Tag: fundraising

Tips and tricks to fundraise by running!

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi, and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

We all run for different reasons. For some people, it’s all about the times – every race you do, you’re focused on improving – doing better than you did last time out and beating your personal best. For others, it’s a way to unwind – a sociable, healthy way to escape from the stresses and strains of daily life.

A chance to make a difference

But for many, running is also a way to do good – to raise money or awareness for a cause that’s important to them, or even to remember a loved one. Running for a charity is an incredible motivator – you know that every step you take, however hard it is, is making a difference.

So, how do you make the most out of a fundraising run?

Spread the word

Well, first of all you need to shout about it – tell your friends, tell your work colleagues, tell the world. This is actually also a great motivation tool in itself – once everyone knows that you’ve signed up for the run it makes it a lot harder to pull out – and the encouragement you’ll get from everyone who knows you’re taking part will see you through.

Get social

If you use it, social media is clearly a great way to promote your fundraising effort. The key to making it a success – a little like running itself – is to keep up the momentum. Tell your friends on Facebook – you could even create an event and invite them – post training update pictures on Instagram and make it easy to donate with a fundraising page on JustGiving. Mention the charity or cause you’re fundraising for on Twitter and you might get a retweet from the charity themselves to help spread the word. And if you’re really committed, you could even set up a blog to document every step of your training programme.

Just go for it

So, next time you sign up for a race, consider using it as a way to raise money or awareness for a good cause. That way you’ll not only be helping yourself by getting fitter – you’ll be making a huge difference to others too.

Until the next time,

Mohsin Salya.

Focus on: Wings for Life World Run, Dubai

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Photo credit: Wings for Life World Run

Hi, welcome back to the Mosin Salya blog.

There are some awesome marathons around the world, and if you’ve not ran one in another country then I highly recommend it. In this series I’ll be focusing on marathons from around the world to give you an idea of what to expect if you’re considering trying out a new one.

Today, I’m sharing with you the Wings for Life World Run, and more specifically the Dubai version.

Wings for Life World Run

The Wings for Life World Run started out as a simple idea – what if you could get the whole world running on the same day at the same time? And that has been one of the unique selling points of this marathon which is held all over the world.

The other unique selling point of this marathon series is that it is 100% for charity. Wings for Life’s mission is to make spinal cord injury curable, and after two years of planning, CEO Anita Gerhardter was successful in making the marathon series a reality.

However, there’s also a twist. Equipped with sensors, The Catcher Cars are vehicles that will literally catch the runners not running towards a finish line, but away from the finish line that chased them. These cars are usually driven by some very recognisable faces, previously including Formula One driver David Coulthard, Paris-Dakar champion Marc Coma and Stratos jumper Felix Baumgartner.

The marathons are open to absolutely everyone – from fun runners, ultrarunners, global contenders and wheelchair users. The race starts at 11am UTC in all countries worldwide, making this a truly unique marathon.

Dubai

For three years now the Wings for Life Word Run has been held in the second largest emirate, Dubai. Symbolic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, Dubai houses the world’s tallest building – the Buri Khalifa.

Runners of the Wings for Life World Run Dubai will brave the 45 degree heat to run for those who can’t. The marathon is whatever you want it to be – a fun 5k race, a 10k race, a marathon race or whatever distance suits you!

The race starts in Dubai at 3:00pm local time on May 7 2017. 30 minutes after the start, the Catcher Cars will set off, chasing runners until the last female and male are caught. Registration costs 195.00 AED, and 100% of all the registration fees to straight to Wings for Life-funded spinal cord injury research projects.

More information about where to find the Wings for Life World Run of your choice can be found here.

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya

How to Survive Race Day

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi there and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya blog.

Even for the most experienced of runners, race day can be stressful. With all the hard work you’ve put in to achieve your goal, you want to arrive at the finish line feeling proud of what you’ve achieved.

Whether you’re gearing up for your very first 5K or taking on a marathon for the 100th time, these pointers are great to bear in mind for the big day to make sure everything goes smoothly.

Wear your name

This may seem quite obvious, but many runners often overlook this simple confidence boosting tip. If you wear your name across your chest, people will cheer for you! The louder the cheers, the more you are spurred on and the better your race will be – enjoy your moment to shine.

Walk the walk

If this is your first long distance event, don’t be afraid to factor a few walk breaks into your race. We all need to start somewhere and expecting to finish a long-distance run without the odd break is a big ask. Additionally, if you mentally decide to factor in some walk breaks, you won’t feel guilty about it come race day and you’ll be more likely to maintain a positive mind-set.

Get chatty

If you feel yourself beginning to struggle, it’s a good idea to find an interesting looking runner in your close vicinity and strike up a conversation. Exchanging a few words of encouragement will work wonders for you both, taking your minds off the miles ahead.

Rubber band technique

The rubber band technique is ideal for runners who struggle with self-doubt. Wear a rubber band around your wrist on race day, and every time a negative thought sneaks into your mind, ping it. That little pinch is enough to snap you back into race mode so you can carry on with a fresh wave of motivation.

Pick the perfect outfit

If you wear your favourite running gear – something you feel and look good in – your race is guaranteed to go well. However, make sure you opt for something you’re used to running in and have worn before to avoid the dreaded chafe. Or if you’re feeling particularly daring, opt for fancy dress and enjoy the cheers from the crowds as you whiz by.

Just smile

Even if you’re having a tough time out there, just smile. If you smile every time you see a camera en-route, you’re likely to sail through the race. A recent study found that even forced smiles can decrease your stress and make you feel happier. After all, you’ll treasure the race day pictures forever so you want to be smiling on them!

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya

How Can I Spread The Word About My Fundraiser?

Posted on by Mohsin Salya

Hi and welcome back to the Mohsin Salya Blog.

When you’re running a marathon for a chosen charity, you obviously want to raise as much money for you can for said charity. However, you may be stuck on how you can spread the word about your fundraising efforts. In this post I’ve put together some tips that helped me reach my targets.

Share your page

It may seem obvious, but many don’t think about setting up an online page. There are many to choose from, JustGiving being the most popular, and they enable you to tell everyone about the marathon you’re running and the charity you’re doing it for. Having a page enables people to donate to you quickly and anonymously (if they so wish) and is far more convenient.

Sharing this page on all your social media sites will give it maximum exposure and should get you plenty of donations. Don’t forget to keep your supporters updated on your progress and your training with posts, photos and videos. This will keep your supporters interested and you may even get some shares, maximising your reach.

Host an event

After your friends and family have generously donated to your fundraiser, you may be wondering how else you can now make up your target. Holding a fundraising event is a great way ask for donations from people outside of your circles and reach that target. You could hold a movie night and ask people to donate an amount for entry, hold a ‘dry’ night out where you could ask people to donate the money they saved on not buying alcohol, or hold a zumbathon to name just a few ideas. Even some simpler events such as a dinner party or a quiz night can work wonders when you’re trying to up your donations.

mohsin salya

Share information

Sharing as much information as possible with people about the cause you’re raising money for, online or face to face, can make a huge difference in the amount of donations you receive. When you’re sharing information about the charity, people will get a lot more invested in what it is you’re supporting and will understand where the money they’re donating is going to.

Plan realistically

The best and most manageable way to plan your fundraising is to break it down into small chunks. Having smaller targets in order to reach your whole target will make the process seem a lot easier. Think about who exactly it is you can engage with different fundraising activities. For example you may want to do different activities with different groups of people – friends, family, colleagues and the local community.

Good luck with your fundraising,

Until next time,

Mohsin Salya