Running is a great way to keep fit for those on a budget. Thanks to innovative apps such as the Couch to 5K one, lots of people are getting up off the sofa and getting outside to pound the pavements. Even if you don’t originally set out with a goal in mind and just want to get fit, it’s still a good idea to sign up for a race once you get up to a certain level of fitness. That way, you have something to keep you motivated that you can work towards.
Don’t have any races coming up in your local area any time soon? That shouldn’t be a problem. Here are some ways you can run your own fun run and get your whole community up and active!
Consider The Distance
First, think about the distance that you want to offer your runners. As this is a fun run, you don’t want to plan a run that is too long or else you will put off any newbie beginners who don’t feel particularly confident. A 3K race is a good one for those who are totally new to running and it’s also a good idea to do a slightly longer 5K as well for those runners who are slightly more experienced. If you want to open the race up to kids, then you might want to plan a 2K instead of the 3K as that is a more suitable distance for younger runners.
Set The Date
When do you want to hold your fun run? You need to carefully consider the weather as this could play a big part in the running of your event. For instance, you shouldn’t hold the run in winter as the potentially very bad weather could put a lot of people off taking part. So, generally speaking, the spring and summer are the best seasons for your fun run. You will find that lots of runners would prefer a spring event, though, as it shouldn’t be as hot as in the height of summer. It’s also a good idea to host the run on a Saturday so that your runners can spend their Sunday nursing their legs and recovering!
Set Up An Online Registration Form
You will need to get everyone who wants to take part to register. This way, you have an idea of the numbers that will be attending on the day. You will then know how many people to cater for and knowing the numbers will also make it easier to plan any security and safety measures you need. The easiest way to get people to register is to set up an online registration form. There are lots of platforms that make it easier to set up forms for people to fill in online. For instance, you might want to use the Google Forms tool.
Make Up Some Goodie Bags
You will no doubt be charging participants to take part in the fun run. This money will go towards the overall running of the event, such as paying for security and rental of any barriers that you need. Some of the participants’ fee should also go towards putting together some goodie bags for all the runners. These bags should include some nice little treats that your runners can enjoy after the race. For instance, you might want to add a commemorative coin from ChallengeCoins4Less or a special medal so that they have something to help them remember the race. You should also include a bottle of water and a cereal bar or protein bar so that they can get their strength back up after the big race. Some races include a free commemorative T-shirts in their goodie bags as well. If you can afford to get some shirts printed, they will be a really appreciated addition to the bags.
Find Some Sponsors
Sometimes, the entrance fee for the race might not be quite enough to cover all of the costs that you will incur while organizing the race. So, you might want to try and find some sponsors. Sponsors are just businesses and organizations who will help you fund your big event. In exchange, you will need to display their name widely throughout the duration of the event. In effect, they will be paying for some advertisement. If the business or organization are used to sponsoring events they might even already have some pieces of equipment with their logo and branding on for you to use.
Hire A Photographer
It’s a good idea to hire a professional photographer for your event. That way, you can post all of the final photos to Facebook and Twitter, which will act as some great publicity for any events that you choose to do in the future. Plus, you can then send these pictures to your local newspapers so that they can do a round-up report of your race. Just remember that you need to let people know that there will be a photographer taking pictures on the day. There might be some reasons why people don’t want their image put online. You will need to ask for people’s consent. If consent isn’t given, then you won’t be able to use any photos with that individual online unless you blur out their face.
Consider The Big Tidy Up
You also need to consider how you will tidy up after the race is all over. After all, you can’t simply walk away without returning the site of the event back to how it was when you found it! Try and find some volunteers and helpers who will be willing to help you with some litter picking afterwards. No matter how many bins and rubbish collection points you provide during the race, you will still find that there is quite a lot of litter around afterwards.
It can be really easy to organize your very own fun run. Hopefully, all of the tips in this blog post should help you plan the best possible event. Have fun!
