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London
Thank you for your interest in running
‘London for London’ at next year’s Virgin
London Marathon.
We hope this taster pack provides you with
enough information and motivation to raise
money for The London Community
Foundation, so that we can carry on
providing support to some of the most
deprived people in this City.
For those who choose to sign up for a place,
a full fundraising pack will be sent out with
more information and goodies!
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London
Training Advice
The biggest question most new (and many experienced) marathoners have is: how long
should my training runs be and how many times per week should I run?
The answer, of course, varies for the individual person and their goals, but there are some
general rules and suggestions. Whilst an elite marathoner might run two workouts per
day and over 100 miles per week while training for a marathon, the body of most mortals
could not take such pounding (and who can find that time anyway?). In general, the
important components in developing a marathon training program for most people are
these:
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Gradually increase the overall weekly distance until two to three weeks before the
marathon.
Include two long runs spread across the week, perhaps one midweek, the other on
the weekend.
Include one day of faster running and/or integrate pickups into your regular runs.
Try to run six days per week.
The runs between your long runs do not need to be any longer than 3-6 miles.
Okay, that was a mouthful.
The point is this: Your body won't get used to running long distances, unless it has run
those distances on a regular basis. But, the body needs rest between those runs, which is
why we suggest no more than two long runs per week and moderate distance on the
other days. At the beginning of your training program, those long runs could be 6 miles
each. Then, as the weeks go by, gradually increase them. Perhaps week two would see the
long runs as 6 & 8 miles, week three 7 & 9, week four 7 & 10, etc. Gradually increase these
until your two runs are closer to 12 and 18 miles. At this point you have built an excellent
base. And remember, the other runs are there to serve a different purpose.1
For more advice and a step by step training guide, visit the Virgin London Marathon
website on www.virginlondonmarathon.com and click on the ‘Training’ tab.
1
This excellent piece of training advice was taken from www.marathonguide.com
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London
Fundraising Advice
There are lots of ways to get fundraising! We appreciate that all you creative runners will
have far more effective and fun ways to fundraise but for those who are struggling, below
is a list of some ideas which will help you on your way. Remember, help will always be at
hand from The London Community Foundation Development Team if your plans to
fundraise haven’t worked out quite how you would have liked. We will look after you
throughout the process, ensuring that you have full support in every aspect of the run so
you can focus on enjoying yourself!
You are running because you Love London, so the best way to fundraise would be in a way
that shows people just how amazing this city is:
1) Photography contest: Everyone loves a good picture. Whether it’s taken on an
iPhone or on a professional SLR, pictures can evoke powerful emotions and get the
creative juices flowing. So why not set up a photography contest? Who can get the
best picture of urban life in London? Or who can best capture the beautifully
diverse nature of this city? The rules can be set by you (e.g. no instagram!) with a
prize of a home cooked meal on offer. A fee of £10-£20 to enter the competition
can help you to reach your fundraising target! We can help you to create a twitter
or facebook page to publicise the competition.
2) Sponsored tours: There are many free art galleries and museums to explore
but chances are most of your friends have not been to half of them! So why
not be their sponsored guide for a day? Get a group together and get them to
donate £100 each towards your fundraising appeal (more or less, entirely up to
you) and take them around London. We can provide you with a map which details
where all the free museums and galleries are located so all you have to do is lead
the pack!
3) Lessons in Hyde/ Regents Park: Do you play an instrument? Or speak
another language? You could give lessons for a small (or large!) price in
one of London’s beautiful parks. Get your friends on board and enjoy the
sunshine and hopefully passer-by’s will be drawn in and donate a few pounds. We
will provide you with a t-shirt and bucket so everyone knows you will be running a
marathon to raise money for London.
4) Pub Quiz Night: Approach your local pub and see if they will hold a ‘London quiz’
night in order to help you fundraise. Let everyone know where the money is going
in order to raise awareness of the cause and also to encourage further donations.
5) London Music- karaoke night: London has produced some of the most celebrated
and well known music artists in the world. If you love singing and all your friends
and family do too, hold a ‘London Artists only’ karaoke night at yours. Charge
everyone a fee to attend and sing along to Adele and Coldplay hits!