charity

I have run a dozen marathons and countless other races of varying distances.  And I have never run, really, for anyone other than myself.  I enjoy running, and challenging myself by competing in races.  I have never run a marathon for charity.  That, however, is going to change this  October.

Many of the training programs for the Chicago Marathon start this weekend.  CARA and Team in Training are two of the biggest.  Many of the runners in those programs and others are running to raise money for charity.

Charity runners make up a growing number of the field in most major marathons around the world.  According to one estimate in the book "The Chicago Marathon", by Andrew Suozzo, charity runners make up as much as ten percent of the field in Chicago.  The largest race for charity participation is the London marathon.  76% of the runners there are raising money for charity, and they raise more than fifty million dollars!  In Chicago the figure is closer to ten million.

The reasons I have never joined the ranks of the charity runners are several.  First, I tend to train on my own or with a couple select friends.  I have never joined a big training group, and don't plan to this time around.  Second, I really don't like asking people for money.  I am usually the first to donate to others when they are doing a run or walk to raise money, but I would rather not do it myself.

So what changed this time around?  Well, this is the first year that the American Lung Association of Chicago has been one of the official charities.  I have a long association with them dating back to their former ownership of the Chicago Distance Classic.  I even introduced my wife to them several years ago, and she now works for them.  It's a great organization, doing good work in the city.  They were instrumental in making Chicago a 'smoke-free' city last year, and they are continuing work to enforce and strengthen that ordinance. 

I was not really planning on running Chicago this fall.  I have my sights set on New York in November.  But they convinced me to do it for the Lung Power team.  And so I have committed.  That means I really am running it for charity, and would not have planned on doing it otherwise.

Last year I ran and was the honorary captain for Nike's 'Northside team'.  The made a huge contribution to charity as a result of that competition.  I, however, never had to ask anyone for money.  And I won't now.  But I will include a link to my fund-raising page with the Lung Power team.  Feel free to visit if you like.  https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=226982&lis=1&kntae226982=98F051DC3012424697860B4B25F20264&supId=14678625

See you on the roads!