Just three months after I started running, I saw a poster in downtown Campbell for an 8K run for charity. I’ve never ran any race my whole life and I was very tempted to do this. But I was also incredibly shy of my running to the point of being self conscious. I told myself that it was day light savings day, I was going to lose an hour and oh why bother getting up so early. Lame excuses. While I’ve come a long way since then, I haven’t had a run for charity yet. The usual way of doing this is to do a fund raiser in order to run a race.

Run for Charity

When my kids’ schools have fund raising events (Walkathon, Gala, etc), the most common form of donations in silent auctions are tickets to shows, things like quilts and vases, coupons for different shops, gift certificates, etc. My wife came up with the idea to donate a run for charity. While I love trail running and pounding downhills, I figured that many casual runners jogging on asphalt probably never tried trail running. You can make city running an adventure, but it’s just not the same. Ever ran through redwood trees only to summit a hill and find yourself surrounded by a cathedral? It’s the most beautiful thing! So here’s what my donation item looks like:

Name: Trail Running for Beginners

Description: Trail running can be immensely fun, but very different from running on asphalt. In this two hour session, we’ll meet at Ranch San Antonio and walk/hike together to the Deer Hollow Farm. Depending on the group level, we’ll either pick Wildcat Loop Trail or the Coyote Trail for a 2 to 3 mile run back to the parking lot. You’ll learn proper running technique, things to watch out for in trail running and how to run up/down hills. Maximum group size is four (excluding me).

Of course, I added the usual disclaimer about being consulting a physician and being fit enough to hike/jog for 2-3 miles. Anything to get people up and out, right? Now to see how popular my gift certificate is going to be in the upcoming fundraising event. 🙂

What do you think about this donation for a run for charity?