The Greatest of These Is Charity

Considering the Future of Running and Charity Giving

Indeed, that sport we know has already been nearly eclipsed by charity fund raising in the press. Running Times daily receives four or five press releases about running events. Today’s are typical—all of them in their headlines mention the dollars raised for good causes. A recent newsletter of the Association of International Marathons urges race directors to enter into partnerships with charities because "you will immediately legitimize the race to local authorities who may previously have been reluctant to give you space on their roads," and because fund raising generates "extra publicity and media awareness." It is charity money, wholly unconnected to running excellence, that now gives running mainstream acceptance by media and public, charity money that defines the success of events, charity money that provides a sense of social validation. We applaud the good causes, but are concerned by the implications for an activity now defined by only three kinds of media story—the Olympics, drugs and money raised for causes. The sport in between, with all its variety, vitality and benefits for individual empowerment and community health, seems increasingly difficult to find.

Room For All?

For its part, the London Marathon sees the issue as a matter of balance. "The Marathon is not just about how fast people can run," said David Bedford, London’s race director and once world 10,000 meters record holder. "It is also about fun and fancy dress, and running for a variety of motives. We do not make a judgment between someone raising money for charity and a club runner in serious training."

Many committed runners protest that coveted race numbers go to novices. Running for a charity has become a widely recognized way of gaining entry to limited races like London and Boston, and the charity training teams use their guaranteed entries as a major recruiting point. Bedford sees no harm in this.

"We also give up to five entries to every registered club in the U.K.," says Bedford, adding, "We have quite modest standards of 3:15 for men and 3:45 for women that guarantee entry."

New Blood

To be fair, running has certainly been the beneficiary of someone else’s superior recruitment and motivation skills. "Without the charity coverage," opines April Powers, a coach for TNT in Northern California, "there wouldn’t be any coverage in the general media." The charities can justly argue that they bring thousands into running, and revived it in the late1980s when the first boom began to fizzle out.

Echoing many voices of those who participate and promote the charity organizations, Shay, who now considers running a major part of her life, says, "I wouldn’t have started running if it weren’t for this program ... there are many, like me, who wouldn’t have thought of it were it not for something like a charity that provides the motivation to get off the couch."