody should feel that financially supporting every fundraiser is part of being a good club member. Vary the ways you involve people instead. Some club mates may donate, others might volunteer at an event, share a post, provide a prize or simply encourage you through your training. All of those contributions have value. It's also worth remembering that you don't know everyone's financial circumstances. Make it easy for people to support you without making anyone feel uncomfortable if they choose not to donate. Fundraising works much better when people want to become involved than when they feel obliged to do so. Remember To Say Thank You Keep track of the people who contribute to your campaign in ways other than donating. If someone arranges a venue, creates promotional material, supplies prizes or spends an evening helping at an event, make sure their contribution is recognised. After your race, tell the club how you got on and how much was raised. If several members have been fundraising, celebrate their achievements too. The final figure matters, but so does recognising the community that helped make it possible. A proper thank you also makes things easier for the next charity runner who asks the club for support. Members are far more likely to get behind future fundraising when previous campaigns have made them feel appreciated rather than simply asked for money. Read more about thanking your supporters here. Make Your Running Club Part Of The Charity Fundraising Journey Your running club may already be helping you prepare for your challenge long before charity fundraising enters the conversation. Club mates provide training partners, advice, encouragement and the shared experience that can make difficult weeks of running considerably easier. Fundraising gives them another way to become part of that journey, but donations are only one part of what a club can contribute. By involving members thoughtfully, working alongside other charity runners and recognising that the same people cannot financially support every appeal, you can use the strength of your running community without exhausting its goodwill. The aim isn't to get every club member to sponsor you. It's to give people different ways to become part of your charity challenge while making sure the next club member who decides to run for a cause gets exactly the same opportunity.

Running places your body under constant physical stress. Every training session challenges your muscles, joints and cardiovascular system, and it is during recovery that your body becomes stronger. One of the most important parts of that recovery is something many runners overlook, and that's sleep. If you're training for a 10K, half marathon, marathon or ultra, it can be tempting to squeeze your runs into an already busy schedule by sacrificing an hour or two of sleep. Unfortunately, that approach often does more harm than good. Quality sleep is just as important as your training sessions because it allows your body to repair, adapt and prepare for the next run. How Much Sleep Do Runners Need? Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, although the exact amount varies from person to person. Your age, lifestyle, workload and overall health all influence how much sleep you require. When you begin training regularly for distance running, your need for quality sleep often increases because your body has more recovery work to do. Elite athletes frequently sleep for nine hours or more each night and often include an afternoon nap as part of their recovery programme. Most recreational runners do not have that luxury, but making sleep a priority can still have a huge impact on performance, recovery and injury prevention. Rather than focusing solely on the number of hours you sleep, aim for consistent, uninterrupted sleep that allows your body to reach its deeper recovery stages. Why Is Sleep So Important for Runners? Sleep is when your body carries out most of its repair work. During the deeper stages of sleep, damaged muscle fibres begin to recover, energy stores are replenished and important hormones are released that support recovery and physical adaptation. If you consistently miss out on sleep, your body has less opportunity to repair itself. You may still complete your training sessions, but you will find it harder to recover between them, making each run feel more difficult than it should. Sleep is not a luxury for runners. It is one of the foundations of effective training. Sleep Strengthens Your Immune System Heavy training places additional stress on your immune system. It is not unusual for runners in the middle of marathon training to pick up the occasional cold, but poor sleep increases that risk significantly. During sleep, your body produces proteins called cytokines that help regulate your immune response and fight infection. When you regularly cut your sleep short, your immune system becomes less effective, making it harder to stay healthy throughout your training programme. Staying well means fewer missed sessions and much greater consistency, which is ultimately what delivers progress. Sleep Helps Your Muscles Recover Every run creates tiny amounts of muscle damage that your body repairs as part of the natural training process. This repair makes your muscles stronger and better prepared for future sessions. Much of this recovery is driven by the release of human growth hormone during deep sleep. This hormone plays an essential role in repairing muscles, strengthening tissues and supporting recovery after exercise. Without enough quality sleep, this repair process becomes less effective, leaving your body feeling tired, sore and slower to recover. Read more about rest and recovery after a run here. Sleep Improves Running Performance Anyone who has tried running after a poor night's sleep knows how much harder it feels. Your legs feel heavy, your breathing becomes more difficult and maintaining your usual pace requires far more effort. Lack of sleep affects your body's ability to regulate energy, process glucose efficiently and manage physical stress. It also reduces concentration and reaction times, making it more difficult to maintain good running technique, particularly during longer runs. Simply put, well-rested runners generally train better, recover faster and perform more consistently. Sleep Supports Heart Health Distance running places considerable demands on your cardiovascular system. Fortunately, sleep plays an important role in helping your heart and circulation recover after exercise. During sleep, your heart rate and blood pressure naturally reduce, giving your cardiovascular system an opportunity to recover from the stresses of training. Consistently good sleep helps support long-term heart health while improving your body's ability to cope with regular endurance exercise. How to Improve Your Sleep as a Runner Developing good sleep habits is often easier than people think. Small changes to your evening routine can make a significant difference to both the quality and quantity of your sleep. Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule Try to go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day, including weekends where possible. A consistent routine helps regulate your body's internal clock, making it easier to fall asleep and wake feeling refreshed. Avoid Caffeine Late in the Day Coffee, tea and many energy drinks contain caffeine, which can remain in your system for several hours. Drinking caffeine during the late afternoon or evening may make it harder to fall asleep, even if you do not immediately notice the effects. If possible, keep caffeinated drinks to earlier in the day and switch to water or herbal tea during the evening. Avoid Large Meals Before Bed Eating a heavy meal shortly before bedtime forces your digestive system to remain active when your body should be preparing for sleep. If you are hungry after an evening run, choose a light recovery snack that combines carbohydrates and protein rather than a large meal immediately before bed. Limit Alcohol Although alcohol can sometimes make you feel sleepy initially, it often disrupts sleep later in the night. Many people experience lighter sleep, frequent waking and poorer overall recovery after drinking alcohol. If you're training for an important event, reducing alcohol intake can have noticeable benefits for both sleep quality and running performance. Put Your Phone Away Scrolling through your phone before bed has become a habit for many of us, but the blue light from screens can interfere with your body's natural sleep cycle. Notifications, messages and social media can also keep your brain active when it should be winding down. Try switching off electronic devices at least an hour before bedtime and replace screen time with reading or another relaxing activity. Stop this an hour before it's time to sleep What Happens If You Don't Get Enough Sleep? Poor sleep does not simply leave you feeling tired the next day. Over time, it can begin to affect almost every aspect of your running. Recovery Takes Longer Without enough deep sleep, muscle repair slows down and soreness lasts longer. This makes it more difficult to complete your next training session at the required intensity. Your Injury Risk Increases Fatigue affects coordination, balance and running technique. Combined with slower muscle recovery, this increases the likelihood of picking up overuse injuries during a training programme. Progress Slows One of the four principles of training is progression. To improve, your body must recover from one session before adapting to the next. Poor sleep interrupts that process, making progress slower and often leading to frustrating training plateaus. Running Becomes Less Enjoyable Running should improve both your physical and mental wellbeing. Constant fatigue makes training feel like a chore rather than something you look forward to. Many runners who lose motivation are actually struggling with inadequate recovery rather than poor training. Read more about the principles of training here. Make Sleep Part of Your Training Plan Many runners carefully plan every run, every meal and every race, yet give very little thought to their sleep. That is a mistake. Sleep is one of the most powerful recovery tools available, costing nothing while delivering enormous benefits for performance, recovery and long-term health. If you're increasing your mileage or training for a half marathon, marathon or ultra, treat sleep as an essential part of your training plan rather than something that fits around everything else. Your body repairs itself while you sleep, and every good night's rest brings you one step closer to becoming a stronger, healthier and more confident runner.

Heart rate, pace, distance and cadence are all relatively easy running metrics to understand. Heart rate variability, usually shortened to HRV, is different. The number might appear on your running watch, smart ring or health app every morning, but knowing what it means and what you should do with it is considerably less obvious. HRV can provide useful information about how your body is responding to training, recovery and everyday life, but it can also be easy to misinterpret. A higher number isn't automatically better, a low reading doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't run, and comparing your HRV with somebody else's is unlikely to tell you very much. So what exactly is HRV, why are running watches increasingly measuring it, and should it influence how you train? Understanding a few basics can make the numbers displayed by your wearable considerably more useful. What Is Heart Rate Variability? Your heart doesn't beat at perfectly regular intervals. Even if your heart rate is 60 beats per minute, there won't necessarily be exactly one second between every heartbeat. One interval might be fractionally longer and the next fractionally shorter. Heart rate variability measures these tiny differences in the time between successive heartbeats, usually in milliseconds. The variations are influenced by the autonomic nervous system, which controls many of the body's automatic processes and includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This means HRV is very different from heart rate. Heart rate tells you how many times your heart beats in a minute, whereas HRV looks at the changing intervals between those individual beats. They are related measurements, but they tell you different things. Why Is HRV Useful For Runners? Running places stress on the body. That's an essential part of training because appropriate stress followed by sufficient recovery allows the body to adapt and become better prepared for future exercise. Problems can arise when training stress continually exceeds your ability to recover from it. HRV offers another way of looking at how your body is responding. Changes can be associated with running and recovery but can also reflect sleep, illness, psychological stress, travel, alcohol and other factors. This is why HRV has become increasingly prominent in sports watches, smart rings and recovery devices. For a runner, its greatest potential value isn't predicting whether you'll have a brilliant run that morning. It's helping you identify changes in your normal pattern and providing another piece of information to consider alongside your training and how you feel. What Is A Good HRV For A Runner? This is probably the most important thing to understand about HRV: there isn't one HRV number that every runner should be trying to achieve. HRV differs considerably between individuals and can be influenced by factors including age, fitness, genetics and physiology. Two equally fit runners can therefore have very different HRV readings without either number being inherently better. Instead of asking whether your HRV is high or low compared with another runner, look at it in relation to your own established baseline. Once your device has collected enough consistent data, changes away from your normal range can become much more informative. That also means there's little point comparing your HRV with a friend's after a long run or posting two scores online to see who has recovered better. What Does A Low HRV Mean? A lower than normal HRV can be a sign that your body is experiencing greater physiological stress than usual. A hard training session, accumulated fatigue, poor sleep, illness, dehydration, alcohol, travel or psychological stress are among the factors that could potentially contribute to a change. One low reading isn't necessarily significant, however, because HRV naturally fluctuates. An unusual result shouldn't automatically lead you to cancel your run, particularly if everything else suggests you are well recovered and ready to train. It makes more sense to consider whether the change persists and whether it agrees with other information about how you're feeling. If your HRV has moved outside its normal range for several days, your resting heart rate is elevated and you also feel unusually tired, those combined signals may provide a stronger reason to reconsider a demanding training session than the HRV number alone. Does A High HRV Mean You Are Fully Recovered? While a relatively high HRV can be associated with recovery and greater parasympathetic activity, interpreting HRV as simply "the higher the better" is too simplistic. An unusually high reading can itself represent a change from your normal pattern, so context remains important. This is one reason wearable platforms increasingly establish personal baselines and look at trends rather than treating the highest possible HRV as the objective. Think of HRV as information rather than a score you are trying to improve. Your aim isn't to achieve the highest HRV among your running friends; it's to understand what is normal for you and recognise when that pattern changes. How Do Running Watches Measure HRV? Wearable technology has made HRV much more accessible. Running watches, smartwatches, smart rings and other health wearables can now monitor the intervals between heartbeats and use that information as part of their recovery and training features. Many wrist based devices use optical heart rate sensors, while chest straps capable of recording the electrical signals from individual heartbeats can also be used for HRV measurements. The important point is that different devices don't necessarily measure, calculate or present HRV in exactly the same way. Some platforms concentrate heavily on overnight measurements, while others incorporate HRV into broader readiness, recovery or training metrics. That means an HRV figure or recovery assessment from one platform shouldn't automatically be treated as directly interchangeable with one from another. Read more about running metrics here. Why Is HRV Often Measured While You Sleep? HRV is affected by what you're doing when the measurement is taken. Measuring it while walking around, drinking coffee or dealing with a stressful morning creates very different conditions from measuring it while you're resting. Overnight monitoring gives compatible wearables an opportunity to collect large amounts of data while you're relatively inactive. Other approaches use a controlled measurement after waking, ideally taken at approximately the same time and under similar conditions each day. Consistency is important because HRV becomes more useful when you're comparing like with like. If your device measures you consistently over many nights, it has a much better opportunity to establish what is normal for you than a handful of measurements taken under completely different circumstances. Read about the importance of sleep for runners here. HRV is often measured during sleep, when your body is at rest and your wearable can collect more consistent data over several hours. What Is RMSSD? Start exploring HRV and you'll soon encounter a collection of abbreviations. One of the most relevant is RMSSD, which stands for the root mean square of successive differences and is a commonly used method of calculating HRV from the differences between successive heartbeat intervals. You don't need to understand the mathematics behind RMSSD to use HRV effectively. For most runners, understanding their normal range and longer term trend is considerably more useful than learning the equations used to generate the number. The calculation method is worth knowing about because not every HRV value you encounter has necessarily been calculated in exactly the same way. It is another reason to be cautious when comparing numbers produced by different devices, apps or platforms. Can HRV Tell You Whether To Run? HRV can help inform the decision, but it shouldn't make it for you. The number becomes more useful when considered alongside other information rather than treated as a green or red light for that day's training. Imagine your watch reports a lower than usual HRV after several days of demanding training. If you also slept badly, your legs feel heavy and your resting heart rate is higher than normal, changing a planned interval session to an easy run or recovery day could be sensible. Now imagine the same HRV warning appears but you feel good, you've slept well and your recent training load has been modest. There is much less reason to allow one number on your watch to dictate your entire training day. This is where wearable technology can be most useful for runners. It adds information to your decision rather than replacing your own judgement about your health, recovery and readiness to train. HRV And Hard Training Hard running can temporarily affect HRV because exercise itself is a physiological stress. The size and duration of that response can vary according to the intensity and duration of the session, as well as the runner's fitness and individual response to training. This doesn't make a temporary change after a hard workout a bad thing. Training is supposed to challenge the body, and some disruption following a particularly demanding session is hardly surprising. What may be more useful is watching how your measurements subsequently move back towards their established pattern. Over weeks and months, HRV trends can therefore add another layer to your understanding of how you're coping with a training programme. They shouldn't be viewed in isolation from performance, training load, sleep, resting heart rate and how you actually feel. No single wearable metric provides a complete picture of recovery. Can You Improve Your HRV? Trying to manipulate the HRV number itself misses the point. The more useful approach is to concentrate on the behaviours that support training, general health and recovery rather than chasing a particular reading on your watch. Consistent sleep, appropriate recovery between demanding sessions, sensible progression of training load, good nutrition and hydration, and managing everyday stress can all help support recovery. Alcohol can also affect overnight HRV, so some runners may notice changes in their readings after drinking. The important distinction is that these are worthwhile habits regardless of what happens to the number on your watch. HRV should help you observe how your body responds to your training and lifestyle rather than become another target that needs to be chased. HRV, Illness And Everyday Stress One of the interesting things about HRV is that your body doesn't separate running stress neatly from everything else happening in your life. A difficult week at work, disrupted sleep, long distance travel or the early stages of an illness can all influence your overall physiological state. This can help explain why recovery metrics occasionally seem pessimistic even when your running hasn't been particularly demanding. Your wearable can measure certain signals, but your body is responding to much more than the kilometres in your training diary. Persistent or unusual HRV changes aren't a medical diagnosis, however, and a consumer wearable shouldn't be used to diagnose illness or a heart condition. If you're experiencing concerning symptoms or have questions about your health, seek appropriate medical advice rather than relying on an HRV reading. Should Beginners Track HRV? You certainly don't need HRV to become a better runner. Beginners will usually gain far more from getting the basics right by building their running gradually, allowing enough recovery, sleeping adequately and learning how different types of training feel. If your watch already provides HRV, however, there's no reason to ignore it. Watching the data over several months can help you understand how your personal pattern responds to hard training, rest, sleep and everyday life. The danger comes when a runner starts allowing every small movement in a recovery metric to determine whether they train. Learning to listen to your body remains an important running skill, even when there's an increasingly sophisticated computer sitting on your wrist. Is HRV Worth Paying Attention To? HRV is worth paying attention to, but it needs to be kept in perspective. It can provide information that isn't obvious from pace, distance or even heart rate alone, particularly when you have enough data to establish your normal pattern. Its real strength is in trends rather than individual readings. Establish your normal range, measure consistently and look for meaningful changes rather than reacting to every morning's number. Combine that information with your resting heart rate, sleep, recent training and, most importantly, how you actually feel. Used in that way, HRV can become a useful additional tool for understanding recovery without becoming the number that decides whether you're allowed to go running.

Zinc probably isn't a nutrient that many runners think about when planning what to eat. Carbohydrates, protein, iron and electrolytes tend to receive much more attention, but zinc is an essential mineral involved in numerous processes throughout the body. Its roles include supporting normal immune function, helping the body make proteins and DNA, and contributing to wound healing and cell growth. Exercise can also affect zinc metabolism, which has led researchers to investigate whether athletes have different zinc requirements and whether supplementation could improve performance. For most runners, however, the aim should be getting enough zinc rather than trying to consume as much as possible. A varied diet can usually provide what you need, while taking excessive amounts in supplement form can cause problems of its own. What Is Zinc? Zinc is an essential trace mineral, meaning the body needs it in relatively small amounts but cannot function normally without it. Unlike some nutrients, the body doesn't have a specialised storage system for zinc, so a regular dietary supply is important. Zinc is involved in the activity of hundreds of enzymes and plays a part in many biological processes. These include protein and DNA synthesis, cell division, immune function and wound healing, while zinc is also important for normal growth and development. These functions make zinc relevant to everyone, not just runners. Regular training does, however, place additional demands on the body, making an adequate overall intake of vitamins and minerals an important part of a runner's diet. Why Is Zinc Important For Runners? One of zinc's most important roles is its involvement in protein synthesis. Runners continually place stress on muscles and other tissues during training, and the body subsequently needs to repair and adapt to that stress. Zinc is also involved in normal immune function. This can be particularly relevant when training volume increases because demanding exercise, inadequate recovery, insufficient sleep and not eating enough can all contribute to periods when a runner may be more susceptible to illness. It also contributes to normal cellular metabolism and numerous enzyme reactions. That doesn't make zinc an energy source in the way that carbohydrate or fat is, but having an inadequate zinc status could interfere with normal physiological functions that help support training and everyday health. Does Running Affect Zinc Levels? Exercise can produce short term changes in the amount of zinc circulating in the blood. Research has also found that trained athletes can have lower serum zinc concentrations than people who are less active, even when their reported dietary zinc intake is higher. The reasons aren't completely understood. Zinc can be lost in sweat and urine, while exercise can alter the way zinc is distributed between the blood and tissues, making the relationship between training and zinc status relatively complicated. This doesn't mean that every runner is at risk of zinc deficiency or that runners automatically need a higher daily intake. There isn't currently a universally accepted separate zinc recommendation for athletes, so the focus should remain on obtaining enough through a balanced diet unless an individual assessment suggests otherwise. Does Zinc Improve Running Performance? Zinc is sometimes included in sports supplements and products marketed towards athletes, but that doesn't mean taking additional zinc will make you run faster. Research hasn't established a clear performance benefit from zinc supplementation in athletes who already consume enough. A genuine deficiency is different. Because zinc is involved in so many biological processes, inadequate zinc status can affect normal health and could potentially compromise someone's ability to train and perform at their best. The distinction is important. Correcting an inadequate intake may help restore normal function, but consuming extra zinc beyond your requirements shouldn't be expected to provide an additional performance advantage. Zinc And The Immune System Zinc has an important role in the development and function of immune cells, which is one reason it frequently appears in products marketed for immune health. An inadequate zinc intake can impair normal immune function, but that doesn't mean large doses provide additional protection for a runner who already gets enough. Runners should also look beyond individual nutrients when thinking about their immune health. Adequate energy intake, a varied diet, sufficient sleep, sensible recovery and avoiding excessive training loads are all important alongside consuming enough essential vitamins and minerals. If you're frequently becoming ill during periods of heavy training, automatically reaching for a zinc supplement may therefore miss the bigger picture. Your overall training, recovery and nutritional intake are worth considering rather than assuming one particular nutrient is responsible. Does Zinc Help With Running Recovery? Because zinc is involved in protein synthesis, cell division and tissue repair, an adequate supply forms part of the nutritional background that allows the body to function and recover normally. That is different from saying that taking additional zinc after a run will speed up recovery. There isn't convincing evidence that zinc should be treated like carbohydrate or protein as a specific post run recovery nutrient. For most runners, the immediate priorities after demanding exercise remain replacing energy and carbohydrate, consuming sufficient protein, rehydrating where necessary and getting adequate rest. A balanced recovery meal may naturally contain zinc anyway. Foods such as meat, seafood, dairy products, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains can contribute zinc alongside protein, carbohydrate and other important nutrients. Read more about recovery nutrition here. What Are The Best Sources Of Zinc? Some of the richest sources of zinc are animal foods. Oysters and other shellfish can contain particularly high amounts, while meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products can all contribute to dietary intake. Plant based sources include beans, chickpeas, lentils, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Fortified breakfast cereals and other fortified foods can also provide useful amounts, although the products available and the level of fortification vary considerably between countries. This means zinc can be obtained from many different diets around the world. The amount your body actually absorbs is also important, however, particularly when most of your zinc comes from plant foods. Nuts are a great source of zinc Can Plant Based Runners Get Enough Zinc? Yes, but runners following vegetarian or vegan diets may need to pay more attention to both the amount of zinc they consume and how well it is absorbed. Plant foods can provide plenty of zinc, but they also frequently contain phytates. Phytates are naturally occurring compounds found in foods such as whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. They can bind to zinc in the digestive system and reduce the amount that the body absorbs, meaning two diets containing the same amount of zinc don't necessarily provide the same amount of absorbable zinc. Food preparation techniques including soaking, sprouting, fermenting and using leavened breads can reduce phytate levels and improve zinc availability. A well planned plant based diet can still provide adequate zinc, but variety and food preparation can become more important when animal sources are excluded. How Much Zinc Do Runners Need? There isn't a separate internationally accepted zinc recommendation specifically for runners. Requirements for the general population also differ between countries and nutritional authorities, partly because the amount of zinc absorbed from food can vary substantially. In the United States, the recommended daily amount for adults is 11 mg for men and 8 mg for women, with requirements increasing during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Other authorities use different figures, and some recommendations take greater account of the amount of phytate in the diet. That variation is particularly relevant to a global audience because diets differ considerably around the world. Rather than treating one number as universally correct, runners should consider the nutritional recommendations where they live and the type of diet they normally eat. Which Runners Might Be At Greater Risk Of Low Zinc? Runners who eat a varied diet containing adequate energy are less likely to have problems, but some circumstances can increase the possibility of an inadequate intake. A highly restrictive diet, consistently eating too little food or excluding numerous zinc rich foods can make it harder to meet nutritional requirements. Vegetarian and vegan runners may also need to think more carefully about zinc because of the reduced absorption from some plant based diets. This doesn't mean plant based runners will be deficient, but it makes good dietary planning more important. Runners with certain digestive conditions or other health problems that affect nutrient absorption can also be at increased risk. In these circumstances, individual medical or nutritional advice is more appropriate than simply adding a high dose supplement. What About Runners Who Don't Eat Enough? One of the most important nutritional issues in endurance sport isn't necessarily a shortage of one particular vitamin or mineral but simply failing to consume enough energy overall. A runner who chronically underfuels may struggle to obtain enough zinc alongside iron, calcium and numerous other essential nutrients. This is another reason to be cautious about looking at nutrients in isolation. Taking a zinc tablet won't correct a diet that doesn't provide enough energy, protein, carbohydrate and other micronutrients to support the amount of training being undertaken. If your training volume is increasing while your food intake remains very restricted, the overall nutritional picture deserves attention. Adequately fuelling your running should come before trying to solve potential nutritional gaps with a collection of supplements. Read more about common nutrition mistakes here. What Are The Signs Of Zinc Deficiency? Zinc deficiency can affect many different systems within the body. Possible signs include impaired wound healing, changes in taste or smell, loss of appetite, hair loss and problems with immune function, although the symptoms and their severity depend on the extent and duration of deficiency. The difficulty is that many of these symptoms can have numerous other causes. Feeling tired, recovering poorly or repeatedly getting ill doesn't automatically mean that a runner has low zinc levels. Assessing zinc status can also be complicated because blood zinc concentrations are affected by factors including time of day, infection and inflammation. If there is a genuine concern about deficiency, it is therefore better to seek appropriate medical or nutritional advice than diagnose yourself based on symptoms or a single number. Should Runners Take Zinc Supplements? Most runners shouldn't need to routinely take zinc supplements if they are obtaining enough through their diet. There is little evidence that additional zinc improves running performance when someone already has an adequate zinc status. Supplements may be appropriate when a deficiency or inadequate intake has been identified, or when there is a particular medical or dietary reason for using them. The appropriate amount will depend on the circumstances, and high dose products shouldn't be taken simply because zinc is an essential nutrient. It is also worth checking other supplements you already use. Multivitamins and some products marketed for immune support can contain zinc, making it possible to consume more than you realise when several supplements are taken together. Read more about supplements for runners here. Can You Take Too Much Zinc? High zinc intakes can cause nausea, vomiting, headaches, loss of appetite and stomach problems, while taking excessive amounts over a longer period can interfere with the body's ability to absorb copper. This interaction with copper is particularly important because prolonged high zinc intake can contribute to copper deficiency and associated health problems. More zinc is therefore not automatically better, even though getting enough of the mineral is essential. Upper intake limits also vary between nutritional authorities around the world. In the United States, the tolerable upper intake level for adults is 40 mg per day from food, drinks and supplements combined, but runners shouldn't interpret an upper limit as a target they should try to reach. Is Zinc More Important During Heavy Training? A demanding training programme can alter nutritional requirements and increase the importance of eating enough overall. Exercise can also affect zinc metabolism, but current evidence doesn't support a simple recommendation that every runner should increase their zinc intake whenever their mileage goes up. Instead, periods of heavy training are a good time to look at the quality and quantity of your whole diet. If you're eating enough and regularly consuming zinc rich foods, you may already be meeting your needs without making any special changes. The situation can be different if higher mileage is accompanied by deliberate calorie restriction, a limited diet or reduced appetite. In those circumstances, zinc may be one of several nutrients that deserve attention rather than the only one. Final Thoughts Zinc is an essential mineral with important roles in immune function, protein synthesis, cell growth and tissue repair. Exercise can influence zinc metabolism, which makes it an interesting nutrient for runners, but that doesn't turn zinc into a performance enhancing supplement. For most runners, the priority is simply getting enough. Meat, seafood, dairy products and eggs can provide zinc, while beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fortified foods provide alternatives for people eating partly or entirely plant based diets. Taking extra zinc isn't a shortcut to faster running or better recovery, and excessive supplementation can interfere with copper absorption and cause other problems. As with many aspects of running nutrition, a varied diet that provides enough energy remains the best place to start.

Vitamin C is probably best known for its association with the immune system, but that is only part of the reason it matters to runners. It is also needed to make collagen, helps the body absorb iron from plant foods and acts as an antioxidant, giving it several roles that are relevant to training and recovery. Most runners who eat a varied diet should be able to get enough vitamin C from food. Taking large doses in supplement form is a different matter, however, and there is little evidence that doing so will make you run faster or recover significantly better. What Is Vitamin C? Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is a water soluble vitamin that the human body cannot make itself. We therefore need to obtain it regularly through our diet. It performs several important functions within the body. Vitamin C is required for the production of collagen, contributes to normal immune function and acts as an antioxidant. It also improves the absorption of non haem iron, the form of iron found in plant foods. Because vitamin C is water soluble, the body does not store large amounts of it in the same way it can store some fat soluble vitamins. Regularly eating foods containing vitamin C is therefore more important than occasionally consuming a very large amount. Why Is Vitamin C Important For Runners? One of the most interesting roles for runners is collagen production. Collagen is a major structural protein found in tissues including skin, tendons, ligaments, cartilage and bone, and vitamin C is required for normal collagen formation. That doesn't mean taking a vitamin C tablet will strengthen your tendons or prevent running injuries. It does mean that getting enough vitamin C is part of providing the body with the nutrients it requires to maintain healthy connective tissue. Its relationship with iron is also particularly relevant to runners. Iron is essential for transporting oxygen around the body, and vitamin C can improve the absorption of iron from plant foods. Vitamin C And Iron Absorption There are two main forms of dietary iron. Haem iron is found in animal foods, while non haem iron is found in plant foods and is generally less readily absorbed by the body. Vitamin C can increase the absorption of non haem iron, which makes food combinations worth thinking about. Adding peppers to a lentil dish, eating vitamin C rich fruit with an iron fortified breakfast cereal or combining beans with tomatoes are simple examples of bringing vitamin C and plant based iron together. This doesn't mean vitamin C supplements should be used to treat iron deficiency. If you suspect you have low iron levels, particularly if you are experiencing persistent tiredness or an unexplained decline in running performance, seek appropriate medical advice rather than trying to correct the problem yourself with supplements. Read more about the importance of iron to runners here. Does Vitamin C Help Your Immune System? Vitamin C contributes to normal immune function, but that doesn't mean taking large amounts will prevent runners from becoming ill. Immune health is influenced by many factors, including overall nutrition, sleep, recovery, training load and exposure to infections. This can become particularly relevant during periods of demanding training when runners may be putting greater physical stress on their bodies. Getting enough vitamin C is important, but supplements aren't a substitute for adequate energy intake, a varied diet, sufficient sleep and sensible recovery between demanding sessions. Is Vitamin C An Antioxidant? Vitamin C acts as an antioxidant, helping to protect cells against oxidative damage. Exercise increases the production of reactive oxygen species, so it might seem logical that runners should consume as many antioxidants as possible. The reality is more complicated because some of the oxidative stress created by exercise appears to be involved in signalling processes that help the body adapt to training. This has raised questions about whether regularly taking very high doses of antioxidant supplements could interfere with some training adaptations. The research isn't strong enough to conclude that taking vitamin C supplements will prevent you from improving as a runner. It does, however, provide another reason not to assume that very large supplemental doses must be better than getting an appropriate amount through a balanced diet. Can Vitamin C Improve Running Performance? There is no convincing evidence that taking extra vitamin C will make a well nourished runner faster. Studies examining vitamin C and exercise have produced mixed results for measures including endurance performance, muscle soreness, muscle damage and training adaptations. There has also been research into whether high doses of vitamins C and E could reduce some of the cellular responses associated with endurance training. Although some differences in these responses have been observed, that hasn't consistently translated into poorer improvements in measures such as aerobic fitness or running performance. For recreational runners, vitamin C is therefore much better viewed as an essential nutrient than as a performance supplement. Correcting an inadequate intake is very different from taking increasingly large amounts in the hope of gaining an additional training advantage. Does Vitamin C Help You Recover After Running? Vitamin C supplements are sometimes promoted on the basis that their antioxidant properties could reduce inflammation, muscle damage or soreness after hard exercise. Research into exercise recovery has produced inconsistent results, and there isn't good evidence that routinely taking large doses leads to meaningfully better recovery for most runners. Recovery also depends on much more than a single vitamin. Eating enough overall, replacing carbohydrate after demanding sessions, consuming sufficient protein, staying hydrated and getting enough sleep are likely to be considerably more important than relying on a vitamin C supplement. Read more about recovery nutrition here. What Are The Best Sources Of Vitamin C? Fruit and vegetables are the main dietary sources of vitamin C. Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are well known examples, but peppers, kiwifruit, strawberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and potatoes can also make useful contributions. The foods available will naturally vary around the world, and many other fruits and vegetables can provide vitamin C. A varied diet containing different types and colours of fruit and vegetables is a more practical approach than relying on one particular food. Vitamin C content can be reduced by prolonged storage and some methods of cooking because the vitamin is water soluble and sensitive to heat. Eating a mixture of raw and cooked fruit and vegetables can help provide a regular supply. Vitamin C isn't just found in fruit. Vegetables can be great sources too, with Brussels sprouts providing plenty of this important vitamin. How Much Vitamin C Do Runners Need? There isn't a universally agreed separate vitamin C requirement specifically for runners. Recommendations for the general adult population also vary between countries and health authorities, which explains why different figures may appear depending on where you look. In the United States, for example, the recommended daily amount for adults is 90 mg for men and 75 mg for women, while smokers are advised to consume an additional 35 mg. Recommendations elsewhere can be different, so runners should follow the nutritional guidance relevant to the country where they live. For most people, however, the practical message is similar wherever they are. A varied diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables will normally provide significant amounts of vitamin C alongside many other useful nutrients. Do Runners Need More Vitamin C? Heavy exercise increases metabolic demands and oxidative stress, which has led to suggestions that athletes might need more vitamin C than people who are less active. That doesn't automatically mean runners need vitamin C supplements or a special athlete specific dose. Someone eating enough food to support regular training and consuming plenty of fruit and vegetables may already have a relatively high vitamin C intake. The more important question is therefore whether your overall diet is meeting your nutritional needs rather than assuming running automatically creates a need for supplementation. Runners who restrict their food intake, follow a particularly limited diet or consistently eat very little fruit and vegetables may need to look more carefully at what they are consuming. Individual circumstances differ, so professional dietary advice can be useful when there are concerns about nutritional adequacy. Should Runners Take Vitamin C Supplements? For most runners with an adequate diet, there is little reason to routinely take high dose vitamin C supplements. Supplements may have a role where dietary intake is inadequate or a deficiency has been identified, but that is different from using large amounts in the belief that they will improve running performance. A food first approach also provides much more than vitamin C. Fruit and vegetables contain fibre, minerals and a wide range of other nutrients and plant compounds that aren't replicated simply by taking an isolated vitamin tablet. If you do use a supplement, check the amount it contains rather than assuming a higher dose offers greater benefits. Supplements can contain many times the normal daily requirement, even though there is no evidence that runners need extremely high vitamin C intakes simply because they exercise. Read more about supplements for runners here. Can You Take Too Much Vitamin C? Yes, although getting excessive amounts from ordinary foods is unlikely to be a problem for most healthy people. The greater concern is very high supplemental intakes, which can cause gastrointestinal problems including diarrhoea, nausea and abdominal cramps. Different health authorities use different upper intake recommendations. In the United States, for example, the tolerable upper intake level for adults is 2,000 mg per day, but this shouldn't be interpreted as a target or as an amount runners should aim to consume. There are also circumstances where high supplemental doses require particular caution. People with some conditions affecting iron metabolism, for example, may need to avoid large amounts of supplemental vitamin C because of its ability to increase iron absorption. Can Runners Become Vitamin C Deficient? Severe vitamin C deficiency causes scurvy, although this is uncommon among people who have access to and regularly eat a varied diet. Deficiency can still occur, particularly with extremely restricted diets, very low fruit and vegetable intake, certain health conditions or circumstances that affect nutritional intake or absorption. Symptoms of significant deficiency can include tiredness, weakness, bleeding gums, bruising and poor wound healing. These symptoms can have many other causes, however, so runners shouldn't assume they have a vitamin C deficiency based on symptoms alone. For most runners, prevention is straightforward. Eating enough overall and regularly including a variety of fruit and vegetables should provide vitamin C alongside many of the other micronutrients needed to support general health. What Should Runners Remember About Vitamin C? Vitamin C matters to runners, but probably not for the reasons suggested by many supplement products. Its real value comes from being an essential part of normal nutrition, with important roles in collagen formation, iron absorption, antioxidant protection and immune function. Getting enough is important, but getting enormous amounts isn't necessarily better. Current evidence doesn't show that routinely taking high dose vitamin C improves running performance or recovery, while there are legitimate reasons to be cautious about repeatedly using large antioxidant doses around training. A varied diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables remains the best starting point. For most runners, that provides vitamin C alongside a much wider range of nutrients that support health, training and recovery.

After months of training, it can feel completely wrong to start running less just as race day approaches. You've worked hard, your fitness is improving and you may be feeling stronger than ever. You're a coiled spring, ready for action. The temptation is often to squeeze in one more long run, one more hard session or a few extra miles to boost your confidence. In reality, this is exactly the point where you need to do the opposite. The taper is the final phase of your training plan and it is designed to help you arrive at the start line feeling rested, recovered and ready to perform at your best. It can be frustrating because it often feels as though you're losing fitness, but the reality is that the fitness gains have already been made. The taper allows your body to absorb all the hard work you've put in over previous weeks and months. Get it right and you'll feel fresh, strong and full of energy on race day. Get it wrong and you could arrive feeling tired before you've even crossed the start line. What Exactly Is The Taper? The taper is a planned reduction in training volume during the final days or weeks before an event. Rather than trying to build more fitness, the focus shifts to recovery. Your mileage decreases, your long runs become shorter and the overall strain on your body is significantly reduced. This recovery period allows muscle fibres to repair, connective tissues to strengthen and energy stores to replenish. It also gives your immune system an opportunity to recover from the stresses of training. Distance running places enormous demands on the body and even if you feel strong, there is often underlying fatigue that you may not fully appreciate until you begin to rest. One of the biggest mistakes runners make is trying to compensate for missed training during the taper period. Whether you've followed every session perfectly or missed several weeks through illness or injury, the taper still needs to happen. You cannot make up for lost training in the final fortnight before an event. At that point, additional hard work is far more likely to make you tired than make you fitter. When Should You Start Tapering? The ideal taper length depends on the distance you're running and the amount of training you've completed. Marathon runners will often begin tapering around three weeks before race day, while half marathon runners may start reducing their workload around two weeks out. For shorter events such as a 10K, the taper period may only last seven to ten days. There is no single formula that works for everyone. Experienced runners who recover quickly may need a shorter taper, while runners carrying fatigue or minor niggles may benefit from a longer one. The key is to reduce training enough to recover without becoming completely inactive. What Should You Do During The Taper? The biggest adjustment is reducing your mileage. Most runners will cut their weekly volume significantly while maintaining some shorter runs to keep the legs moving. These runs should feel comfortable and controlled. The aim is not to improve fitness but simply to maintain rhythm and confidence. Many runners worry about losing fitness during this period, but this simply doesn't happen in a matter of days or a couple of weeks. Fitness takes time to build and it takes time to disappear. What you are far more likely to lose by continuing to train hard is the freshness and energy that you have spent months developing. Cross-training should also be reduced. If you've been cycling, swimming or spending time in the gym, this is the time to scale things back. Your body needs an opportunity to recover fully rather than continuing to absorb training stress from other activities. Focus On Nutrition And Hydration The taper is also an opportunity to pay greater attention to your nutrition. During the heaviest training periods it can sometimes feel as though you're constantly eating simply to keep up with your mileage. As training reduces, the focus should shift towards fuelling recovery and preparing your body for race day. Hydration becomes increasingly important in the final days before your event. Consistently drinking water throughout the day is far more effective than trying to dramatically increase fluid intake the night before. Alongside this, maintaining a balanced diet rich in carbohydrates will help maximise glycogen stores, which provide the primary source of fuel during endurance events. Protein also remains important during the taper as it supports muscle repair and recovery. Combined with adequate sleep and sensible nutrition, it helps ensure your body reaches the start line in the best possible condition. Use The Time To Prepare One of the often-overlooked benefits of tapering is that it gives you more time to focus on everything else associated with race day. Instead of spending hours completing long training runs, you can organise travel plans, check your race kit, review the event route and think about your pacing strategy. For runners raising money for charity, the taper can also be a valuable fundraising period (although the bulk of it should of course have been done by this point). With the event now close enough to feel real, supporters are often more willing to donate. Regular updates on social media, emails to friends and family and sharing your training journey can all help provide a final boost to your fundraising total. Just as importantly, the taper gives you an opportunity to prepare mentally. Visualising the course, planning how you'll deal with difficult moments and building confidence can all contribute positively to your performance on race day. What Happens If You Don't Taper? The consequences of skipping the taper can be significant. Training creates fatigue, and while that fatigue is necessary for improvement, it must eventually be removed. If you continue pushing hard right up until race day, there is a strong chance you'll arrive carrying unnecessary tiredness. Many runners who ignore the taper find themselves struggling during an event despite having completed all the required training. Their legs feel heavy, their energy levels are lower than expected and they often wonder why race day feels harder than training. In many cases, the answer is simple: they never allowed their bodies enough time to recover. The taper is not a sign of weakness or lost commitment. It is an essential part of the training process. Every rest day you've taken throughout your training plan has contributed to your progress, and the taper is simply an extended version of that principle. Recovery is where adaptation takes place and without recovery, all the hard work becomes less effective. Trust The Process Almost every runner experiences doubts during the taper. You may feel sluggish, restless or worried that you're not doing enough. This is completely normal. In fact, feeling eager to run is often a sign that the taper is working exactly as intended. Trust the training you've already completed. The long runs are done, the hard sessions are behind you and the fitness is already in the bank. Your job now is to arrive at the start line healthy, rested and full of energy. When race day arrives, you'll be glad you resisted the temptation to squeeze in those extra miles. The taper isn't the end of your training. It's the final stage of it, and it could be the difference between simply finishing your event and performing at your very best.

Icebug may not have the profile of some of the biggest running shoe brands, but the Swedish company has developed a distinctive position in the running market. Its shoes are particularly associated with trail running, difficult weather and exceptional grip, while sustainability has become another important part of what the company does. Founded in Sweden in 2001, Icebug originally set out to solve a very Scandinavian problem: how to stay active when the ground becomes slippery. Its first shoes used steel studs to provide traction in winter conditions, but the range has since expanded considerably and now includes shoes for road running, trails, off-road racing, orienteering and some seriously difficult conditions. Icebug has also become one of the more interesting running shoe companies from an environmental perspective. Rather than producing a small sustainable collection alongside a conventional range, it has tried to reduce the impact of its footwear and wider business. That combination of grip, running performance and sustainability makes Icebug a brand worth knowing more about. Who Are Icebug? Icebug was founded in Sweden in 2001, with grip central to the original idea. The company developed footwear that could provide additional traction on snow and ice, helping people remain active throughout the Scandinavian winter. That heritage still influences Icebug today, although the company is no longer simply a winter footwear specialist. Its running collection stretches from a cushioned road shoe through everyday trail shoes to highly specialised footwear featuring metal studs. Icebug remains independently owned and has built much of its identity around getting people outdoors throughout the year. That helps explain why grip, durability and environmental impact feature so prominently in the way it develops and markets its shoes. What Makes Icebug Running Shoes Different? Grip is probably the single biggest difference between Icebug and most mainstream running shoe brands. Many trail shoe companies talk about traction, but Icebug has built much of its identity around developing different outsole technologies for different surfaces and conditions. There is also considerable variety within the range. Some Icebug shoes look and perform much like conventional running shoes, while others are designed for technical terrain, winter conditions, orienteering and situations where conventional trail shoe rubber may struggle. For runners in the UK, the non-studded models are likely to have the broadest appeal. Wet trails, slippery rock, muddy woodland and poor weather are hardly unusual, and that is exactly the type of environment where Icebug's approach starts to make sense. Icebug RB9X Grip RB9X is Icebug's non-studded rubber compound and one of the technologies you will see most frequently across its running shoes. It has been developed to provide strong traction on wet and dry surfaces without relying on metal studs. The advantage is versatility. An RB9X shoe can be designed for anything from asphalt to trails, with different tread patterns used according to the intended surface. Icebug says the rubber also offers high wear resistance, which is important because additional grip is of limited value if an outsole wears excessively quickly. This means it is important to look beyond the RB9X name when choosing an Icebug shoe. Aura uses a relatively shallow outsole pattern designed with asphalt in mind, while Icebug's trail shoes combine the same family of grip rubber with more aggressive outsole designs. BUGrip And Studded Icebug Shoes BUGrip takes Icebug's traction concept considerably further. The technology uses carbide steel tipped studs which move independently, allowing them to press into the outsole to different depths depending on the surface and the pressure being applied. The obvious application is running in icy and snowy conditions. For most UK runners this makes BUGrip a relatively specialised option, but for runners regularly dealing with severe winter conditions it provides a level of mechanical grip that conventional rubber trail outsoles cannot easily replicate. Icebug also uses its OLX system on some specialist footwear. These fixed studs are particularly suited to demanding off-trail running and orienteering, where maximum traction takes priority over the versatility required from an everyday running shoe. How Sustainable Are Icebug Running Shoes? Sustainability is one of the most interesting parts of the Icebug story, although manufacturing any running shoe still has an environmental impact. Icebug acknowledges that reality and says there are no perfect materials, instead concentrating on reducing its footprint while maintaining the durability and performance of its footwear. The company measures the carbon footprint of its footwear and has set a target of getting below an average of 6kg CO2e per pair by 2030. It also publishes environmental information for individual products, giving runners considerably more information about the impact of a shoe than they would normally receive. Icebug became a certified B Corp in 2022 and is also a member of 1% for the Planet. This commits the company to giving at least 1% of total sales, rather than simply a proportion of its profits, to environmental organisations and projects. Its approach extends into the materials used to make the shoes. Recycled polyester, recycled nylon, bio-based polymers and other lower-impact materials feature across the range, while Icebug is trying to reduce its reliance on virgin fossil-based materials. Since autumn 2024, all Icebug models have also been FSC certified, covering the responsibly sourced natural rubber used in their outsoles. Durability is another important part of the strategy. A shoe that lasts longer potentially reduces the need to manufacture its replacement as quickly, so Icebug says it considers lifespan alongside the environmental impact of individual materials. None of this makes an Icebug shoe impact free. What distinguishes the company is the extent to which it measures and publishes that impact and puts specific targets alongside its sustainability claims. Read more about sustainable running shoe brands here. Icebug Running Shoe Range Icebug's running shoe range is quite different from those of the major road running brands. Rather than offering numerous shoes with relatively small differences between them, the collection covers a wide variety of surfaces and conditions, from everyday road running and easier trails through to technical off-road terrain, snow and ice. The easiest way to understand the range is to think about where you run. Aura is the main road-focused option, while Myr provides a versatile introduction to trail running and Järv offers more protection and grip for demanding terrain. Arcus puts greater emphasis on cushioning and comfort, while Pytho is a more traditional technical trail shoe. Acceleritas and Spirit sit at the specialist end of the collection for runners tackling particularly challenging terrain and activities such as orienteering. You will also see different versions of some Icebug shoes carrying names such as RB9X, BUGrip and GTX. These aren't simply different colourways. RB9X identifies Icebug's non-studded grip technology, BUGrip versions use steel studs for winter conditions and GTX indicates the use of a waterproof Gore-Tex membrane. Understanding those labels makes the Icebug range considerably easier to navigate. Below, we've picked out the main Icebug running shoes and explained where each one fits. Icebug Aura RB9X Aura RB9X (picture above) is important because it shows that Icebug isn't exclusively a trail running company. This is a cushioned running shoe with a shallow RB9X outsole pattern specifically designed with asphalt in mind. The shoe uses Icebug's SuperC Foam in the midsole, which the company says is lighter and softer than a traditional EVA midsole while offering greater energy return. Aura has a 6mm drop and is designed primarily around comfort rather than the aggressive traction associated with Icebug's more specialist shoes. Icebug gives Aura a carbon footprint of 9kg CO2e per pair, with 27% recycled and 7% bio-based materials. For road runners interested in Icebug primarily because of its environmental approach, Aura is the most obvious place to start. Icebug Myr RB9X Myr RB9X is a versatile everyday trail running shoe designed for runners moving between gravel roads, hard-packed trails and lighter forest terrain. That makes it considerably less specialised than some of Icebug's more aggressive off-road footwear. It has an 8mm drop and plenty of cushioning, with Icebug positioning it towards runners wanting stability, comfort and energy return over longer distances. The RB9X outsole provides the grip, but without the steel studs found on the company's winter-specific footwear. For runners discovering Icebug for the first time, Myr is one of the most accessible trail shoes in the range. It makes particular sense if your off-road running is varied rather than consistently technical. Icebug Järv RB9X Järv RB9X moves further towards demanding trail running. It combines cushioning with a more aggressive RB9X outsole and is designed to provide grip and protection on technical terrain while remaining comfortable over longer distances. Järv is also an interesting example of Icebug's approach to materials. The company reports that the shoe contains 27% bio-based and 21% recycled materials, including a midsole using bio-based content and an outsole incorporating FSC-certified natural rubber and recycled rubber. For trail runners, the attraction is the combination of cushioning and traction. Järv isn't intended to be a minimal racing shoe; it is a more protective option for runners covering longer distances over terrain where grip matters. Icebug Arcus 2 Arcus 2 takes a more comfort-focused approach. It has generous cushioning and a broad platform, making it better suited to runners who prioritise protection and comfort over feeling every detail of the trail beneath their feet. The Arcus family is available in versions designed for different conditions, including waterproof Gore-Tex and studded BUGrip options. That gives the shoe a particularly strong winter-running identity, depending on which version you choose. Arcus therefore occupies an interesting position in the range. It isn't the obvious choice for somebody wanting a light, agile technical trail racer, but its cushioning and weather protection make it potentially attractive for longer, steadier outings in poor conditions. The Pytho6 Icebug Pytho6 Pytho has been part of the Icebug range for many years and has now reached its sixth generation. Pytho6 is a performance trail shoe designed to combine grip with stability and protection on more technical terrain. Different versions allow runners to choose between non-studded RB9X traction and BUGrip steel studs for winter conditions. Pytho6 has a 9mm drop and is designed for longer distance running without losing the secure feel required on difficult surfaces. Pytho6 makes most sense for runners who want a relatively traditional and secure trail shoe rather than maximum cushioning. Its longevity within the Icebug collection also makes it one of the brand's established running shoe families. Icebug Acceleritas 9 Acceleritas 9 heads in a very different direction. This is a lightweight, low-to-the-ground shoe designed to provide plenty of ground feel, with a 4mm drop and an aggressive RB9X outsole. Its ability to deal with wet environments also makes it suitable for activities such as swimrun and orienteering as well as technical trail running. This is therefore one of the more specialised shoes in the range and isn't intended to provide the heavily cushioned experience many runners now associate with everyday running footwear. For runners who prefer a direct connection with technical terrain, Acceleritas offers something very different from Aura, Myr or Arcus. The breadth between those models demonstrates just how varied the Icebug running collection has become. Icebug Spirit 9 OLX Spirit 9 OLX is even more specialised. Designed primarily for orienteering and difficult off-trail terrain, it uses Icebug's OLX system with fixed metal studs to provide extremely aggressive traction. Like the Acceleritas, Spirit has a low 4mm drop, but the fixed studs change its purpose considerably. This isn't a general trail shoe for running from your front door to the local park; it is designed for situations where reliable grip on demanding natural terrain is the overriding requirement. For most recreational runners, Spirit will be more shoe than they need. For orienteering and genuinely difficult off-trail running, however, it illustrates the specialist end of Icebug's expertise. Are Icebug Shoes For Road Running? Although road running isn't the area for which Icebug is best known, the Aura RB9X is specifically designed for running on asphalt and combines a shallow tread pattern with substantial cushioning, making it a genuine road running option rather than simply a trail shoe that can tolerate stretches of tarmac. The wider range remains much more heavily influenced by trails and difficult conditions. Myr provides a useful transition into easier trails and mixed surfaces, while Järv, Pytho and the more specialised models become increasingly focused on off-road terrain. This means Icebug isn't necessarily a brand that every road runner needs to consider. If you split your running between road and trail, regularly encounter poor weather or simply want a running shoe from a company taking an unusually transparent approach to environmental impact, it becomes much more interesting. Who Are Icebug Running Shoes For? Icebug is particularly worth considering if you spend much of your running time off road and frequently encounter wet, slippery or technical terrain. Trail runners in areas with prolonged poor weather are likely to appreciate the emphasis on grip, while the studded models offer specialist solutions for people running through genuine winter conditions. The range is broad enough to accommodate different styles of runner. Aura provides a road option, Myr is suited to easier and mixed trails, Järv offers cushioning and protection on more demanding terrain, and Pytho provides a secure technical trail experience. Acceleritas and Spirit then move towards more specialised off-road running and orienteering. Sustainability may provide another reason to consider the brand. There is still an environmental cost to making any running shoe, but Icebug provides unusually detailed information about that impact and has made reducing it a central part of the company's strategy rather than a marketing feature attached to a handful of products. Read more about trail running shoes here. Final Thoughts Icebug is one of the more unusual running shoe brands. Its Scandinavian roots explain much of its obsession with grip, but the company has developed well beyond its original winter footwear and now offers running shoes covering everything from asphalt and easy trails to technical terrain and ice. It still makes most sense for runners who spend at least some of their time away from the road. RB9X provides a versatile non-studded option, while BUGrip and OLX show how specialised Icebug can become when conditions demand considerably more traction. The sustainability work makes the company even more interesting. Icebug isn't claiming that producing running shoes has no environmental impact; instead, it is measuring that impact, publishing much of the information and setting targets to reduce it. In an industry where sustainability claims can sometimes be difficult to assess, that transparency is a significant part of what makes Icebug stand out.

Hylo is a very different running shoe company from most of the established brands. While performance remains important, the British brand was created around the idea that running shoes can be made with a much greater proportion of bio based and recycled materials while reducing their overall environmental impact. That approach can be seen throughout its current running range. Hylo uses materials derived from sources including castor beans and natural rubber alongside technologies such as HyperBolt+ cushioning and TreadLight outsoles. Its latest shoes are designed to compete as genuine everyday running shoes rather than asking runners to accept lower performance in return for better environmental credentials. The current range is relatively small, with Impact 2 providing the neutral everyday option and Axis adding greater cushioning and guidance. If you've seen Hylo running shoes and wondered what makes them different, how sustainable they really are or whether they can compete with more established running shoe brands, here's everything you need to know. The History Of Hylo Hylo is a relatively young running brand, having launched in 2020 with a shoe called the Hylo Light. From the beginning, the company set out to reduce the reliance of sports footwear on conventional petroleum based materials and explore how renewable alternatives could be incorporated into shoes without sacrificing their usefulness. The early range subsequently expanded to include models such as the Hylo Legacy and Hylo Run. Those shoes helped the company develop its understanding of materials and manufacturing, but Hylo eventually decided it needed a substantially different shoe if it wanted to compete more directly with established performance running footwear. That led to the development of the original Impact following around two years of research and development. Rather than treating sustainability as something to add to an existing running shoe, Hylo describes its approach as materials first, developing the design around alternatives to some of the petroleum derived materials traditionally used within footwear. The range has continued to evolve. Impact 2 is now Hylo's current neutral daily running shoe, while Axis expands the collection into supportive everyday running with greater cushioning and guidance. Why Are Hylo Running Shoes Different? The most obvious difference is the importance Hylo places on materials. Conventional running shoes rely heavily on synthetic materials derived from fossil fuels, while Hylo has deliberately investigated alternatives including castor bean based materials and natural rubber. Hylo uses the CleanTech name for its approach to developing footwear with a greater proportion of bio based and recycled materials. Rather than simply replacing one small component with recycled material and marketing the finished shoe as sustainable, the company considers material choice throughout the shoe and tries to increase the proportion coming from alternative sources. Performance still has to come first when someone actually runs in the shoes. Hylo has therefore developed its own cushioning, geometry and outsole technologies rather than positioning its footwear primarily as environmentally conscious lifestyle trainers. That distinction is important. The proposition behind Hylo is not that runners should buy a less capable shoe because it has better environmental credentials. The company is attempting to show that lower impact materials can be incorporated into credible modern running footwear. What Is Hylo CleanTech? CleanTech is the name Hylo uses around its approach to developing footwear with a greater proportion of bio based and recycled materials. It influences material selection throughout the shoe rather than describing one individual component. The original Impact demonstrated the principle particularly clearly. Hylo used a castor bean derived nylon upper, bio based components within its cushioning and natural rubber within the outsole, while also examining where materials were sourced and how they were transported to the factory. The latest Impact 2 and Axis take that approach further. Hylo states that 50% of the materials used in both current models are bio based and recycled, illustrating how material development is continuing alongside improvements to the performance of the shoes. CleanTech should not be interpreted as meaning that the shoes contain no conventional synthetic materials. Hylo itself acknowledges that it has not eliminated fossil fuel derived materials completely, making the percentage of alternative materials an important part of judging its environmental claims. What Is Hylo HyperBolt+? HyperBolt+ is the cushioning technology used in Hylo's latest running shoes. It is a supercritical bio based foam designed to provide cushioning and responsiveness while reducing reliance on conventional petroleum based running shoe foams. Impact 2 uses HyperBolt+ to create a relatively lightweight and responsive everyday ride. Hylo describes the shoe as providing mid level cushioning, making it suitable for regular road running while remaining responsive enough for faster sessions. Axis also uses HyperBolt+ but in a higher cushioning configuration. Its broader platform and supportive geometry give the foam a different role, providing comfort while working with the rest of the shoe to create a more stable ride. The important point is that the foam is not being used simply to strengthen a sustainability claim. Hylo has developed it as a performance component, with its bio based content forming part of the wider CleanTech approach. What Is Hylo PureGlide SP? PureGlide SP is the guidance technology used within the Hylo Axis. Rather than relying on a traditional medial post to control movement, Hylo uses the shape and construction of the shoe to create greater structural stability while trying to retain a smooth and natural running experience. The system works alongside the wider platform and high level of HyperBolt+ cushioning used in Axis. Sculpted geometry helps guide the foot through the stride, while the construction is designed to provide additional stability without making the shoe unnecessarily heavy or rigid. This reflects a wider change in supportive running footwear. Many modern support shoes increasingly use platform width, geometry and different foam characteristics to guide the foot rather than relying on the firm medial posts traditionally associated with stability shoes. For runners, the important point is relatively simple. PureGlide SP is what differentiates Axis from the neutral Impact 2 and makes it the Hylo model intended for runners who want greater support and stability. What Is Hylo TreadLight? TreadLight is Hylo's outsole technology. Grip is obviously important in any running shoe, but Hylo has also tried to reduce the environmental impact and unnecessary weight associated with the outsole. Impact 2 uses an outsole containing 60% natural rubber, with the rubber positioned strategically across the areas where runners require grip. This helps provide traction without unnecessarily covering the entire underside of the shoe with additional material. For road runners, the aim is dependable everyday grip rather than the aggressive traction associated with a trail shoe. TreadLight is designed primarily around pavement and normal road running conditions, which reflects the current focus of Hylo's footwear range. What Is Heel Drop? Heel drop is the difference in height between the heel and forefoot of a running shoe. Hylo does not use exactly the same geometry across its current models because Impact 2 and Axis are designed for slightly different types of runner. Impact 2 has a 6 mm drop and a 34 mm stack height, creating a moderately cushioned platform without becoming an exceptionally high shoe. Axis has an 8 mm drop and a 38 mm stack height, reflecting its greater emphasis on cushioning and support. Neither figure should be considered in isolation. The width of the platform, firmness of the foam and overall geometry can influence how a running shoe feels just as much as the numerical drop. If you are moving from a shoe with substantially different geometry, allow your body some time to adjust. Comfort and the overall feel of the shoe remain more useful considerations than selecting footwear purely according to a particular heel drop. Does Hylo Make Neutral Running Shoes? Impact 2 is Hylo's current neutral daily running shoe and is designed to provide a balanced ride without conventional pronation control features. Hylo combines its HyperBolt+ cushioning with stable geometry rather than making the shoe excessively soft or unstable. This allows Impact 2 to provide a relatively natural ride while retaining enough structure for everyday running. The shoe is aimed primarily at road running and everyday use while remaining light and responsive enough for faster 5K and 10K efforts. For someone who normally chooses neutral daily trainers from other brands, Impact 2 is the most obvious Hylo model to consider. Does Hylo Make Support Running Shoes? Axis is Hylo's current support running shoe, although the company uses the language of guidance rather than positioning it as a traditional stability or motion control shoe. Axis uses PureGlide SP technology, a broader platform, sculpted geometry and areas of slightly denser foam to create greater structural stability. A reinforced heel counter and more structured upper also help keep the foot securely positioned over the platform. The aim is support without aggressive correction. That makes Axis relevant to runners who prefer a more stable daily trainer as well as those who find very soft or narrow neutral shoes less secure. Runners who have been specifically advised to use a particular type of stability shoe should still consider their individual requirements. Axis provides guidance and stability, but that does not automatically make it equivalent to every traditional support shoe. Does Hylo Make Carbon Plated Running Shoes? Hylo does not currently have a carbon plated racing shoe within its main running range. Impact 2 and Axis are both designed around everyday road running rather than competing directly with specialist carbon plated super shoes. That means the company currently concentrates on cushioning, geometry, grip and material innovation rather than using a rigid plate to maximise racing efficiency. Impact 2 can be used for faster running, but it remains a daily neutral trainer rather than a dedicated racing shoe. For most recreational runners, this is not necessarily a disadvantage. A versatile daily running shoe will normally be used for considerably more mileage than a specialist racing model, making comfort, durability and suitability for regular training more important. The absence of a carbon plated shoe also keeps the current Hylo range relatively straightforward. Impact 2 covers neutral running, while Axis addresses runners wanting more support and cushioning. Read more about running shoes brands here. Does Hylo Make Trail Running Shoes? Hylo's current core running collection is focused on road running rather than trail running. Impact 2 and Axis are both road running shoes and their construction reflects that purpose. TreadLight provides grip for normal running surfaces and changing weather conditions, but that should not be confused with a dedicated trail outsole using deep lugs for mud, loose ground or technical terrain. A Hylo shoe may cope with an occasional park path or straightforward hard packed surface, as many road running shoes can. If a significant proportion of your running takes place on trails, however, a dedicated trail shoe from another brand is likely to be more appropriate. Which Hylo Running Shoe Is Right For You? Hylo Impact 2 Impact 2 (pictured above) is Hylo's current neutral daily trainer and the model most runners should consider first. It is designed as a versatile road running shoe for everyday training while also being light and responsive enough for faster 5K and 10K efforts. The shoe uses HyperBolt+ supercritical bio based foam and has a 34 mm stack with a 6 mm heel drop. Hylo lists the men's shoe at approximately 260g, putting it at a reasonable weight for an everyday trainer rather than pushing it into heavily cushioned territory. Underneath, TreadLight uses 60% natural rubber positioned in the areas where grip is most important. Hylo has also concentrated on reducing unnecessary weight, with the aim of producing a shoe that remains responsive enough for faster sessions while retaining the comfort required for everyday mileage. Sustainability remains central to the design. Hylo states that Impact 2 is made from 50% bio based and recycled materials, demonstrating how the company is attempting to increase its use of alternative materials while simultaneously improving the performance of the shoe. For runners wanting to try Hylo for the first time, Impact 2 is the obvious starting point. It is the more versatile neutral option and the closest equivalent to the everyday road trainers that form the heart of most major running shoe ranges. Hylo Axis Axis takes Hylo in a different direction by providing greater cushioning and support. It is designed for road running and everyday training but specifically targets runners who prefer additional stability beneath the foot. The shoe uses HyperBolt+ cushioning alongside PureGlide SP guidance technology. A broader platform, sculpted geometry and areas of slightly denser foam are designed to increase stability without producing the intrusive sensation sometimes associated with older style stability shoes. Axis has a 38 mm stack height and an 8 mm drop, while Hylo lists the shoe at approximately 295g. The structured upper and reinforced heel counter also provide greater security around the foot. Like Impact 2, Axis uses 50% bio based and recycled materials. This is particularly significant because supportive and highly cushioned shoes require substantial amounts of material, making Hylo's attempt to reduce reliance on conventional fossil fuel based components an important part of the design. Axis is therefore the Hylo model to consider if you want a more cushioned and supportive everyday shoe. Runners happy in neutral trainers are more likely to gravitate towards Impact 2, while those wanting greater guidance and stability should look towards Axis. The Axis Are Hylo Running Shoes Sustainable? Sustainability is where Hylo differs most clearly from the majority of running shoe brands. The company was established specifically to explore how running footwear could reduce its dependence on petroleum derived materials while still providing the performance runners expect. The material choices are unusually prominent. Hylo has used castor bean derived nylon, bio based cushioning components and natural rubber, while its current Impact 2 and Axis shoes are both described as containing 50% bio based and recycled materials. The company has also calculated the carbon footprint of individual products through life cycle assessment. For the original Impact, Hylo reported a footprint of 8.63 kg CO2e per pair and said the shoe contained 40% bio based material by weight. That measurement considered areas including raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, logistics and the end of the product's life. It is important not to apply that 8.63 kg CO2e figure automatically to the current Impact 2. It relates to Hylo's original Impact and provides useful evidence of the company's approach to measuring environmental impact rather than a current carbon footprint for every shoe it produces. Hylo has also created Hyloop, its platform for extending product life through care, repair and recycling. The longer term ambition is a more circular system in which products and materials remain useful rather than simply being discarded when a shoe reaches the end of its running life. The company is also a certified B Corp, providing external assessment across wider areas of social and environmental performance. Hylo says it conducts independent audits within its supply chain and manufactures its footwear near Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, with materials sourced as close to the factory as practical. There is still an important distinction between lower impact and impact free. Hylo itself acknowledges that its shoes are not yet made entirely from renewable materials and that it still needs to use some fossil fuel based components. That transparency strengthens rather than weakens the sustainability argument. Hylo is one of the relatively small number of running shoe companies making material composition, carbon footprint and end of life considerations central to the development of the product rather than relying primarily on small amounts of recycled content. Are Hylo Running Shoes Vegan? Hylo states that its products contain no animal products, making its current running shoes suitable for runners specifically looking for vegan footwear. That fits naturally with the company's wider approach to materials, where alternatives to conventional materials are considered throughout the design. Vegan does not automatically mean environmentally sustainable, but in Hylo's case it forms one part of a much broader attempt to reduce the environmental impact of its products. Are Hylo Running Shoes Worth It? Hylo is an interesting proposition because runners are not simply choosing between two different shoe models. They are also deciding whether the company's approach to materials and environmental impact is something they want to support. Impact 2 is the more versatile choice for most runners. Its neutral construction, moderate cushioning and relatively low weight make it suitable for everyday road mileage while still allowing it to handle shorter and faster running. Axis fills an important gap by providing a more cushioned and supportive alternative. Its guidance based approach means Hylo can now cater for runners who want greater stability rather than limiting the brand entirely to neutral footwear. The range remains much smaller than those offered by established companies such as Asics, Brooks, Adidas or Saucony. There is currently no dedicated trail shoe or carbon plated racer, so Hylo cannot yet provide a shoe for every type of running. What makes it stand out is the attempt to combine credible running performance with unusually ambitious material choices. If environmental impact is an important factor when choosing running shoes, Hylo deserves serious consideration rather than being viewed simply as an eco focused alternative to a conventional running brand. Final Thoughts On Hylo Running Shoes Hylo is still a much smaller running shoe brand than most of the companies it competes against, but that is part of what makes it interesting. Rather than building a huge collection immediately, it has concentrated on developing a small number of road running shoes around a distinctive approach to materials. Impact 2 is the natural starting point for neutral runners, combining moderate cushioning and relatively low weight in an everyday road trainer. Axis expands the range with greater cushioning and guidance for runners who want additional support and stability. The bigger story, however, is sustainability. Hylo is attempting to reduce reliance on petroleum derived materials through bio based alternatives, increase recycled and renewable content, measure product carbon footprints and create a route for products at the end of their useful life. Importantly, it also acknowledges that it has not yet eliminated conventional materials entirely. That makes Hylo one of the more interesting running brands for anyone who wants environmental considerations to play a meaningful role in their choice of footwear. The current range cannot cover every type of running, but Impact 2 and Axis demonstrate that sustainability and credible everyday running performance do not have to be treated as completely separate objectives. Read more about sustainable running shoe brands here.

Australia has two famous mass participation running events with remarkably similar names. On the east coast, Sydney has City2Surf, while more than 3,000 kilometres away on the west coast, Perth has the Chevron City to Surf for genU. First held in 1975, the Perth event has become one of Western Australia's best known community sporting occasions. Nearly 35,000 people took part in 2026, with participants running, walking and rolling their way from Perth towards the finish at City Beach. There are 12km and 4km options, making this an event for far more than experienced runners, while fundraising remains central to its purpose. If you're thinking about taking part in the City to Surf Perth 2027, here's everything you need to know. Perth Perth is the capital of Western Australia and its location gives it a very different feel from Australia's major east coast cities. Sitting beside the Indian Ocean and the Swan River, it combines a modern city centre with beaches, enormous green spaces and easy access to some of Western Australia's best known attractions. Kings Park and Botanic Garden is one of the city's highlights. Covering around 400 hectares, it is one of the world's largest inner city parks and contains the Western Australian Botanic Garden, which displays more than 3,000 species of the state's flora. Its elevated position also provides outstanding views across the Swan and Canning Rivers and the Perth skyline. Perth's coastline is another major attraction, with Cottesloe and Scarborough among its best known beaches. City Beach has particular significance for runners because this is where the City to Surf finishes, meaning the journey from the CBD really does take you from the city to the ocean. If you're turning the race into a longer trip, Wadjemup / Rottnest Island is also well worth considering. Ferries operate from Perth, Fremantle and Hillarys, and the island is particularly famous for its quokkas. As always before a race, however, save the longest sightseeing days until after you've crossed the finish line. The City To Surf Perth The first Perth City to Surf took place on 23 February 1975 when around 500 people ran the original 12km route from the city centre to City Beach. From those relatively modest beginnings it developed into one of Western Australia's biggest participation events. The event grew particularly strongly during the following decades and by 2013 more than 48,000 people had registered across a programme that then included a marathon, half marathon and the traditional shorter distances. The marathon and half marathon are no longer part of the event, leaving the 12km and 4km as the two distances for the modern City to Surf. COVID brought another major interruption, with the event not taking place from 2020 to 2022. It returned in 2023 and has subsequently rebuilt strongly. Almost 29,000 people participated in 2025 and nearly 35,000 took to the streets of Perth in 2026. The event has also undergone an important change behind the scenes. For many years it was known as the Chevron City to Surf for Activ, but it is now the Chevron City to Surf for genU. The fundraising purpose remains fundamental to the event, with money raised supporting Australians living with disability. When Is The City To Surf Perth 2027? The City to Surf Perth 2027 takes place on Sunday 29 August. Late August is winter in Perth, which can make conditions much more suitable for running than the hot summer months. That doesn't guarantee perfect weather, however, and runners should check the forecast during race week before deciding on clothing and their final race plan. The organisers have also confirmed that the Karratha City to Surf will take place on Sunday 25 July 2027. Like Perth, the Karratha event offers 12km and 4km distances. What Distances Are There? There are two distances at the Perth City to Surf: 12km and 4km. Both can be completed by running, walking or rolling, which is an important part of the event's inclusive approach. The 12km remains the classic City to Surf challenge and follows the event's traditional concept of travelling from central Perth to City Beach. The 4km provides a much more accessible alternative for families, younger participants, walkers and anyone who simply wants to be part of the occasion without covering the full 12km. Is There A City To Surf Perth Expo? City to Surf has bib collection before race day rather than a traditional large running Expo of the type you might encounter before a major marathon. For the 2026 event, bib and event shirt collection took place at Hackett Hall in WA Museum Boola Bardip on the Friday and Saturday before the race. There was no race day bib collection, although another person could collect on a participant's behalf with the required registration confirmation. The organisers have not yet published the equivalent 2027 arrangements, so don't assume the venue and times will be identical. Check the final participant information before travelling, particularly if you're coming to Perth from elsewhere in Australia or overseas. The mass start The City To Surf Perth 12km Course The 12km is a point to point course that delivers exactly what the event's name promises. You start among the high rise buildings of central Perth and finish close to the Indian Ocean at City Beach. For 2026, the official start was at the intersection of St Georges Terrace and William Street in the Perth CBD, with the finish at City Beach Oval. The traditional route takes runners west from the city, past the northern side of Kings Park and through Perth's western suburbs before the final approach towards the coast. The final 2027 course should always be checked against the organisers' route map when it is released, but this is a race where the changing surroundings are a major part of the experience. Starting In The Perth CBD The 12km begins in the heart of Perth on St Georges Terrace, one of the city's principal streets and the centre of its commercial district. Surrounded by office towers and city landmarks, it's a suitably urban beginning to a race whose destination is the beach. With thousands of people assembling in the CBD, the opening stages can be busy. There is little to gain from weaving aggressively around other participants simply to hit a particular pace during the first kilometre. Settle into the run, find some space and remember that there is plenty of time ahead. Past Kings Park One of the defining features of the traditional route is the journey past Kings Park, which provides an immediate contrast with the city centre.At around 400 hectares, Kings Park is enormous for a green space so close to a major city centre. Two thirds of the park is protected bushland, while the Western Australian Botanic Garden showcases thousands of species of native flora. You don't run through the heart of the park on the traditional 12km route, but its position alongside the early part of the course is an important part of the transition away from central Perth. Through Perth's Western Suburbs From the Kings Park area, the traditional City to Surf route continues west through suburbs including Subiaco and Jolimont. Subiaco is one of Perth's best known inner suburbs, with restaurants, shops and heritage architecture giving this section a very different feel from the opening kilometres in the CBD. By this stage the field should also have begun to spread out, making it easier to settle into your own pace. This middle section is where the race starts to feel less like a city centre event and more like a genuine journey towards the coast. Don't be fooled by the relatively short 12km distance, however. There is still some harder running to come. Towards Perry Lakes The route continues towards the Perry Lakes area as runners make their way farther west. By now you're approaching the later stages of the 12km and the character of the surroundings has changed considerably from St Georges Terrace. This is a useful point to assess how much you have left rather than automatically increasing your pace simply because the finish is getting closer. The City to Surf isn't an entirely flat course, and some of its more testing running comes as you approach the coast. If you've controlled your effort during the first half, you'll be in a much better position to deal with it. Oceanic Drive And The Final Kilometres The traditional closing section uses Oceanic Drive for the final journey towards City Beach. This part of the race can include some noticeable changes in elevation, making it more challenging than runners expecting a straightforward downhill run to the ocean might anticipate. The good news is that the final approach ultimately brings you downhill towards the finish. After spending much of the race travelling west, reaching City Beach gives the event a genuine destination rather than simply an arbitrary finish line. If you're running for a time, concentrate on effort across the climbs rather than becoming too concerned about individual kilometre splits. Once the road begins to fall towards the coast, you can decide how much you have left for the finish. The City Beach Finish The finish at City Beach Oval is one of the best features of the event. After starting among the office buildings of central Perth, you've crossed the western side of the city and arrived only a short distance from the Indian Ocean. The finish precinct becomes a major celebration in its own right. In 2026 there was live entertainment, food and family activities as thousands of participants and supporters gathered after the event. It's worth allowing some time to enjoy it rather than immediately heading away. City to Surf is as much a community event as a road race, and the atmosphere at City Beach is a big part of the experience. What About The 4km? The 4km provides a shorter route to the same City Beach finish and is designed to be accessible to participants of different ages and abilities. In recent editions, participants have been transported towards the 4km start at McLean Park in Floreat before making their way towards City Beach. The precise 2027 start arrangements and transport details should be checked when the organisers publish the final event information. Don't assume the 4km is simply an event for children or walkers. You can run it competitively if you want to, but its real strength is that it allows families, schools and people who might never consider entering a conventional road race to take part in the same City to Surf experience. Is The City To Surf Perth Fast? The 12km can certainly be raced hard, but this isn't a completely flat PB course. The route includes some changes in elevation as it travels from the CBD towards City Beach, particularly during the later stages. The unusual 12km distance also means many runners won't have a conventional PB to compare it with. That can actually add to the appeal. You can race it seriously, use it as a hard training effort or forget the watch completely and enjoy one of Western Australia's biggest running occasions. The large field is another consideration if you're chasing a fast time. Make sure you start in the appropriate area and avoid wasting energy weaving through other runners during the opening kilometres. Aid Stations In 2026 there were five aid stations on the 12km course and one on the 4km, providing water and electrolytes, with toilets and first aid also available around the course. Fruit, water and electrolytes were available in the finish area. The exact 2027 arrangements have not yet been confirmed, so check the final participant information before race day. Even over 12km, hydration can matter, particularly if race morning turns out warmer than expected. If you normally carry your own drink or use any particular nutrition during a hard 12km effort, practise your race strategy beforehand rather than making changes on the morning. What Is The Atmosphere Like? This is where the City to Surf Perth really stands out. It combines competitive runners with walkers, families, wheelchair participants, schools, workplace teams and charity fundraisers, creating an atmosphere very different from a race focused primarily on finishing times. Nearly 35,000 people took part in 2026, so there is plenty of noise and activity even where roadside spectator numbers are lighter. Fancy dress has also traditionally been part of the event, reinforcing the sense that you're participating in a huge community occasion rather than simply another road race. The finish at City Beach Oval brings everyone back together, with the post race entertainment helping the event continue long after participants have crossed the line. There's no pressure to get a fast time time here Can You Run The City To Surf Perth For Charity? Charity is fundamental to the City to Surf rather than an addition to it. The event is genU's major fundraising event and money raised supports people living with disability. In particular, genU has used funds raised through the event to help make customers' homes safer and more accessible, supporting greater independence. The organisation behind the race has its roots in a group of parents who wanted better opportunities for their children with disability more than 70 years ago. Today genU provides a wide range of disability and community services. Participants can create fundraising pages and use their involvement in the City to Surf to raise additional money. With tens of thousands taking part, that combination of running, walking, community participation and fundraising remains one of the event's defining characteristics. Our Verdict The City to Surf Perth is exactly the sort of mass participation event that shows running at its most inclusive. You can race the 12km as hard as you like, walk the 4km with your family, take part as a wheelchair participant, join a workplace team or use the occasion to raise money for a cause closely connected with the event itself. The route is also genuinely connected to its location. Starting among the towers of Perth's CBD, passing Kings Park and the western suburbs and eventually arriving beside the Indian Ocean gives you a much better sense of the city than a repetitive loop course ever could. Perhaps most encouragingly, the event appears to have recovered strongly from its three year COVID interruption. Nearly 35,000 people took part in 2026, moving it significantly closer to the enormous fields seen during its peak years. The course isn't completely flat, but for many participants the attraction here is about far more than chasing a fast time. The combination of history, scale, scenery, inclusivity and a finish beside one of Perth's beaches makes the City to Surf one of Australia's distinctive mass participation running eve Read about the City2Surf event in Sydney here. How Do You Enter The City To Surf Perth 2027? Registration for the City to Surf Perth 2027 is available online through the official event website. The 2027 Perth event takes place on Sunday 29 August, with both the 12km and 4km available. Don't rely on the old advice that you can simply turn up and enter on race morning. In 2026, online registration remained open until midday on the Saturday before the event, with in-person registration also available at bib collection, but there were no registrations on race morning. Check the final 2027 registration deadlines and arrangements when entering, particularly if you're travelling to Perth for the event. Registering earlier also gives you more time to organise accommodation, transport and the rest of your race weekend. Race website https://perthcitytosurf.com/

Trail running shoes are designed to cope with surfaces that ordinary road running shoes were never really built for. Mud, loose gravel, rocks, wet grass, woodland paths and steep climbs can all demand more grip and protection than you would normally need when running on tarmac. That does not mean everyone who occasionally runs away from the road needs to buy a pair. Some trails are smooth enough to run comfortably in road shoes, while others can make suitable trail running shoes a very worthwhile investment. The important thing is understanding the terrain you are going to run on and choosing your shoes accordingly. There is now a huge choice of trail running shoes, ranging from relatively smooth road to trail shoes to aggressively gripped shoes designed for mud, mountains and technical terrain. This guide explains the differences, what to look for and some of the main trail running shoe brands you are likely to encounter. What Are Trail Running Shoes? The biggest difference between trail running shoes and road running shoes is usually underneath the foot. Trail shoes generally have a more pronounced outsole with lugs designed to provide traction on loose, wet or uneven surfaces. The depth, shape and spacing of those lugs varies considerably according to the type of terrain the shoe is intended for. Trail shoes may also provide additional protection around the toes and upper, while some use a rock plate or other protective construction underfoot. The aim is to provide extra protection from rocks, roots and other trail hazards without making the shoe unnecessarily heavy or rigid. That does not mean every trail shoe is rugged and heavily built. Modern trail running shoes cover an enormous range, including lightweight shoes for faster running, highly cushioned shoes for long distances and hybrid shoes designed to move comfortably between roads and relatively easy trails. Trail Running Shoes Vs Road Running Shoes Road running shoes are primarily designed for relatively predictable surfaces. Their outsoles can provide plenty of grip on roads and pavements, but they do not usually have the deeper tread required to bite into soft ground or loose surfaces. Trail shoes put much greater emphasis on traction, protection and control. Depending on the shoe, they may also have a more secure upper to help hold the foot in place when moving across uneven ground. There is a trade off. Deep lugs that work brilliantly in mud can feel uncomfortable and inefficient on tarmac, while the outsole of a road shoe that feels smooth and fast on pavement may provide very little confidence on a steep muddy descent. This is why there is no single type of trail shoe that is best for every trail. Read more about running shoe brands here. Start With The Terrain Before worrying about brands, cushioning or shoe technology, think about where you are actually going to run. This is probably the most important decision when choosing trail running shoes. If your runs mainly involve towpaths, park trails, gravel tracks and well maintained woodland paths, you probably do not need an aggressive trail shoe. A versatile trail shoe or road to trail shoe may give you enough grip while still feeling comfortable on harder surfaces. Wet fields, muddy woodland and soft ground require more substantial lugs that can penetrate the surface. Fell running and very muddy conditions can require deeper and more widely spaced lugs, which can also help prevent large amounts of mud becoming trapped underneath the shoe. Rocky mountain paths and technical trails create different demands. Here, secure footing, stability, protection and an outsole that grips rock can become more important than simply having the deepest possible lugs. How Much Grip Do You Need? It is easy to assume that more grip is always better, but trail shoe grip needs to match the surface. An aggressive outsole is useful when the ground is soft enough for the lugs to bite into it, but those same lugs may be unnecessary on compact trails. Lug depth is therefore useful when comparing shoes, but it should not be considered in isolation. The shape and spacing of the lugs and the rubber compound used for the outsole also affect how a shoe performs. A shoe designed to dig into deep mud is not necessarily the shoe that will provide the best grip on wet rock. If you regularly run on different types of terrain, a versatile trail shoe can make more sense than buying something designed specifically for extreme mud. If most of your running takes place in particularly muddy conditions, however, choosing a more specialist shoe with deeper lugs can make a noticeable difference. Cushioning And Trail Running Shoes Trail running shoes now offer almost as much variety in cushioning as road running shoes. Some are relatively low and firm, helping runners feel connected to uneven ground, while others have substantial midsoles designed to provide comfort over long distances. More cushioning is not automatically better. A highly cushioned shoe may feel comfortable over long runs, but some runners prefer a lower platform when negotiating technical ground because it can provide a greater sense of connection with the terrain. Distance also matters. Someone running a relatively straightforward trail ultramarathon may prioritise cushioning and comfort very differently from someone racing a short, steep fell race. For newer trail runners, the best starting point is usually a shoe that feels comfortable and stable rather than choosing the most extreme option in either direction. Protection From Rocks And Trail Debris Trail running exposes your feet to hazards you are less likely to encounter on the road. Stones, roots and uneven surfaces can all put greater demands on the shoe. Many trail shoes therefore incorporate reinforced areas around the toes and more protective upper constructions. Some also include a rock plate or other protective layer to reduce how much you feel sharp objects underfoot. The amount of protection you need again depends on the terrain. It can be extremely useful on rocky trails but much less important if most of your running is on smooth woodland tracks. Fit Is Particularly Important On Trails A running shoe should always fit properly, but poor fit can become especially noticeable on uneven ground. Your foot needs to be held securely enough that it does not slide around inside the shoe when climbing, descending or changing direction. There should still be enough room around the toes. Feet can swell during longer runs, and repeated contact between the toes and the front of the shoe on descents can quickly become uncomfortable. Trail running brands also take different approaches to fit. Some shoes have a closer fitting feel intended to provide security on technical terrain, while others provide considerably more space around the toes. Trying shoes on remains far more useful than choosing purely from specifications or assuming that the brand you use for road running will automatically provide the best trail shoe for you. Should You Buy Waterproof Trail Running Shoes? Waterproof trail running shoes can sound like an obvious choice for wet weather, but they are not automatically the best option for every runner. A waterproof membrane can be useful in cold, wet conditions and when running through damp grass, puddles or shallow water. However, waterproof shoes tend to be less breathable than comparable non waterproof shoes, and water can still enter over the top if it is deep enough. Once water gets inside, it may also take longer to escape. For that reason, many trail runners prefer breathable shoes that drain and dry more readily, particularly in warmer conditions or when getting wet is unavoidable. Think about where and when you will use the shoes rather than assuming waterproof automatically means better. What Are Road To Trail Running Shoes? Road to trail shoes sit between conventional road shoes and more specialist trail footwear. They are designed for runs that combine pavement with relatively straightforward off road surfaces. They can be particularly useful if you have to run a few kilometres on the road before reaching your local trails. Their outsole usually provides more traction than a normal road shoe without the aggressive lugs found on shoes designed for deep mud or highly technical terrain. For runners exploring towpaths, gravel tracks, parks and easy woodland trails, this type of shoe can be an excellent introduction to trail running. You may not need a highly technical shoe simply because some of your route is away from the road. Can You Wear Trail Running Shoes On The Road? You can, but whether you will want to depends on the shoe. Road to trail shoes are specifically designed to handle both surfaces. Many general trail shoes will also cope with occasional sections of road without any problem. Specialist shoes with deep, aggressive lugs are different. They can feel awkward on hard surfaces, and extensive road running may also wear an outsole designed primarily for softer ground more quickly. If your regular route is half road and half easy trail, choose accordingly rather than buying the most aggressive trail shoe you can find. Do Beginners Need Trail Running Shoes? If you are starting with dry, firm and relatively smooth trails, your normal road shoes may be perfectly adequate. There is no need to buy specialist equipment simply because you have left the pavement. The point at which trail shoes become useful is when your road shoes are no longer providing the grip, protection or confidence you need. If you are slipping on mud, struggling for traction on loose surfaces or regularly running across rough and rocky ground, a suitable pair of trail shoes becomes much more worthwhile. For a first pair, versatility is usually more useful than specialisation. Unless you know you will be running predominantly in deep mud or on highly technical terrain, an all round trail shoe gives you more flexibility while you discover the type of trail running you enjoy. Do You Need Different Trail Shoes For Racing? A comfortable trail shoe that works well in training can work perfectly well on event day. More experienced runners may choose lighter or faster shoes for racing, just as they might on the road, but terrain remains the priority. A fast shoe is of little benefit if it does not provide enough grip for the conditions. If you are entering a trail event, look carefully at the route description and expected terrain. A dry summer trail race on compact paths can require very different footwear from a winter fell race, even if the two events are a similar distance. How To Choose Your First Trail Running Shoes Start by identifying where you will use them. Think about whether the surface is mainly hard or soft, whether mud is common, how technical the terrain is and how much road running you need to do to reach the trails. Then consider fit and comfort. The shoe should hold your foot securely without feeling restrictive, with enough room at the front for your toes. After that, look at grip, cushioning and protection in relation to the terrain rather than simply choosing the shoe with the most features. If possible, visit a specialist running shop that stocks several trail brands. Trying different shoes is particularly useful because the fit and feel can vary considerably between manufacturers and individual models. The Hoka Speedgoat 7 The Main Trail Running Shoe Brands Once you know the type of trail shoe you need, there are plenty of brands to choose from. Most of the major road running shoe companies now produce trail shoes, while several brands have particularly strong roots in off road and mountain running. Their ranges change regularly, so it is more useful to understand what the main brands are generally known for rather than concentrating on individual models. Salomon Salomon is one of the biggest names in trail running and offers a particularly broad range of off road footwear. The brand has strong roots in mountain and technical trail running, while its wider range now covers everything from versatile everyday trail shoes to footwear designed for more demanding terrain and longer distances. Salomon is a useful brand to explore if you want plenty of choice for different surfaces and distances. Runners should still choose according to the terrain they actually encounter rather than assuming that every Salomon trail shoe is intended for the same conditions. Read more about Salomon running shoes here. Inov 8 British brand Inov 8 has particularly strong roots in fell, trail and off road running and is well known for producing footwear for challenging terrain. Its range covers everything from more general trail running to shoes intended for mud, hills and demanding off road conditions. Inov 8 is especially worth investigating if your running involves British winter conditions, muddy trails, hills or fells. The brand also produces more versatile trail options, so it should not be regarded purely as a specialist choice for deep mud. Read more about Inov8 running shoes here. Scarpa Scarpa brings its long mountain footwear heritage into a running range focused almost entirely on trails. The Italian brand covers everything from accessible door to trail shoes such as the Golden Gate models to the more technical Ribelle Run range, soft ground options such as the Spin ST and long distance shoes including the Spin Ultra 2. At the performance end, Alien Sky and Alien Ultra add supercritical foams and carbon reinforced components for competitive trail running. Read more about Scarpa running shoes here La Sportiva La Sportiva has deep roots in mountain sports, and its trail running footwear reflects that background. The brand is particularly relevant to runners tackling mountains, rocky routes and technical terrain. It may be more specialist than some road runners need for their first local trail run, but it is an important name for anyone moving towards more demanding mountain running and technical trails. Read more about La Sportiva running shoes here. Merrell Merrell is strongly associated with outdoor footwear and has a substantial presence in trail running alongside its hiking ranges. Its running footwear extends from less technical trails to more rugged terrain. The brand can be particularly interesting for runners whose trail running overlaps with hiking, mountains and general outdoor activities. Its dedicated running shoes should still be chosen according to the same fit and terrain considerations as any other brand. Read more about Merrell running shoes here. Adidas Terrex Terrex is the outdoor arm of adidas and includes a substantial range of trail running footwear alongside hiking and other outdoor products. The range covers different levels of trail running, from relatively accessible options to shoes intended for more demanding and longer off road running. For runners familiar with adidas road shoes, Terrex is worth considering, but the outdoor range has its own identity. Judge the shoes on their trail specific fit and intended use rather than assuming they will feel like an adidas road shoe. Read more about Adidas Terrex here. Hoka Hoka has become one of the major running shoe brands in both road and trail running. The brand is strongly associated with cushioning, and this is reflected in much of its trail footwear. It is likely to interest runners looking for comfort over longer trail distances, although its range extends beyond highly cushioned shoes. Runners who already enjoy Hoka road shoes may naturally consider the brand when moving onto trails, but should still choose according to terrain and fit. Read more about Hoka running shoes here. Brooks Brooks offers trail shoes covering everyday off road running through to more demanding terrain and longer distances. Its trail footwear combines the brand's familiar emphasis on running comfort with the grip and protection required away from the road. This makes Brooks an approachable option for road runners moving onto trails, particularly if they already know that Brooks shoes tend to suit their feet. Read more about Brooks running shoes here. Saucony Saucony has an established trail range covering everyday trail running, mixed surfaces and more demanding off road conditions. Its trail footwear generally combines running shoe cushioning with more substantial outsoles and additional protection. For runners coming from road running, Saucony provides another familiar brand to investigate when moving onto trails. The important thing is still to match the particular shoe to the terrain rather than choosing purely because you already run in Saucony road shoes. Read more about Saucony running shoes here. Asics Asics has a broad trail range covering relatively accessible off road running through to longer distances and more demanding terrain. This gives runners a number of different options rather than a single type of Asics trail shoe. The range makes Asics particularly relevant to runners who already wear the brand on the road and want to explore trails. As with every brand, however, fit and intended terrain should determine the choice. Read more about Asics running shoes here. New Balance New Balance has expanded its presence in trail running alongside its extensive road shoe range. Its off road footwear includes options intended for mixed surfaces as well as more dedicated trail running. New Balance can be a useful starting point for runners who already know that the brand's fit works for them. Do not assume, however, that your trail shoe needs to be the same size or have exactly the same feel as your road shoe. Read more about New Balance running shoes here. Altra Altra has developed a distinctive position in trail running. The brand is particularly known for its roomy FootShape design and zero drop footwear, giving many of its shoes a noticeably different feel from conventional running shoes. That combination has attracted a strong following among trail and ultra runners, but runners accustomed to a larger heel to toe drop should be cautious about changing suddenly. A substantial change in shoe geometry is generally better introduced progressively rather than immediately before a long run or event. Read more about Altra running shoes here. Topo Athletic Topo Athletic is another brand known for providing more room around the toes while aiming for a secure fit through the midfoot and heel. Its trail range includes options for different types of terrain and different levels of cushioning. It can be worth investigating if you like more space for your toes but still want the foot to feel secure elsewhere in the shoe. As always, individual fit matters more than the general characteristics associated with the brand. Read more about Topo Athletic running shoes here. Final Thoughts There is no single best trail running shoe because trail running covers such a wide variety of surfaces. A shoe designed for deep winter mud is solving a very different problem from one designed for a long run across dry, rocky trails. For most runners buying their first pair, the sensible approach is not to choose the most technical shoe available. Start with the terrain you actually run on, find a shoe that fits comfortably and securely, and make sure it provides enough grip and protection for those conditions. As your trail running develops, you may eventually find that one pair cannot do everything. But for plenty of runners, a versatile trail shoe is all they need to leave the road behind and start exploring.

When you start charity fundraising, it is natural to concentrate on how much money you hope to raise. What can be easier to overlook is how much your fundraising itself might cost, particularly if you are planning events or activities alongside asking people for donations. A little budgeting at the beginning can help you make better decisions throughout your campaign. By understanding your likely costs, looking for ways to reduce them and thinking about how much each activity could realistically generate, you can make sure your fundraising efforts are worthwhile without spending more than you intended. Set A Charity Fundraising Budget Before You Start Before organising activities or buying anything for your fundraising, decide how much you are personally prepared to spend. You might be happy to cover a few small costs yourself, but that does not mean every expense connected with your campaign should automatically come out of your own pocket. Your budget does not need to be complicated. Make a simple list of the things you think you may need to pay for and put a realistic figure alongside each one, then leave some room for costs you may not have anticipated. Setting a limit at the beginning can also help when new fundraising ideas come along. Instead of deciding whether something sounds exciting, you can ask whether it fits your budget and whether the likely return justifies what you would need to spend. Read our guide to planning your charity fundraising here before you start. Don't Confuse Income With Money Raised If a fundraising event takes £1,000 in ticket sales, donations and other income, that does not necessarily mean it has raised £1,000 for your charity. If it cost £400 to organise, the financial result looks very different. This distinction is particularly important when comparing different fundraising activities. An event generating £800 with £500 of costs may ultimately contribute less than a much smaller activity that brings in £500 but costs only £50 to organise. Keep track of both figures throughout your campaign. Knowing how much money is coming in is useful, but knowing how much is left after legitimate fundraising costs gives you a much clearer picture of how effective an activity has been. Budget Properly For A Fundraising Event If you are planning a fundraising event, work out the likely finances before committing to it. Start by listing everything you might need to pay for rather than concentrating only on the most obvious expense. Depending on the event, costs might include a venue, food and drink, equipment, entertainment, prizes, decorations, printing, promotion or payment processing. There may also be smaller costs that seem insignificant individually but quickly add up when combined. Once you have estimated the costs, look at the other side of the budget. Work out how many people you realistically expect to attend, what they might pay for tickets or entry and whether you expect to generate additional donations or income during the event. Be realistic rather than building the budget around the best possible outcome. If an event only works financially when every ticket sells and everybody spends more money once they arrive, you have very little room if attendance is lower than expected. Work Out Your Break-Even Point For an event or activity with significant costs, calculate how much money needs to come in before those costs have been covered. This is your break-even point, and understanding it can help you judge whether the activity makes sense before you commit to spending money. If an event costs £300 to organise and tickets cost £10, for example, the first 30 ticket sales would be needed simply to cover those costs before any additional income could contribute towards the fundraising. If you realistically expect only 35 people to attend, you should question whether the event is the best use of your time and resources. You can then look at ways of changing the numbers. Reducing costs, increasing realistic attendance or adding another source of income could make the activity more worthwhile, while an unattractive break-even point may be a sign that you should choose something simpler. Look For Costs You Can Remove Before paying for something, ask whether you actually need it. Fundraising events do not have to look professionally produced, and supporters are unlikely to expect expensive decorations, elaborate printed materials or unnecessary extras when the purpose of the activity is to raise money for charity. Look at each item in your budget and decide whether it is essential, useful or simply nice to have. Removing several small non-essential expenses can make a noticeable difference to the amount ultimately generated by an activity. Digital promotion can also reduce some costs. Rather than automatically printing large numbers of posters or invitations, consider whether email, messaging groups, social media or your workplace communications can do much of the job instead. Ask For Goods And Services To Be Donated Reducing an expense to zero can be more valuable than finding a cheaper supplier. Before paying for a venue, prizes, refreshments, printing or equipment, consider whether somebody might be willing to provide them free of charge to support your charity fundraising. Your employer can be a useful place to start. Depending on what you are organising, your workplace might be able to provide a room, printing, equipment or another resource that would otherwise cost money. Local businesses may also be willing to help, particularly if you explain clearly what you are fundraising for and exactly what you are asking them to contribute. A donated prize, free venue or supply of refreshments can substantially change the finances of a fundraising activity. Do not assume that support will be available, however, and never include donated goods or services in your budget until they have actually been confirmed. Build your plans around what you know rather than what you hope somebody might provide. Read more about how to approach companies for charity fundraising support here. Music nights can be a great fundraising opportunity, but costs can be high. Keep A Simple Record Of What You Spend Fundraising can take place over several months, making it surprisingly easy to forget smaller amounts you have spent along the way. Keep a basic record of your expenses from the beginning rather than trying to reconstruct them at the end. You do not necessarily need specialist software. A spreadsheet or simple document recording the date, item and amount can be enough for an individual fundraising campaign, particularly if you update it whenever you spend something. Keep receipts or other records where appropriate as well. This becomes especially useful if somebody else is helping with the fundraising, your employer is covering particular expenses or your charity needs information about the way an activity has been organised. Be Careful About Spending Money Upfront Some fundraising activities require you to spend money before you know how successful they will be. Hiring a venue, ordering large quantities of food or paying for entertainment can leave you financially committed long before the first ticket has been sold. Where possible, reduce that risk. You might sell tickets before confirming optional extras, choose suppliers with sensible cancellation arrangements or start with a smaller activity that can be expanded if demand is stronger than expected. Think particularly carefully before committing a large amount of your own money. Fundraising should not leave you struggling financially because an event attracted fewer people than you hoped. Don't Spend Money Just To Make Fundraising Look Impressive It can be tempting to compare your fundraising with other people's campaigns, particularly when you see elaborate events or professionally produced materials. Bigger does not necessarily mean more successful. A simple activity with minimal costs can produce an excellent return, while an ambitious event can take weeks to organise and generate relatively little once all the expenses have been considered. Judge an idea by what it can realistically contribute to your fundraising rather than how impressive it looks. The same applies to promotional materials. Your personal story, the reason you are supporting the charity and the challenge you are taking on will usually matter more than expensive banners, decorations or other extras. Think About Your Time As Well As Your Money Not every cost appears in your bank account. Your time also matters, particularly when you are fundraising alongside training for a marathon, half marathon or another event. An activity that raises £100 but takes several weekends to organise may not be the best choice if another approach could generate a similar amount with much less work. There is no single correct calculation because you may genuinely enjoy organising events, but the time commitment should still be part of your decision. This becomes increasingly important as your event approaches. Your training, recovery and other commitments still need attention, so avoid creating an expensive or complicated fundraising activity simply because you feel you should be doing more. Review Your Budget As Your Fundraising Progresses The budget you create at the beginning does not have to remain unchanged. As your campaign develops, you will have a better idea of which activities work, what things actually cost and how close you are to your fundraising target. If you are already close to your target, you may decide that an expensive event you originally considered is no longer necessary. If you still have a significant amount to raise, reviewing the numbers can help you choose an activity with a realistic chance of closing some of that gap. Use what you learn from each activity as well. If something costs more than expected or generates less money than you hoped, factor that experience into whatever you plan next rather than automatically repeating it. Read more about what to do if you're still short of your fundraising target here. Make Every Pound, Dollar Or Euro Work Harder Successful charity fundraising is not simply about generating the largest possible amount of income. It is also about making sensible decisions about the money you spend along the way so that your efforts produce a worthwhile result for the charity you are supporting. Set a charity fundraising budget, understand the real costs of your activities and calculate the likely return before committing significant money. Look for donated goods and services, keep track of what you spend and be prepared to change an idea if the numbers do not make sense.

Your workplace can be one of the best places to find support when you are fundraising for a charity run. But getting your work colleagues involved can mean much more than sending everyone your fundraising link and hoping they make a donation. The people you work with can donate, share your fundraising, help organise activities, introduce your campaign to other parts of the organisation and keep interest going as your event approaches. The more you can make colleagues feel involved in what you are doing, the more your charity fundraising can become something the workplace gets behind rather than something you are doing entirely on your own. Tell Your Colleagues What You Are Doing Start by making sure people actually know about your challenge. Tell colleagues what event you are taking part in, which charity you are supporting and, most importantly, why you have chosen to do it. You do not need to tell your entire story every time you mention your fundraising. A simple explanation of the challenge and your reason for supporting the charity gives people some context and makes your request much more personal than simply circulating a link to a fundraising page. Think about the different ways information normally travels around your workplace. A conversation with your immediate team might be the best starting point, but there may also be internal emails, staff meetings, noticeboards, messaging channels or an intranet that can help you reach colleagues you do not see regularly. Read more about tailoring your fundraising message here. Ask For More Than Donations It is easy to think that getting colleagues involved means asking everyone to sponsor you, but money is only one way they can help. Some people may be happy to donate, while others could help you reach many more potential supporters. A colleague might share your fundraising page with another team, help you organise an activity or take photographs at a workplace fundraiser. Someone might be good at designing a poster, running a quiz or persuading other colleagues to participate in something you have planned. This can be particularly useful if you work in a large organisation. Instead of trying to do everything yourself, finding a few colleagues who are enthusiastic about your fundraising can help spread the workload and extend your reach. Find Your Workplace Fundraising Champions You do not need everybody at work to become heavily involved in your campaign. Finding two or three people who genuinely want to help can be much more valuable than repeatedly trying to generate enthusiasm from an entire workforce. Think about the colleagues who organise social activities, bring teams together or simply tend to know people across the organisation. Ask whether they would be willing to help with your fundraising, whether that means promoting an activity, encouraging their team to participate or helping you come up with ideas. Having a small group of supporters also makes workplace fundraising more enjoyable. You have people to bounce ideas off, help with practical jobs and create some momentum when your own attention needs to be on training or preparing for your event. Ask Colleagues What They Would Enjoy You might have a brilliant idea for a workplace fundraiser, but it will only work if your colleagues want to take part. Before spending time organising something, ask a few people what they would actually enjoy doing. Some workplaces might respond well to a quiz or bake sale, while others may prefer a team challenge, competition or sweepstake. The type of workplace matters too: something that works well in a large office may be completely unsuitable for a small shop, remote team or workplace operating across several sites. Getting colleagues involved in choosing an activity can create a sense of ownership before the fundraising has even started. Instead of announcing something you have decided everyone should participate in, you are giving people an opportunity to help shape it. Give People Different Ways To Get Involved Not everyone will want to participate in the same way, so make it easy for colleagues to choose how they support you. One person may be happy to make a donation, another might bake something for a sale and someone else may prefer to help organise an activity. This matters particularly in larger or hybrid workplaces where people may have very different working patterns. Someone working remotely might not be able to attend an office fundraiser, but they could join an online activity, share your fundraising page or take part in a challenge from home. The more flexible you make your fundraising, the easier it becomes for people to participate. Your objective is not to persuade every colleague to do everything; it is to give as many people as possible a way to become part of your campaign. Read more about workplace bake sales here. Sweepstakes for sporting events are always an opportunity for the workplace Turn Your Training Into A Workplace Story If you are training for a marathon, half marathon or another running event, your colleagues have something they can follow over several weeks or months. Use that journey to keep your fundraising visible rather than only talking about it when you want another donation. Tell people when you complete your longest training run, reach a fundraising milestone or have a particularly difficult session. As the event gets closer, you can share your race number, your final preparations and the amount you still hope to raise. This works especially well with colleagues because they see you regularly. They may ask how your training is going or remember that you were heading out for a long run at the weekend, giving you natural opportunities to talk about the challenge without constantly making another fundraising request. Read more about using your training as part of your fundraising story here. Create A Little Friendly Competition A small amount of competition can encourage more people to participate in workplace fundraising. Departments, teams, offices or different locations could compete to raise the most money, complete the most miles or achieve another simple challenge linked to your fundraising. Keep it fun and make sure the activity suits your workplace. A prize can help, but it does not necessarily need to be expensive; the satisfaction of beating another department or seeing a manager take on a challenge can sometimes generate plenty of enthusiasm on its own. Competition can be particularly useful when you want colleagues to become active participants rather than simply donors. They have something to contribute towards together, which can turn your individual fundraising campaign into a shared workplace activity. Get Managers And Senior Colleagues Involved Support from a manager or senior colleague can give your fundraising additional visibility. They may be able to mention your challenge in a meeting, encourage other teams to get involved or participate in one of your fundraising activities themselves. Senior colleagues can sometimes be particularly useful when your fundraising needs to reach beyond your immediate team. Their involvement can introduce what you are doing to parts of the organisation you might otherwise struggle to reach and demonstrate that the company is supportive of your efforts. There are also plenty of fun ways to involve managers directly. Depending on your workplace, colleagues might donate to see a manager take part in a challenge, join a competition or do something they would not normally do during the working day. Make It Easy To Donate However enthusiastic people are about your fundraising, they are less likely to donate if they have to search for your fundraising page. Make the link easy to find whenever you promote what you are doing. You could include it in an internal message, use a QR code on a poster or display it at a workplace fundraising activity. If your employer allows it, you may also be able to include your fundraising link in other internal communications connected with your challenge. Do not assume that somebody who says they will sponsor you will remember to find the page later. Giving people an easy route to donate when they are already thinking about your challenge removes an unnecessary barrier. Read more about using QR codes here. Keep Colleagues Updated Without Overdoing It Once colleagues know what you are doing, keep them involved by sharing progress. Fundraising milestones, training achievements and the countdown to your event all give you genuine reasons to provide an update. There is a balance, though. If every conversation, email or workplace message becomes another request for money, people may start switching off. Mix direct fundraising asks with updates that simply show people how the challenge is progressing and thank them for the support you have already received. As the event gets closer, you can increase the sense of momentum. If you are approaching your fundraising target, tell people how much is left to raise and give colleagues the opportunity to help you close the final gap. Read more about fundraising updates here. Thank The People Who Help Make sure colleagues know that their involvement is appreciated, whether they donated £5, organised an entire workplace activity or simply shared your fundraising page with someone else. Thank people as your campaign progresses rather than waiting until everything is over. If a team helps with an activity or a colleague goes out of their way to support you, recognise what they have done and let them see the difference their contribution has made. After your event, return to the workplace story one final time. Share a photograph, tell colleagues how the day went and let everyone know the final amount you raised. It gives the people who supported you a sense that they were part of the achievement rather than simply being asked for money along the way. Read more about thanking supporters here. Final Thoughts on Getting Support From Work Colleague For Your Charity Fundraising Your charity run may be an individual challenge, but your fundraising does not have to be. Getting your work colleagues involved can give you more people to share ideas with, more ways to reach potential supporters and more opportunities to keep your campaign moving. Start by telling people why the challenge matters to you, then give colleagues different ways to become involved. Ask for their ideas, find a few people who can help champion your fundraising and keep everyone updated as your training and fundraising progress. The aim is not to turn every colleague into a donor. It is to create a group of people who want to see you succeed and who feel that, in their own way, they have helped you get there.