Thank you very much for signing up to run the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Doctors of the World UK. We really appreciate all the time and effort that you are about to dedicate to raise funds to support our work.
See below for information about race day timings, training and fundraising.
Race Day Information
Provisional timetable:
08:00
Baggage area opens - you will be given two numbered wristbands, one for your wrist and one to be attached to your kit bag - this will be different from your running number
09:00
Warm up led by Matt Roberts Personal Training - suitable for all levels
09:07
All runners enter the start funnels according to the colour of their running number
09:30
The race begins. All 15,000 runners will start simultaneously
10:30 - 14:00
Runners finish (same place as start line), receive their medals and return to the village area to collect baggage, meet friends and family and enjoy the Brakes Food & Fitness Festival
16:00
Brakes Food & Fitness Festival closes - the event finishes
Important reminders for the race day:
- Attach your timing chip to your shoe
- There are no changing areas, so arrive dressed to run with your runner number attached to your shirt.
- Pack warm clothes and money for refreshments for after the race.
- Do not run if you feel unwell on the day!
What to eat?
Before the events: eat lots of carbohydrates and drink plenty of fluids in the two days prior to the run, but don't drink excessively. Avoid alcohol and caffeine the night before the event.
On the day: Eat something light for breakfast and make sure you drink enough water in the morning.
During the run: There will be five water stations and two Lucozade Sport Stations.
Training
- Make a training plan to avoid overtraining in the as the race is getting closer. Set yourself a realistic target and remember to listen to your body.
- Muscles strengthening exercises are key to keeping your muscles in good condition.
- Remember to do your stretches to condition the muscles
- Don't train when you are ill or injured - adapt your training plan to take this into account instead.
- Join a local running club or find a friend to run with
- Pacing is important to prevent the common mistake of starting too fast and then running out of energy and strength.
- You should be prepared 10 days before the race, so that you're body can recover and prepare
- Make sure you get enough rest before the race day.
- Getting your water balance right is essential before, during and after the run. Make sure you're properly hydrated, but do not drink excessively.
The Royal Parks Foundation has prepared detailed training programs.
Click here to see the Royal Parks' beginner half marathon training plan
Click here to see the Royal Parks' intermediate half marathon training plan
Fundraising
We hope some of the hints and ideas below will make the fundraising easier for you.
- The most important principle of all is: if you don't ask, you don't get! Also, always remember to follow up!
- Don't be daunted by the total - break it down into manageable targets
- Create a Justgiving page, enablinging friends and family to make a safe and secuyre online donation, by following these 4 simple steps:
1) Go to: http://www.justgiving.com/medecinsdumonde/raisemoney/
2) Select 'Make Your Page'
3) You will then be directed to fill out your personal information as well as given the chance to personalize your page, by photos, your own story, etc.
4) Email the link to friends and family, who can then make a secure, online donation
- If you can, change your email auto-signature at work and/or home. Include a link to the web page you have set up on www.justgiving.com and also include Doctors of the World UK's web site address so people can see the work that we do www.doctorsoftheworld.org.uk
- Send your fundraising emails on pay day
- Make it easy for people to sponsor you, by explaining to them the type of work that MdM UK does and how your friends' sponsorship will help to support this.
- Give a sponsorship form to friends and family (enclosed), and ask them to ask their own contacts to sponsor you. Successful fundraising works best when you have a broad network of contacts. Use them!
- Street Fundraising; approach your local council to see if you can stage a street collection. This is a great way of raising funds from people you don't know, as well as helping Doctors of the World UK raise its profile. Doctors of the World UK can supply collection tins / buckets and seals for the tins on request.
- Approach your employer; ask you employer if they 'match-give'. This means that you raise £225 and they sponsor you £225 to match your efforts. Some employers will turn you down flat, but you will be surprised how many companies will support you.
- Organize a Half Marathon event; here are some suggestion of events that have worked in the past for our fundraisers:
- Hold a quiz night and charge for entry
- Hold a dinner and ask people to make a donation
- Hold a raffle; ask local shops if they will donate any goods that can be used as prizes. Do you know a hairdresser, mechanic or gardener who would donate their service as a prize?
- Organise a five-a-side football/ netball/ cricket / sports match; charge a team entry fee; sell refreshments and run a sweepstake at the same time.
- Run an auction of promises. Contact your friends and see what they can offer: babysitting, washing, hairdressing, gardening, photography, decorating etc ...
- Sponsored "lunch-run". Offer to pop out and buy lunch for your busy colleagues. At 20p a go, five lunches a day will raise over £20 in a month.
- Birthday card amnesty: Get your friends to send you a small donation, instead of a card or a present.
- Car boot sale or selling unwanted items on eBay.
- Raffle your services for a day to iron, clean, cook, dog walk, babysit.
- Send a press release to your local paper. Local newspapers, local radio and TV are always on the look out for a good story, especially when it involves such an interesting angle. Contact us if you would like a sample letter, and remember to send us a copy of the article!
