HOW TO Plan a running event Holding a run is a great way to get supporters to join
in a physical activity that will appeal to all fitness levels By Daniel Etherington
‘Last year, our Spring Chicken Run raised over £4,000’ At Pendock Primary School, running is a big part of our culture. Our small school is located in a rural area on the borders of Gloucestershire, Worcestershire and Herefordshire, and there are plenty of local races and parkruns for everyone to participate in. The school is lucky to have a large outside area, and the children are always keen to take part in running activities such as the Virtual London Marathon, local cross-country events and the Daily Mile initiative, where children run or jog for 15 minutes a day. The Spring Chicken Run started in
2013 as a way to raise funds for the school to install solar panels. The run consists of a 10km and a 5km race as well as a 1km fun run, which is always popular with the children and families of runners participating in the longer races. Former students and their families often take part too. The cost of the 1km run is subsidised by the other races, so we can encourage more children to get involved without money becoming a barrier. On the Friday before the event, we
set up at the school. The following day, we mark out the route. The timing crew arrives early on race day to set up and check the course. Participating runners – often more than 500 – register and collect their numbers in the school hall. We hold the race briefing on the school playground, and the races finish on the school field. The PTA provide a left luggage room for the runners, and sell refreshments. School families, staff and other volunteers help by marshalling, serving refreshments, and setting up and clearing away.
40 SUMMER 2024
pta.co.uk Last year, the Spring Chicken Run
raised over £4,000. The funds paid for the children’s pantomime and their Christmas dinner. We put the remainder towards transport for school trips and the renovation of the early years outside area. Suzanne Massey, chair, Friends of Pendock School, Pendock Primary School (50 pupils)
runpendock.co.uk
‘We turned our fun run into an adults versus kids competition’ Every year, our school, St Mary’s in Oxted, holds a whole-school fun run during school hours. Last year, the PTA organised an additional run on a Sunday afternoon so entire families could participate. Pupils normally run around the playing field, but as the forecast was for bad weather, the PTA used the paths around the edges of the playground. Spectators stood in the middle to watch. Because of the cost of living
crisis, we decided not to ask children to get sponsored and opted for a ticketed event. The main focus was to bring the community together rather than raise a large amount of money. We used the proceeds to cover the cost of the medals, and a small amount went to the PTA’s general funds. To encourage people to join in,
we made it into a big competition: who could complete the most laps, adults or children? Every time someone finished a lap, they had to put a ball in either the ‘adult’ box or the ‘child’ box, creating a visual reminder of who was leading. The children won with 486 laps, while the adults only managed 307 laps! The run took place in truly awful weather. We had to scrap
many of our additional outdoor plans and instead made use of a single available room. The fact that so many people turned up just shows how wonderful and supportive our parent community is! We raised £700, making around £400 from ticket sales and £300 from stalls. Jessica Bush, PTA chair, St Mary’s, Oxted (630 pupils)
Step by step
Six months before: Meet with the school to set a date that doesn’t conflict with other activities. Discuss the potential route. Holding the run at the school or a local athletics track may be easier than at the park or in open countryside. Investigate permissions (particularly if you are holding the event in a public space) and insurance requirements. Begin the application process or schedule some reminders.
Three months before: Confirm which stalls you will include and the
requirement for volunteers and facilities. Decide if runners will ask for sponsorship, if you will charge an entry fee and how people will get this money to you. Prepare an information pack, including terms and conditions, and information about how to enter. Contact local businesses and other partners for event sponsorship.
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