Hollywood Popular Artists

Jan 17th 2013, 20:40

I come from a family of runners. My dad trains for triathlons and half-marathons in his free time. My mom has been known to log her miles long before most people have their first cup of coffee. Even my sister had a brief, yet successful, stint on the cross-country team when we were in high school. I, on the other hand, have been known to run only when in close proximity to a spider. In that moment, just call me Usain Bolt.

Every year I make a resolution to attempt to run a race of some kind, and this year is no exception: I plan to pound the pavement (read: treadmill) until I'm ready to lace up and tackle a race for one of my favorite causes. While I haven't made it to the gym yet (I swear it's going to happen this week), I have been thinking about how awesome it would be if all those people who set out to run for their new year's resolutions did so on behalf of their favorite causes.

With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to turn your race into a fundraiser:

 + Find Creative Ways to Ask for Donations

I don't know about you, but it's really hard for me to get excited about a stock email sent out from a fundraising website. Yes, I love you, and I love your cause, but I'd love it even more if you found a creative way to ask for donations.  If $X gets something really awesome for your cause, tell me. Challenge me to give up the latte or whatever is the equivalent to help you out.

+ Sponsor Training Miles

Why not keep a log of all the miles you plan to run leading up to the race? This way you can encourage friends and family to sponsor the miles that help you get to the big day. It'll also keep you on track when it's raining and you have to wake up before work to stick to your training regimen.

+ Make It a Birthday Run

For better or worse, I'm so much more likely to donate to someone's cause as a birthday gift than just a random day during the year. If you can time a race (or at least the fundraising) around your birthday week, do it. You'd rather receive that than the scented candle I was going to get you, right? Bonus points if you reward yourself with cake when you cross the finish line.

+ Challenge Your Friends

More runners mean more money, right? Grab your friends and form a team. You'll be extra motivated to go to the gym if your best friend is there, especially since you're the one who talked him/her into the run in the first place.

Are you jogging in place yet? Stretch out your quads and hit the open road, because this year, it's all about being the better you and giving back. Drop us a note below or on Twitter and let us know how many miles you're logging and why you're running.

On your mark... get set... go change the world.

+ Get more tips from our #2013Resolution series!

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