How Charity Events Improve Health, Run and Fund!

With many people becoming more and more health aware these days, charity runs seem to be the obvious way to raise money for all those deserving charities which desperately need funds to carry on their good work. Charity runs have become very popular over the last few years and have the added benefits of getting you in shape, helping you lose a few pounds and being great fun to take part in! They are also a great way to kick start a new, healthy lifestyle change and form habits (such as training four times a week) which can last a lifetime.

There are several events which take place throughout the year for various charities including the RSPCA’s Great South Run, Make-A-Wish Foundation UK’s Great North Run, Cancer Research’s Race for Life and The Poppy Run which raises money for the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal. Oxfam have an entire section of their website dedicated to the various charity running events across the UK that they are associated with.

The Fundraising Events

The Poppy Run is a series of 5km runs which everyone and anyone can enter and they take place in many towns and cities around the country so if this sounds like something you would like to do there is sure to be one near you. v2012 sees 11 Poppy Runs taking place and the aim is to increase this amount year on year with the hope of raising over £1 million each year from 2016 onwards.

The RSPCA works by encouraging people to take part in many well known runs and marathons all over the country to raise money for the animal charity and you can sign up for a place by visiting their website. The advantage to this is you can take part in as many or as few runs as you like and there are many dotted around different areas of the country so you will always be within a good distance of an event.

Make-A-Wish Foundation which helps take ill children on amazing trips and holidays works on the same principal and you can enter nearly any running event and attribute it to the charity.

One of the most famous charity runs is Race For Life which takes place all over the country to raise money for Cancer Research. The event started in 1994 and has gained momentum in the years that followed with it now arguably being the biggest charity run today. The best way to enter a Race For Life is by signing up on the website, checking which event is best suited to you and when it takes place. The great thing about these runs is that not only do you have the chance to get fit and raise some money but you can also help raise awareness. By wearing your provided t-shirt, suggesting it to your friends and with coverage from the local media, these events can hopefully become more mainstream and become a fundamental income for many different charities around the country.

If you are planning to take part in one of these events it is recommended that you train at least four times a week, for an hour at a time to build up your strength and stamina for the big day. A healthy diet should be followed as well with alcohol, junk food and sweet treats kept to a minimum. However, before you groan and decide that maybe next year will be your year, think of all those health benefits, slim line new shape and the extra energy you will have. And don’t forget the main reason for taking part, to raise money for great causes which need all the help they can get.

There are several races coming up in the next few months which can only mean one thing – get training now! The best way to find a local run near you is to visit one of the many websites which allow you to search for events in areas specific to you. A Google search for ‘charity running events’ will bring up all the information you need. If you are looking at running for a specific charity you can do so by visiting their website and signing up to run. Most of them will then send you out a pack of info including a nutrition and exercise guide in preparation for the race. Everyone who races makes a difference to the final total the charity has raised and every little bit helps.

Many thanks to Cancer Research UK for their help with this article. If you would like to get involved, then why not check out their current charity work vacancies