Category Archives: Charity

Maasai Take on London

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Maasai Warriors from Tanzania will be taking on the London Marathon this weekend to raise awareness and funds for their home villages. According to the BBC, six warriors will compete in the race to provide safe drinking water for their village.

The warriors will not cave into modern technology such as shoes or tech running clothes, instead they will run in their traditional clothing, which includes using old tires for shoes. I guess they are following the principal of not trying anything new on race day!

The Maasai lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle where cows are a valued asset.

They are known for their running abilities and traditionally live on a diet featuring blood and milk.

Isaya, who is leading the Maasai team, said previously: “Our elders told us that we can do it because we have been running all over for killing a lion and herding cattle.

“We can help them by getting them clean water so right now all of us are training very hard because we want to do it to make life easier for the Maasai people.”

So far the group has raised about L13,000 (British Pounds) it is estimated that the project will cost between 20,000 – 60,000 British Pounds to provide safe drinking water. The Massai Marathon is made possible through a conservation/development group called Greenforce. They have created a website that is dedicated to raising money and keeping in touch with supporters.

You can also see their official YouTube video:

On a related note Yahoo! News is reporting that the Massai diet and fluid strategy is to drink cow’s blood.

They will run in traditional dress — a red “shuka” blanket toga and car-tire sandals — carrying spears and shields showing their running numbers, and will sing and dance along the 26.2 mile route through the British capital.

“And we will do the whole marathon with no water,” Isaya adds. “We often travel for many days, eating only twice a day, and we have no water.”

“If we have no milk or meat, we cut the cow’s neck and let out the blood to drink. If I drink enough blood — maybe two or three liters — it gives me a lot of energy and I can go for days without food or water.”

Their goal time is under 4:30.

[tags] London Marathon, Maasai, Africa, Greenforce, Marathon [/tags]

ONE Campaign Wins 3000 Meter

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I am a strong supporter of the ONE Campaign and its efforts to “Make Poverty History” here in the US and around the world. I signed the declaration several years ago and have been active off and on since then. You may have seen celebrities and Presidential candidates wearing the little white bands and wondered what it was all about – this is it!

Here is the ONE Declaration:

“WE BELIEVE that in the best American tradition of helping others help themselves, now is the time to join with other countries in a historic pact for compassion and justice to help the poorest people of the world overcome AIDS and extreme poverty.

WE RECOGNIZE that a pact including such measures as fair trade, debt relief, fighting corruption and directing additional resources for basic needs – education, health, clean water, food, and care for orphans – would transform the futures and hopes of an entire generation in the poorest countries, at a cost equal to just one percent more of the US budget.

WE COMMIT ourselves – one person, one voice, one vote at a time – to make a better, safer world for all.”

I am a subscriber to the ONE blog, so I was a little surprised when I saw this headline: White Band Storms 3000 Meter. There aren’t a lot of 3,000 meters out there so I was pretty sure it was a running story and sure enough there is a picture of World champion Ethiopian runner Meseret Defar who continued her 5-year undefeated streak by winning the 3000 meter at the World Indoor Championships on March8th.

Defar won the race while wearing a little white ONE Campaign arm band. (Image from Getty Images)

I think that is a great statement and is most certainly in the Olympic Spirit of unity and brotherhood.

[tags] Mesert Defar, ONE, IAAF, One Campaign [/tags]

Huck-a-Marathon

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Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee is also in the running for a marathon. The 112th running of the Boston Marathon to be exact. This is not his first marathon – he and his wife Janet ran the Little Rock Marathon and the Marine Corps Marathon in 2005. Mike finished in 4:39 and 4:37 respectively, and his wife finished in 7:40 and 7:07. In 2006 Mike ran the New York City Marathon in 5:33. He didn’t run any in 2007 or 2008 yet. (Results provided by MarathonGuide.com)

The Washington Post reported in 2005 that Huckabee passed on a Presidential Invitation for the Inauguration parade to go on a training run. That’s a little over the top maybe? Huckabee was also named “Athlete of the Week” by the USATF in the same year. Running’s governing body says the running governor inspired a 30% increase in marathon participation. Huckabee lost 110 pounds and went from the couch to 5K to Marathon in two years!

Huckabee is entering the Boston Marathon on a Charity Waiver provided through Team Hoyt Racing. (source)

Photo Credit

[tags] Huckabee, Marathon, Mike Huckabee, Boston Marathon [/tags]

Running with the Homeless

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In June I wrote about how we as runners do a lot to support charity. Most of our running adventures support organizations through fund raising efforts. A newer thing has been giving old shoes to international organizations to provide shoes for the shoeless.

Anne Mahlum took a different approach. On her morning runs she consistently passed a group of homeless guys. She got to know them through echanging greetings and such. One morning while running she decided to take it beyond pleasantries toward something life changing, for both her and her homeless friends.

But one day in May, Mahlum said, “I looked back, and I was like, ‘I am cheating these guys. Why am I just running past them and leaving them there?'”

Mahlum created the first homeless running club in Philadelphia. Then took it even further: She and her new friends created a non-profit called “Back on My Feet” to help the homeless men get back on their feet, literally and figuratively.

You can see more by watching this ABC News Clip and be sure to visit Back on My Feet.

[tags] Charity, Charitable, Running, Homeless, Back on My Feet [/tags]

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Charitable Running

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Most runners are good people! Some are even great people!! Runners as a whole may be some of the most giving individuals in the US.  That sounds like a crazy statement, but most of us tend to race on weekends and inevitably, that race raises money for a specific cause. If we added up all of the race fees that supported an organization it could be a significant amount.

It is probably safe to say that most runners don’t have a personal interest in every cause they support with their race calendar.  Although many will travel or make special exceptions for certain causes/events that are of particular interest.  I ran a 5K the weekend after the Mini because I wanted to support the organization.

Many non-runners take up the sport because of programs like Team-in-Training, that provide support and personalized training.  TNT boasts over 320,000 individuals have helped raise over $750 million.  That’s a ton of money raised by individuals for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. I have two friends (that I know of) who ran their first marathon because of TNT and in support or honor of a family member.

Using individuals in this manner has become a popular fund-raising method for large organizations across the country.  Its effective because it raises money and awareness of the issues at a very local, grassroots level.  The Complete Running Network posted regular updates about runners racing for charity at their blog’s Charity-o-Rama!

Another growing trend of “charitable running” is the donation of clothing, well specifically shoes! I don’t think anyone would want our used running shirts or shorts.  Each year I’ve done the Indy Mini I always plan on taking my old shoes for their donation boxes, and each year I forget! The Mini partners with an organization called Changing Footprints, which is actually located in Indiana, Columbus I think. I know a few individuals who collect shoes and take them on mission trips around the world for distribution.  Indianapolis based The Running Company has partnered with Soles 4 Souls, an international shoe donation organization, to be a drop-off site for used shoes.  To encourage participation they are providing a 15% discount off new shoes with an old shoe donation.

So whether you do it on purpose or not, keep up the charitable running!

If you are actively involved in charitable running leave me a comment and I’ll make a collection of charitable running links and information.

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