CHARITY ST.
Kevin Betts started fundraising after his father took his own life.
In 2011,
he ran 52 marathons in 52 weeks and this year he embarked on
Arc2Arch – running from the Arc de Triomph in Paris to London’s Marble Arch. Kevin spoke to NORTHERN RUNNING EGUIDE about what makes a successful fundraiser ...
All Betts On Kevin
CHOOSING YOUR CHARITY IT’S IMPORTANT to choose a charity you care about and because my dad had suffered from mental health problems, I wanted to run for an organisation doing work in that area. There were a few to choose from but I went for Rethink as they have a similar ethos to mine.
BEING ORIGINAL BECAUSE SO many people are running in races these days, you have to be quirky to get attention. The idea for the 52 marathons came
about one night in the pub. My mates and I were discussing fundraising and one said: “Marathons are nothing these days, everyone does them. You’d have to do one a week be- fore I would donate anything.” And straight away I said I’d do it.
NORTHERN RUNNING EGUIDE 18 STAYING MOTIVATED
IT’S EASY to stay motivated at the beginning of your challenge when everyone’s really excited about what you’re doing and also towards the end when you’ve almost completed it. But in the middle when nobody really gives a toss, that’s the tough- est part. Getting up in the mornings to train at the gym can be a struggle. The physical side of it is hard at first but soon it starts to become a mental challenge.
SUPPORTERS HAVING A strong team of supporters makes such a difference. In terms of my biggest supporters, it varies. My wife is definite- ly one of them. She was irritated when I first told her about wanting to do a marathon on our wedding day, but after speaking to her she understood why I wanted to do it and was really supportive.
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