Many running events aid charities. Here in Oak Park and River Forest, all our local road races earmark their proceeds for worthwhile causes or organizations. I’m most familiar with The Race That’s Good for Life, being involved since its establishment 25 years ago. Our race took several years to gain a solid reputation, but once able to attract several hundred runners and a few sponsors, and with careful budgeting, it generated enough revenue to pay for the following year’s startup costs plus some extra funds, too.
With significant revenues, the Oak Park Runners Club needed an appropriate beneficiary, selecting the Community Chest as our charity partner. Later, after merging with West Suburban Hospital’s old Wellness Challenge 5K, funds were also directed to West Sub’s own foundation. And in particularly good years, there were contributions for the new Concordia track, Friends of the Oak Park Library and a couple of other charities with close ties to club members.
Another fundraising tactic organized by major charities is personal pledge programs, prominently seen in big marathons. Individual participants solicit pledges from their friends, often for specific amounts per mile. Programs include group training schedules, uniforms and “free” entry to the selected marathon. Participants’ pledges cover their entry fees plus a significant amount for the charity. And it’s interesting that marathons have become the focus of these programs (does anybody get pledges of $10 a hole for playing golf?).
Unfortunately, there has also been a tendency for many charity runners, for whom the marathon is their first running event, to view completing a marathon as solely a one-time challenge. And the key words are “completing a marathon,” which is the focus of most such programs. I’ve seen plenty of Chicago Marathon participants ambling along, even talking on cell phones, with little concern for their eventual finish time, just so they get there eventually. It’s been called “dumbing down” the marathon.
I have contributed for friends in these charity programs, and it’s hard to criticize a worthy cause. But I’ve never personally participated, simply because I run for me, and I’m uncomfortable asking others to contribute for something which I do for my own enjoyment. I run for fitness, competition and fun, entering races because I want to, not for an altruistic goal. I prefer to separate my athletic endeavors from my charitable contributions.
However, in our ever-fattening society I know that questioning something that promotes physical activity may seem like attacking motherhood and the Easter Bunny. To me, a marathon is a very serious commitment, to be undertaken with a specific performance goal. In other words, finishing as fast as you can, and the last miles will be painful. But that requires lots of training and preparation, and plenty of prior experience in shorter races. The goal of simply finishing is counter to the instincts of most dedicated runners.
That said, it’s still good that many people are inspired to work towards a marathon. But they should also adopt a continuing lifestyle of fitness and running at a variety of distances.
And we should all contribute generously to worthy charities.
Paul Oppenheim is a member of the Oak Park Runners Club.