Tag: raising money

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