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Fun run fundraiser ideas
Charity fun runs invite people to run, jog, walk, or roll together to raise awareness and funds for a good cause. Flexible, inclusive, and designed for all levels of athleticism, walk/runs are the perfect way to rally your community and make an impact.
We’ve gathered the best walk/run fundraising ideas in one place—including themed 5ks, color runs, walkathons, and more—to help you cross that fundraising finish line.
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Tell cancer to take a hike
Grab your walking shoes and show cancer who’s boss with a charity walk or hike. Charge a small entry fee and encourage teams to raise additional funds through peer-to-peer fundraising.
Jog-a-thon
Host a family friendly jog-a-thon at your local running track. Participants can collect pledges for the number of laps they jog, walk, or run. Recruit volunteers to tally the number of laps each participant completes.
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Take a stroll
Host an inclusive fun run event that’s a little more leisurely. Set a time window for participants to complete their stroll and encourage them to collect donations through peer-to-peer fundraising pages. Be sure to showcase their achievements on social media!
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Tails and trails
Gather your dog-loving supporters for a tails and trails dog-walking fundraiser. Choose a scenic, dog-friendly trail and charge a set fee for tickets.
Don’t forget to provide refreshments at the end of the trail—for both humans and canines!
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Themed run
Make your peer-to-peer fundraising run truly memorable with a standout theme! Ask participants to dress up and choose a route relevant to the theme. Encourage participants to create teams to build community and boost the competitive spirit!
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Marathon
A marathon is a classic fun run fundraising event—perfect for your most ambitious supporters! You can host your own fundraising event, or give supporters the resources they need to raise money for your organization by running in an existing race.
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Family fun run
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Pajama run
Ask participants to don their favorite PJs while tackling a walk, jog, roll, or run for the cause. Encourage everyone to set a donation goal and spread the word about the fundraiser through peer-to-peer fundraising. Don’t forget to award prizes to the coziest runners!
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Pet run/walk
Invite community members to bring their furry friends along to walk in a charity 5K. Encourage participants to create individual fundraising pages that feature their pets, set a donation goal, and help spread the word about the cause.
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Obstacle course
Challenge supporters to navigate walls, mud pits, and rope climbs. To amplify your impact and spark some friendly competition, encourage team fundraising—all supporters can join an existing team or create their own to compete!
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Color run
Spray participants with brightly colored powder along the course of your charity fun run. By the end, runners will be rainbow-ed! Set up a photo booth at the finish line for selfies, and encourage donations on social media via a scan-to-donate code.
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Virtual fun run
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Walkathon
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5k walk/run
Map out your fundraising run route and have supporters donate to participate. Then, use peer-to-peer and team fundraising tools that let supporters create their own donation pages, set goals, and ask friends and family to contribute!
Ugly sweater run
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Halloween costume run
Ask supporters to wear their silliest or spookiest Halloween costumes during this fun run. Use team or peer-to-peer fundraising to help participants set a donation goal and spread the word. At the end, award special prizes to the race winners, the teams or individuals who raised the most, and the best costumes!
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Concession stand
Use an existing stand or create your own and sell items like popcorn, candy, and sunflower seeds. To boost sales, create customticketswith mouth-watering pictures of available treats!
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High heels walk
Instead of a 5k, organize a high heels walk down a “runway” of your choice. Challenge supporters to see who can raise the most funds leading up to the event through peer-to-peer fundraising—and who can rock the best look. Encourage your supporters to personalize their pages to attract more donations!
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10,000 steps challenge
Encourage members to set up a fundraising page and accept pledges based on how long they’ll commit to their 10k-steps-a-day habit.
Invite participants to set up a peer-to-peer fundraising page where they can share their personal stories and interact with supporters.
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Field day
Invite participants to register for a day of fun outdoor games and friendly competitions, like relay races, a water balloon toss, and tug-of-war.
Make your fundraising event a success with sponsorships from local businesses to help offset costs and bring in more participants.
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Skate-a-thon
For a fun twist on a walk-a-thon, swap the walking shoes for rollerblades or quad skates and raise money for a good cause.
Encourage participants to create peer-to-peer fundraising pages they can personalize with their own stories and updates leading up to the big day.
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Virtual bike-a-thon
Set a distance and have your bikers pay a registration fee to join in. Then, foster some friendly competition by encouraging supporters to start or join a team, raise funds, and set off wherever they are.
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Superhero run
Charge an entry fee to participate in a costumed fundraising run. Encourage runners to raise even more for your cause through their own peer-to-peer fundraising pages, and award prizes for race winners, best super hero costumes, and most donations raised!
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Text-to-donate
With text-to-donate, raising funds is as easy as sending a text. Display your shortcode at fundraising events, share it on social media, or add it to signs so your supporters give using their mobile devices right on the spot—no matter where they are.
See for yourself how easy it is! Text “DEMO” to 53-555.
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24-hour relay race
Create the ultimate relay race to raise funds for your cause. Participants create individual or team fundraising pages where friends and family can show their support with donations and progress toward their goal in real time.
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Get top features for your fun run fundraiser
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Frequently asked questions
How do you organize a fun run fundraiser?
Whether you’re looking for fresh 5k fundraiser ideas to liven up your annual donation drive or you’re exploring fundraising walk ideas for the first time, coordinating this kind of event requires a few key elements. Start by choosing a theme, setting a location, and recruiting volunteers. You’ll also need a fundraising platform like Givebutter to manage registration and donations. Then, check out our full guide to charity run planning for step-by-step instructions and expert tips!
How do you raise money for a fun run?
You can raise money for a fun run in several creative ways. Popular options include collecting pledges and registration fees, creating sponsorship proposals, and selling merchandise like custom water bottles. To further boost your fundraising efforts, you can also include extra activities like a raffle or bake sale on the day of your event.
Givebutter’s registration fundraising makes it easy to combine team fundraising signups and ticketing in one seamless experience.
How do you promote a fun run?
One of the most important tasks to check off your fundraiser planning checklist is promotion. To start, set up an online donation page and encourage participants to sign up for team or peer-to-peer fundraising. You can also send emails, post flyers, and create shareable social media posts for your supporters to spread the word and encourage giving before the big day.
Don’t forget to ask your sponsors to help promote your event, too—and consider reaching out to local media, especially if you have an exciting theme that will make for good visuals (like colored powder!).
How much does it cost to put on a fun run?
Depending on the scale of the event, upfront costs typically range from $1.5K to $3K. Common expenses include water stations, t-shirts, signage, and volunteer support. To offset these costs, many organizers secure corporate sponsorships or offer matching gift opportunities to double the impact.
How to make a fun run interesting?
To make your fun run an event to remember, try adding a theme! You could host a costumed fun run, an ugly sweater 5K, or a superhero run. If themed isn’t your thing, offer custom shirts or prizes so participants have something to remember their achievement.
Another great way to make your fun run interesting is to host it in a scenic location or tie the fun run route to your organization’s mission.
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