The Greatest of These Is Charity
Considering the Future of Running and Charity Giving
By Jonathan Beverly, Roger Robinson
As featured in the September 2003 issue of Running Times Magazine
In the rising demographic forces of modern running, now abideth these three: women, older runners, and charity; but the greatest of these is charity.
St. Paul’s famous line is too good to miss when the subject is charity. And in modern running, the subject very often is charity. In 20 years, the association between running and charitable fund-raising has exploded into a defining characteristic of the sport. Thousands of races take their name and/or mission from the charities they support. Hundreds of thousands of runners find motivation, inspiration and approval from dedicating their personal race to a greater cause. In America, official endorsement has now come in the creation of awards for the Charitable Race of the Year and Charitable Organization of the Year by USA Track & Field (USATF).