All posts from the Interviews category
Great North Run for Uncle Paul
www.justgiving.com/run-ollie-run
Congratulations to Paul Oliver - not just for running the Great North Run but for more than doubling his fundraising target too.
Always on the lookout for great fundraising stories and top tips, we caught up with him to find out how he did it.
How did you decide to run this year’s Great North Run?
That is a relatively easy one to answer. My uncle grew up in Gosforth and moved back to Jesmond in his thirties. I visited my uncle at my nan’s and in his flat in Jesmond many times
How did you choose to fundraise for the MS Trust?
I wanted to donate to a charity linked with MS, informing and educating those diagnosed with MS, their families and carers alike. MS Trust seemed from the outset a good choice from their website. I have been impressed by their correspondance from the first time I contacted them and am very happy to continue fundraising for their great cause.
Can you tell us a bit more about your Uncle Paul?
Of course. My uncle was a very kind, unassuming man. He was one of the funniest and coolest people I have ever met. He had a wonderful set of friends and was very very talented in the field of art restoration. He was diagnosed with MS at the age of 38 and a slow deterioration set in, firstly affecting his balance and sight, and meant he had to give up driving and eventually his work. In the latter stages of his life he was confined to his flat, and he died aged 49 on the 10th September 2002.
I want to do all I can to raise money in his memory, but also to promote the great work that the caring professionals carry out. I think it is very important to fully inform those with MS and those who care for them, to enable them to have an empathy and the tools to counter what can be a very cruel illness. Certainly Paul’s caring staff were amazing how they dealt with him, and did their level best to allow him to maintain his independance, and his humanity.
Had you run that distance before?
I had ran 10km twice before, and ran 15-18 km in training - but no, I had not ran this far before!
How was it?
It was like a walk in the park, until the race began! Very tough, but well worth it! I will enter next year for definite.
What was your Great North Run highlight?
My highlight was the realisation as I turned the corner and could see the finish. That sense of euphoria stayed with me until I crossed the finish line.
Had you ever run/fundraised for charity before?
Two previous Manchester 10km runs have been for the same charity.
How did you find using JustGiving?
Without the Just Giving site I think I would have struggled to have reached such a wide audience (Newcastle/Keswick/Colchester/Worcester/Isle of Skye/France/Germany etc).
What was good/what could be better?
I think the modifications allowing more than one photo and the ability to personalise the site are really good. I have also never had anyone complain about making payments or security, which is really important.
What’s your top training/fundraising tip for other JustGivers?
Top training tip would be to be quite regimented. Give yourself a twelve week minimum program certainly for the half marathon. You can download from Nike.com or runnersworld.co.uk or similar sites.
My top fundraising tip would be to get your family and close friends to donate first, then go for your work and other, more distant friends, sending out emails, etc. That way you’ll already be a certain step nearer to your goal, which always looks good!
Thanks Paul for letting us know your experience and all the best with your future fundraising. We’re sure your uncle Paul would be proud.
Elaine Mitchell ran for The Stroke Association
This week we got a lovely email from Elaine Mitchell - an experienced runner and charity fundraiser who’s more than doubled her target for The Stroke Association:
“Hi, this year’s Great North Run was fantastic! Great atmosphere, great organisation, great spirit, great fun, great weather (although a little warm) - a fantastic day, and most important of all, loads of money raised for all the good causes!!! Well done everyone!!!”
Such an enthusiastic email deserved a follow-up, so we got in touch to ask Elaine why she’d chosen to run for The Stroke Association. She told us this very powerful story.
How did you decide to run this year’s Great North Run?
I ran last year’s race and thoroughly enjoyed it. I decided as soon as I had finished that race that I wanted to do it again and also to try and beat my personal best.
How did you choose to fundraise for The Stroke Association?
I was originally going to do this race for fun, then back in July one of my work collegues had a stroke in the office. He was in hospital for about six weeks or more and I decided that I wanted to help in some way, therefore decided that I would do this run to raise money to help victims of stroke, who need the help of The Stroke Association for support and invaluable information for both the victim and their friends and family.
Can you tell us a bit more about your colleague’s experience?
My collegue’s experience was very sudden. He had driven to work in the morning and felt fine. Once he got to work he leaned forward to switch on his PC and said he felt/heard a ‘pop’ in his head.
He then felt sick and disorientated, he tried to get up to go to the bathroom but could not stand. Some collegues of mine helped him to the gents, his situation was deteriorating and one of my collegues called an ambulance. By this time his face had drooped on the left side and he could not speak without slurring badly and could not use his right arm and still could not stand. He was however protesting that he did not want to go to hospital and he would be alright soon and thought it was just an ear infection.
I gave a collegue his wife’s phone number and we called to let her know her husband was ill. I then waited for the ambulance on the main road so that I could direct them into our premises as quickly as possible and show them where the patient was located. They assessed him on the premises and then did some tests in the ambulance and decided he needed to go to hospital. One of our directors went with him.
Once at hospital the staff checked him over and the doctor said that he thought he had an inner ear infection, however there was a consultant nearby and she apparently overheard and took a look at my collegue and said she thought he could have had a stroke, which both myself and my other collegue had thought too (I’d seen the advertising campaign showing the symptoms).
The consultant suggested an MRI scan. This was arranged for that afternoon and it was indeed discovered that he had a stroke. It has been said that he will make a full recovery, however it is proving to be very slow progress.
He has physio everyday to teach him to walk again. In the main his speech has come back but he has trouble with his memory and tends to forget if he has told us something or not. He also has to concentrate extensively on his usage of his left arm, this still tends to just do what it likes. He remains positive and is trying to get back to full strength as soon as he can. Currently he is still unable to come back to work and it is nearly three months since the stroke happened.
We wish your colleague all the best for a full recovery.
A half marathon is quite an undertaking - had you run that distance before? How was it?
Yes I have run this distance twice before. The first time was better than I thought it would be. The second time I struggled and found the race very hard and was outside my best by just over three minutes.
This time the race was great, I really enjoyed it and found it easier than I thought I was going to, despite it being a bit to warm for my liking. The atmosphere is fantastic.
What was your Great North Run highlight?
Acheiving a personal best of 1 hour 46 minutes… knocking four minutes and 54 seconds off my previous best.
Had you ever run/fundraised for charity before?
Yes - I have done the ‘Help a London Child‘ Capital Radio 10k back in 2004. I then did the Great South Run in 2005 for Bliss, and the Great North Run last year for Asthma. Then this year I did the Great North Run for Stroke Association.
How did you find using JustGiving?
JustGiving is great as it allows people that live a long way from me to still be able to support me in my choosen charity. It also saves the hassle of collecting the money after the event, and ensures that the person puts their address in full to allow the Gift Aid to be collected too.
What’s your top training/fundraising tip for other JustGivers?
Gradually build up the training a bit at a time. Aim to do your longest run two weeks before the race. Make it almost the same distance as you are running, if not the actual distance. This will give you confidence for race day that you can make it to the finish.
As for a fundraising tip - make sure everyone knows who your charity is and why you need their money to help that charity. If you have a personal story for doing it for a particular charity, tell your friends and family and they will be sure to sponsor you. If like me it was for a friend in particular, give them a form as well and they can get all their friends and family to sponsor you too… That is what I did and this helped to double my original fundraising target.
Well done everyone who completed this run - don’t make it your last! I will be back next year for the 30th Great North Run.
And we wish you well with both the running and the fundraising Elaine - keep up the great work!
You can find lots more tried and tested tips from JustGiving fundraisers here.
Katherine Jenkins runs the Cardiff 10K
On Saturday 6th September, Welsh mezzo-Soprano Katherine Jenkins will take up the challenge of running HSBC’s 10K race in Cardiff. Swapping her posh frocks and the concert stage for trainers and the roads of Wales’ capital, Katherine aims to raise some much-needed funds for the Kidney Wales foundation, for which she is a Patron.
The Kidney Wales Foundation was set up to raise money for research into prevention methods and treatments for kidney and renal illness, and to ensure the constant improvement of patient care and wellbeing, delivering a better quality of life to patients, carers and families of those affected.
We caught up with Katherine to find out how preparations for the race are going.
Could you tell us a little about why you first decided to support Kidney Wales and the work you do for them as a patron?
At the beginning of my career I met a little girl called Zowiann, who was waiting for a transplant. I stayed in contact with her and have been really touched by her story. Since then I have met lots of people connected with Kidney Wales, and I think it’s an excellent charity.
What inspired you to take part in the HSBC Cardiff 10k Run?
Last year I was invited to start the 10k run and I was so impressed with how many people took part and the fun they were having all in support of this brilliant charity, that I signed my mum and I up immediately for the 2009 run.
How have you managed to fit all the training in around your busy singing schedule?
I’ve had a treadmill installed at home especially! When I’ve been away touring, I try my best to make use of the parks.
How is the training going? What time are you estimating completing the race in?
The training is going ok but I’m not quite ready yet. I have good days and bad days but it’s the taking part right?!
Do you find running benefits your singing, in terms of increasing stamina and using breath in a controlled way?
I think being fit and healthy generally helps your singing, so the training can only be a good thing.
Do you train listening to music? If so what songs do you find most inspire you to run?
Yes, I do. I tend to start with things like the Stereophonics and Take That and then move to more upbeat things (Kanye West, Beyonce, Pussycat Dolls, Black Eyed Peas) later on when I need to be spurred on.
Will you be singing any song in your head when you cross the finish line?
No, I think I’ll just be pleased to have made it!
Will running the Cardiff 10k inspire you to go on to longer races in the future?
Maybe, I’ve never really thought of myself as a proper runner, but have enjoyed myself so far so who knows!
How useful have you found JustGiving in generating sponsorship?
It’s been brilliant actually. I have friends and family all over the place so I have been able to send out an email to everyone, and it’s so quick and easy.
Thank you so much for talking to us Katherine, and good luck with the race!
You can sponsor Katherine for the Cardiff 10k on her JustGiving page here.
Jake Johnson is running the Bristol Half Marathon
In September, Jake Johnson will be huffing and puffing around Bristol, to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation. The BHF aims to improve the UK’s heart care through pioneering research, campaigning for heart care awareness and also by providing care and support for sufferers of heart illnesses in this country. Jake has signed up for the annual half marathon in Bristol and has been keeping his JustGiving page up to date with lots of news about how his training is going!
We caught up with Jake to have a chat about his half marathon training and fundraising experience.
Hi Jake! What inspired you to take up the challenge of running the Bristol half marathon?
It’s the idea of the personal accomplishment that first inspired me to enter the Bristol Half Marathon. I’ve never been a runner, more of an infrequent 5-a-side footballer if anything, so I knew this would be a big test for me. My fiancée, Kelly, is also running with me, so for both of us, it’s a little bit of “well if they’re doing it…”
I also like the simplicity of running. No fancy machines, no equipment, just you and your route. The outcome of the race hinges purely on me and my running shoes – and perhaps keeping up with Kelly!
I also thought that, while we were at it, we could raise some money for a worthwhile cause.
Why did you decide to fundraise for the British Heart Foundation?
My fiancée’s mother suffered a heart attack when she was only in her mid-40s despite being in very good health – in fact it all started while she was swimming. That made my fiancée and I want to help the British Heart Foundation.
We ran a 5k for them at Ashton Court back in 2008, but we wanted to take it further and raise more money for their cause.
How has the training been going? Do you have any tips for other aspiring runners?
Training has been ok. I’ve struggled a bit with a knee problem but I feel I’ve done enough, if not as much as I would have liked.
The odd thing is now that I actually look forward to going for a run. Perhaps it’s the escapism as you focus on the task in front of you and not the 101 things that need to be done at work.
I’ve found that loading my MP3 player up with podcasts helps me get through my run. With music you just ‘listen’, whereas when someone is talking, you concentrate on what they are saying – I think this helps distract me from the pain!
How easy did you find it to fundraise through JustGiving?
Using JustGiving has been ridiculously simple to use. I just set up my page, selected the event date and my charity and I was away. Having your own named URL is great as well as its easy for the people you’re pestering to remember!
How have you been promoting your page to get those vital donations?
I’ve added it to my email signature and keep adding my URL whenever I talk about anything running related on Twitter. I’ve also just bugged people to give me some money – but I always waited until the start of the month for when they’ve been paid!
My most successful – and fun – fundraising attempt was running a competition on an animation-based forum I frequently post on. The owner (the guy who made these ads: http://www.118247.com/) has his own merchandise and donated some plush toys, t-shirts, hoodies and calendars for me to use as a prize.
From there I set up a prize draw. For £1 a go forum members would suggest film titles with food based puns in them. All the film titles were then reviewed by workmates, my mum and staff at Aardman Animations, and then five winners were picked.
Quite a few of the forum members donated £20 but couldn’t think of 20 film titles so just donated anyway!
The winner was Saturday Night Fajita, but Thyme Bandits, Toastbusters, Lord of the Onion Rings and V for Vienetta ran them close!
Would you use JustGiving again?
I would use JustGiving again without a doubt. It makes it so easy, for both the fundraiser and those donating. Being able to use PayPal has made it so straightforward for a lot of the people who wanted to donate. It makes it nice and quick, making the donations bigger.
It also takes out the hassle of chasing them up for money after the event and having to make numerous trips to the bank to pay it all in!
How will you celebrate when you reach your fundraising target and finish the race?
I’m at about 55% of my target with a month to go, so it depends on how well I pester my remaining workmates and family. If I were to make it to my goal of £500 I’d be over the moon as it will help the British Heart Foundation continue their great work.
As for the end of the race, I’ll probably collapse for a few days and try to reconnect my legs! My fiancée is angling for a holiday and as we get closer to the date, I’m thinking it’s not such a bad idea!
Do you have a message for any other runners taking part in the Bristol half marathon?
As a first-timer I, sadly, don’t have any wisdoms to pass on, but I’ll try my best…
Running the long straight down (and back again) the Portway will probably be the hardest part as it won’t seem to end! I believe that the people of Bristol will give you a boost as we get into the 10+ mile stage, or at least I’m hoping they will! If you start to flag (I know I will!) then think of the reasons you wanted to do this in the first place. When I think of all the people who have supported me and the people it will help, I’m sure that’ll get me over that line. Just not under 2 hours…
Thanks for chatting with us Jake. You can visit Jake’s page here, where he has just reached the half-way point towards his target. Good luck with the rest of your fundraising Jake!
Angela Carter
Angela Carter has been doing some amazing work for the Children’s Trust Charity. Already this year she has trekked the Panama Jungle and run the London marathon as well as two 10km races. So to top off her year she has made the decision to run two half marathons (Run to the Beat and The Royal Half Parks) in just one week!
We were very pleased to chat to her and see how she has been preparing for her challenges and how she has managed to raise such an amazing amount of money for charity.
Hi Angela, can you tell us a bit about The Children’s Trust and why you’ve been inspired to support them for ten years?
The Children’s Trust is a national charity which aims to make life better for children with profound
disabilities and complex health needs. It really is an incredibly inspirational charity, and I am so proud to have worked for the charity for ten years. I am the Corporate Relations Manager and each year I have to raise £600,000, so if you know of any companies wanting to give money please let us know!
How have you been training for all your races and marathons?
The key is to follow a training program; writing everything down from a ten minute swim to a 60 minute jog so you can see your progress; joining a forum - www.realbuzz.co.uk - to get inspiration and tips. Most importantly run for a charity that means a lot to you and that will provide you with lots of advice and support. I try to run twice a week and go the gym once and swim once. But it is challenging as I work part time, have a seven year old son and have a condition called Lupus. So the key is juggling, multitasking and of course stretching!
What has been the most challenging fundraising event you have been involved in so far? And what motivates you to keep going if you hit a low?
Earlier this year I took part in our Trekking the Panama Jungle Expedition - it was one of the best experiences of my life, but one of the hardest. It might sound cliché but when it was hard I did think of all the children at the Trust and the challenges they have to overcome every day. I really do think that everyone should do one trek in their lifetime – it’s such an incredible experience - we have one in Vietnam and Himalayas in 2010, or even cycle across Cuba in 2011.
How do you let people know about the events you are taking part in to raise money for The Children’s Trust?
Via our website www.thechildrenstrust.org.uk, and also through a fun Facebook site, as well as on Twitter. We try to be fun and different, as there are so many great charities out there!
What aspects of JustGiving have been the most helpful to you with your fundraising?
JustGiving is fantastic and such an incredibly easy way of asking people to donate money when you are taking part in a fundraising event. It’s so much easier than going around with a sponsorship form! I love the new look and the % gage telling you how much you have raised - I am 93% there but that last 7% will be the hard bit, like dieting!
How is the fundraising going?
Well I have raised £7,400 this year but still need to raise £8,000 - I am very proud of this. If anyone fancies donating £2 it would be wonderful.
Have you got any tips to share with other JustGivers?
Lots of small events such as clothes swapping parties, telling everyone about your JustGiving page - adding the email address to your footer is good, as well as posts on Facebook and twittering about it! Asking people just for £2 is also good and most people can spare that. Don’t feel shy about asking be proud to be raising money for a great char
ity.
How will you celebrate when you complete all your challenges for this year?
I am planning to go to Seville with three girlfriends afterwards, but the best thing will be knowing I have raised £8,000 for one of the best children’s charities in the UK and that I have helped children like Alby get back on his feet.
Thanks so much for chatting with us Angela. We wish you all the best with reaching your 100% fundraising target and for the two half marathons in September. Do let us know how you get on!
Emma Britnell - Loch Ness Marathon
www.justgiving.com/emmaslochnessmarathon
When we found out that Emma was going to be running the Loch Ness Marathon in October, we got in touch to ask her how her fundraising’s going and what’s driving her to take up this huge challenge.
Here’s what she has to say…
1) Did you find it easy to create a JustGiving page?
I found it very straightforward to set up my JustGiving page. It didn’t take very long, the site was simple to use and it’s quite easy for friends and family to access. I think the hardest part was to think of something to write in the description section.
2) How have you shared your JustGiving page with your friends and family?
I’ve created a Facebook page with a link to the site and the link is in my e-mail signature. I’ve got a few older relatives who aren’t technically minded so they’re donating the old fashioned sponsorship form way.
3) Have you been surprised at how much you have fundraised?
Unfortunately, not many people have made a donation yet which is disappointing. However, Macmillan Cancer Support has been announced as the charity of the year by my employer, Lloyds Pharmacy, so I’m hoping that when my boss makes his next scheduled visit to our store at the end of the month I can raise some further support through them.
We have a weekly newsletter that goes out to all the stores via the comapny intranet which should spread the word a bit. I’m also hoping he’ll let me order a fundraising poster direct from Macmillan that we can display in the pharmacy window.
4) What motivated you to run the Loch Ness Marathon and to fundraise?
I’ve always wanted to do a marathon and chose Loch Ness because my grandad loved Scotland and we went on numerous family holidays there when I was younger. I love the loch myself and am looking forward to going back there for the first time in years. Hopefully the scenery will be a bit more inspiring than an inner city race as well. This is my first marathon and I just felt that if I was going to do it I might as well do it for a good cause.
5) What will the money you have raised mean for your charity?
I chose Macmillan mainly because I felt it was the kind of charity that quite a few people would sponsor me for, it was just coincidece that it was chosen as the Lloyds Pharmacy charity. Hopefully any money I raise will be put towards supporting cancer patients and their families, it’s an incredibly hard time for people.
Thanks Emma - and good luck.
As there’s still over three months to go until the race (and JustGiving pages stay open for three months after the event too), there’s still lots of time to raise money.
If you’ve got any tips for Emma, or other fundraisers reading this, please share them by clicking on the comment link below.
Gareth Jones
http://www.justgiving.com/garethjones16
What made you decide to run the London Marathon?
I wanted to set myself a significant enough challenge that would motivate people to sponsor me - the FLM is perhaps the most well known and easily recognised challenge so …. It was my first ever marathon though and I really enjoyed it.
Why did you choose to run for Combat Stress?
I lost my Brother, Craig Jones, in the battle for Mount Longdon during the 1982 Falklands Conflict. In 2002 my father and I had the chance to join 200 Veterans on a pilgrimage to the Falkland Islands to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Conflict. I was able to travel throughout the Islands following the course of the war right through from the San Carlos landing site to the Capital, Port Stanley. We visited Goose Green, Teal Inlet, Bluff Cove and the mountains around Stanley. I was able to climb Mount Longdon with some of the men of 3 Para that actually fought the battle for the mountain and got a first-hand account of what happened. My visit culminated with my father and I laying a small wreath at the exact spot where my Brother was killed by enemy artillery – being a peaty area, the crater was still fully visible.
I also got the chance to speak with the Veterans and hear their stories. It was a really emotional experience and I could not help but be moved by what these once young men had witnessed and experienced – most of them are still haunted by what they had gone through. For many of the Veterans this was their first visit to the Islands, being unable to bring themselves to visit sooner. I witnessed how the pilgrimage helped them bury their demons and to deal with the stress and anxiety that still remained with them so many years after the war officially ended.
The pilgrims were supported during the visit by staff of the charity Combat Stress. They worked tirelessly to counsel the Veterans and talk them through their emotions and troubles. I was in awe of the work they did and the results that they seemed to be getting so I decided to do my bit and raise money for them so that they could continue their great work.
How did you find running the marathon?
I loved it. Having never run a marathon before, I had no idea how I would cope, what the experience would be like - nothing. On the day, the crowd was fantastic! I latched onto a group of runners following a Runner’s World pacer, and got talking to a lady who was an experienced marathon runner - for miles the crowd kept shouting her name and encouraging her “Go on Gilly”"Keep it up Gilly”, “great job Gilly, you can do it” etc - after a couple of miles I asked her how she knew so many people and was so famous? She showed me that her name was printed on the front of her shirt and that people just shouted encouragement!
What helped keep you going along the way?
I had worked out that every mile I ran I was raising £75, and I kept counting off the money. It sounds soppy, but I also knew that the people I was raising money for were struggling every hour of every day - I was just experiencing discomfort for a few hours and then it would stop - compared to their suffering, this was nothing. Plus, how could I not do it and let them down? Servicemen and women do so much for this country and I just have to help them back. At the registration at ExCel, there was a Adidas banner that had a quote that went something like “Some days, I just can’t believe that I can run a marathon - for the rest of my life I will know that I have” - I just stopped and stared at it for a few minutes and thought how wonderful it was, it really bought a lump to my throat; every time I got a bit tired, I thought of that quote and it keep me going.
How will the money you have raised help your charity?
Combat Stress will use the money to support the ex-servicemen and women who find them. It takes on average 12 years of suffering before they contact Combat Stress. Once they find them, they get counselling, support and therapy to help them deal with their problems, its truly amazing and I cannot think of a better charity to raise money for.
Will you keep in touch with the charity?
This is the second year I’ve raised money for Combat Stress and I will continue to raise money for them for as long as I am able.
Would you run the marathon again?
I’ve already got my name in the ballot for the 2010 London Marathon, plus I’m training for a number of other half marathons - I’ve got the bug!
Would you recommend the experience?
Without hesitation - it gives you a renewed sense of faith in people, and a confidence in yourself that last forever.
What’s been good (or bad) about using Justgiving?
I’ve found Just giving a really simple and effective way to raise money. Plus the tips and gadgets are really useful (I’ve used the Just Giving logo shortcut to my site on all my e-mails). Plus, every weeks I sent out a blog to all my e-mail contacts to keep them up-to-date; without fail, within 12 hours of sending out that blog I’d have another 5 to 10 sponsors through Just Giving. Now I’ve done the run, I don’t have to spend ages going round collecting all their money - its done for me!
Becki Ellsmore
www.justgiving.com/beckisavestherhinos
Becki Ellsmore (bekibutton on Twitter) came into JG Towers yesterday for a post-marathon chat and we grabbed the chance to have a quick interview with her, about how it feels to run those 26.2 miles, how her fundraising will help Save the Rhino and what on earth she’s going to do next…
So Becki, talk us through your day yesterday… how nervous were you?
I managed to reach a state of Zen-like calm (possibly thanks to the powerful painkillers!). I think I was more in a state of expectation than actually having bad nerves, I just wanted to get going!
Did you meet anyone at the start or along the way?
I met up with some fellow rhino runners at the start – including Stephanie, Neil and Christine, and bumped into @thebeccaboop from Twitter at about 22 miles. It’s crazy to meet up with people you’ve met online, when the chances of seeing them are 35,000-1!
How does it feel to be part of that enormous crowd of runners, as you set off?
It was amazing to see all of the runners spread out in front of me, so many people! It was great to think that all of us had the same goal and would help each other through.
How did you deal with the heat?
Not very well to be honest. As most of the training is done during the winter it’s hard to train in warm conditions, and I don’t deal with heat very well even when I’m not running a marathon! I had a dry mouth but was not actually thirsty so it was difficult to get the balance of water right.
What were the hardest parts?
I always knew the 13-22 mile section would be the hardest, as you’re running away from the finish on a big round loop. The heat really started to affect me at around mile 16-17 and I was forced to walk. Once you’re back out past 22 miles and heading towards the finish the miles seem to fly by!
What helped keep you going along the way?
The supporters were amazing! I know everyone says so and it’s almost a cliché but the amount of times I heard my name being cheered, or someone yelling ‘Go Rhino Head!’ (‘Er, thanks’) really helped get me through. And of course seeing the lovely Justgiving crew along the course was really good too ?
How was it running in costume?
It was interesting to run in a rhino hat, it got so much attention! Most people recognised it as a rhino horn although a few did mistake it for an elephant (easy mistake to make), a unicorn (err…) and even a shark! (?!?!). I had a rhino ‘tail’ on my bottom too – if there are going to be lots of people looking at my bottom why not give them something to look at!? Weirdly the hat wasn’t making me overheat, as taking it off temporarily didn’t really make much difference.
Did you tweet at all, along the way?
I was thinking of tweeting from my mobile phone but having had experience of the phone networks on marathon day made me think the tweets probably wouldn’t get through. Plus it’s hard to text when you’re running!
Who was waiting for you at the end?
The amazing Save The Rhino guys were waiting for me and dragged me off to their picnic blanket and gave me food! I’ve been talking to lots of them online so it was great to meet them in real life and swap stories.
What time did you take to complete the course?
I took 6:28:32 which is at least less than 6.5 hours. I was hoping for more like 5.5 hours but the heat was just too much.
Do you know how the money you’ve raised is going to be used by Save the Rhino?
It will probably be used for translocations, community education, other community projects, ranger training, radio tracking equipment or something similar. I’m not sure if they have particular projects in mind for our marathon funds.
Will you keep in touch with the charity?
Definitely! They’ve been great, really helpful and supportive. In fact, I’m thinking of making this my Year of the Rhino (I like to have a project on the go!) and fundraising for the rest of the year.
Would you run the marathon again?
As I’ve already run it before, I’m highly unlikely to do it for a third time. I will probably keep up the running though, but stick to half marathon distance as that’s manageable and less likely to break me!
Would you recommend the experience?
Definitely! If you’re sensible, it’s an amazing once-in-a-lifetime experience that will give you a glow of satisfaction whenever you think about it – something to tell the grandkids! You can of course be one of those mental people who do it more than once though 
Are you going to keep actively fundraising while your Justgiving page is open for the next 3 months?
Yes. I set myself a high target so I need to keep fundraising at least until the end of May (the deadline). Once my London Marathon page expires I will set up a long-term page that’s not fixed to an event to enable people to donate online even though the marathon has passed.
What’s been good (or bad) about using Justgiving?
It makes the sponsorship side of fundraising so much easier. Instead of wandering around with a sponsorship form and having to nag people to give their money, they do it online, it’s quick, easy and probably more secure than having your address (and sponsorship amount!) on a form for everyone to see! About half of my donations have come from people I’ve met online (especially on Twitter), and being able to link to a fundraising page from my blog has proved lucrative too. I had a donation from someone whose picture I’d linked to from my marathon poem and I hadn’t even told them I’d linked to it! It’s donations like that that restore my faith in the human race 
Justgiving is a very well known brand/site, it’s easy to use (for both fundraiser and donor), and when your customers ask for improvements to the site (such as being able to use PayPal to donate), you listen and implement them. I love a company that listens to its customers!
Any message you’d like to give to other marathon runners today?
I hope you can all still walk and you don’t ache too much. Try to keep moving (although you might want to go down stairs backwards, it’s less painful). Treat yourself to your favourite food (mine is Lemon Puff biscuits) – you’ve earned it!
Thanks Becki - great to know your experiences and lovely to see you in the office today - a real post-marathon treat.
You can now grab a Justgiving URL for next year’s marathon by making a page at londonmarathon.justgiving.com
Laura Roth and Katie Pinnes
http://www.justgiving.com/lauraandkatie
Laura and Katie got in touch recently to let us know about their fundraising drive for this year’s London marathon, to raise money for Children in Crisis.
Here’s Laura, to tell us the story of why they’re doing it, and how it’s going…
What inspired you to run the marathon?
Four years ago, my 28-year-old brother Nick died in a tragic climbing accident in Nicaragua. Nick was passionate about helping children less fortunate than him, and in his job as a lawyer he dedicated many hours to pro bono work. It is Nick’s drive, determination and desire to help others that inspired Katie and I to run the marathon and raise as much money for Children in Crisis in his honour as we can.
Experiencing first hand how life can sometimes be cut tragically short made us realise that, if you have ever dreamt of doing something, you should try your best to go and do it when you have the opportunity. All our lives we have shared a dream to run the London Marathon, but it was Nick who inspired us to chase our dream and get a place this year.
Have you been surprised by how much you’ve raised?
There are no words to describe how we feel about everyone that has pledged their support to our challenge. At the start we had a dream target of £5,000, but now we are determined to hit £6,000 as we are so close.
Justgiving has made donating really easy. All the messages of support have kept us going for the last few months when the weather has been miserable and the sight of a treadmill has been too much to handle!
Can you tell us more about your charity?
Children in Crisis provides children in some of the world’s poorest countries the educational opportunities they need to help transform their lives. At the heart of their ethos is the belief that education is an essential tool to overcome poverty.
The charity has been active through a number of different projects in countries around the world including Afghanistan, East Timor, China, India and Sierra Leone. A link to the charity is available through our Justgiving page.
How’s your training going?
Our training has gone really well and we’re now well into the ‘taper’ zone. Plenty of Lucozade Sport, pasta and Mars bars have been involved, but we can safely say we are both sick of our playlists on our iPod.
Our longest run a few weeks ago went well and we are both so excited to make it to the start line, bright and early in less than a week. Bring on the big day!
What are you looking forward to about the race?
We have been amazed by the number of people that have said that they will come and watch us. A few of our friends and family have taken charge to ‘rally the troops’ and organise people the whole way along the route. We know that Children in Crisis will be there as well to cheer us on and it will be hard to miss us with our bright yellow vests and a picture of Nick on the back to keep us going.
We are also excited for the special atmosphere across the whole course, and the final 200 metres down Pall Mall which every past marathon runner has told us is an unforgettable experience. We are looking forward to seeing London from a different perspective and can’t wait to take it all in and feel like ’stars’ for the day.
Is there anything you’re not looking forward to?
We’ve heard that 20-26 miles are really difficult, but after a certain jelly bean tip at the Justigiving event last week by Monty Halls, we will be taking his advice and treating ourselves to a sweet every mile. We keep asking ourselves what we are going to do after it’s all over as it will be strange to get back to a normal life without such a busy training schedule to fit in! Somehow, we don’t think we’ll miss the treadmill!
What are your best fundraising tips?
We’ve set up a group on Facebook, tweeted many times and updated our members regularly.
We have also sent our story to a couple of local newspapers, who have written articles on us to raise awareness both of our challenge and Children in Crisis.
We have told everyone willing to listen about our marathon quest. The best fundraising tip we can give is to slip the marathon into any given conversation whenever anyone asks how you are.
Where can people sponsor you?
Please visit http://www.justgiving.com/lauraandkatie
and we’ve also made a video on YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2tnWPZ8hIQ
Greg Allon (@gregallon)
http://www.justgiving.com/gregallon2
Greg got in touch in response to our blog post on Twitter, Justgiving and fundraising, to let us know how he’s using Twitter, not just before, but *during* the London Marathon.
We’re really interested in what he’s doing and think you will be too. Over to Greg:
“I’m running the FLM for Myeloma UK (of which I am a trustee) next month, and as a recent convert to Twitter, I have been integrating it into my fundraising efforts over the past couple of weeks.
I am going to tweet live while I run the marathon.
As far as I can tell from my initial research, I’m not the very first person to tweet a marathon but I’m certainly one of the first, and the couple of people who I’ve traced who have already done it don’t appear to have done so with the intention of promoting it to make money.”
Keen to find out more, we asked Greg a few questions about his marathon experiences so far, and his inventive fundraising approach. Here’s what he said.
What inspired you to run the marathon?
I’ve been running for years in a fairly aimless fashion, but I entered a race a couple of years ago and trained in a more focused way for it - I found it incredibly motivating to see how quickly I improved (albeit from a pretty slow start-point). After that I was hooked.
Are you running for anyone in particular?
I’m running for Myeloma UK.
Can you tell us more about your charity?
Myeloma UK is an amazing organisation, I got involved with them a couple of years ago when I became a trustee.
Myeloma is a really horrible form of bone marrow cancer, and MUK does truly wonderful work across the board - providing patients with support and advice, funding medical research, and lobbying to ensure that patients have better access to treatment. I am in awe of the work that they do, and I am desperate to raise as much money as possible to help them with that work.
How’s your fundraising going?
It’s going well thanks. I originally set a fundraising target of £2,000, and I’m just about to hit the £1,000 mark, with a month to go and, hopefully, lots of donations from family and friends still to come in. But I’m now scheming to build my fundraising campaign up a bit so that I can raise more money for the charity.
How has Twitter helped with your fundraising?
The Twitter element is new, so I haven’t yet made any extra money using it. I realised that it’s a brilliant way of keeping people involved while I run, by sending messages (tweets) and pictures during the race.
I’ve set myself a pretty ambitious target of finishing in under three and a half hours, and it’s quite possible that I will fail, so this adds a bit of dramatic tension which people can watch play out on the day. My task now is to build up a Twitter following who will tune in on the day and, I hope, give money to a wonderful cause.
What are you looking forward to about the race?
The London Marathon is one of the world’s great races, so I’m incredibly excited to be part of that. I’m also a bit of a technology geek, so for me this is the perfect marrying of running and gadgets. And I’m tense, but excited, about whether I manage to break my target time - now that I’ve been completely public about it, there’s a bit of pride at stake, I could well crash and burn!
How are you planning to manage your tweeting, so it doesn’t slow you down to much?
My wife has kindly agreed to let me use her iPhone on the day - I’ve set it up with a big keyboard so that it’s relatively easy to type short messages. I’ll also make my ‘audience’ aware in advance of a few abbreviations (e.g. 3m = 3 miles) in advance, to save time.
When I get too tired I’ll send photos of the mile markers, so people can work out how I’m doing. I’m aware that I’ll probably lose a few minutes by doing this, but hope to make it up across the 26 miles - it’s worth it if it allows me to raise more money for Myeloma UK.
Is there anything you’re not looking forward to?
Everyone warns me about ‘the wall’ - I hope I can minimise the impact, but no doubt my body will start protesting about this ridiculous activity at some point.
Have you got any more good fundraising tips to pass on?
- Don’t be embarrassed to ask people, I’ve found most people to be incredibly generous and receptive.
- Remind people - if they don’t sponsor you within a day or two of receiving a request, most people won’t get round to it until they receive a nudge.
- Anything that makes you stand out, and draws in people in who are outside your natural circle of donors, is worth trying out.
Where can people sponsor you/follow you?
You can sponsor me at www.justgiving.com/gregallon2
You can follow me on the day (or before) at www.twitter.com/gregallon
Thanks Greg - we’re following you! We’ll look forward to your tweets on the day…
