•Dance-a-thons
: In these events,
participants have to dance to provided dance music
for a specific amount of time. This type of
event is good if you have a younger target donor
list.
•Sew-a-thons
: In these events,
participants sew (or quilt or craft) for a pres-set
period of time or until a specific number
of items have been created. As an added
bonus, the things created this way can then be sold
at a fair or sale. However, if you decide on
this sort of marathon, you will need to make sure
that you can find enough volunteers willing to sew or
craft for an extended period of
time!
•Exercise-a-thons
: These were popular a
number of years ago, but it is still possible to find
this sort of marathon hosted by non-profits.
Participants are encouraged to exercise for a
specific period of time or are encouraged to take
part in once type of activity (skiing, swimming,
horseback riding, biking, boating, aerobics,
skateboarding, in-line skating, or some other
activity). It is important to ensure that the
marathon is not so long that people will be injured,
and it is important to provide some medical help at
the marathon site to ensure that anyone who is
injured or becomes ill can get the help they
need.
•Clean-a-thons
: This type of marathon
is very popular among groups with a "green"
theme. In exchange for the possibility of cash
and prizes, participants agree to clean part of a
city or highway, often agreeing to pick up specific
amounts or garbage in order to get sponsor
support.
This type of
marathon is good because it has several side
advantages. The city or town area will usually
look much better after the event, which means that
media or town politicians will often support such an
event, ensuring more participants. Schools,
neighborhood groups, churches, and other groups
interested in the community are usually willing
participants, ensuring that you have enough people
taking part.
And this can
be a fun event, with participants working
together in their community. It is
easy to organize. Remember that you will
need to provide refreshment, prizes, and garbage bags
as well as thick gloves to protect
participants. You will also need someone to
take collected recyclables to be recycled.
Additional volunteers will have to follow up with
participants in order to get sponsor's
contributions.
•Kiss-a-thons
: As the name suggests,
in this type of marathon calls for participants to
kiss for a specific period of time. In many of
these marathons, participants have also tried to get
participants into the world book of records for the
longest kiss.
•Fasts: Marathon fasts are becoming quite
popular. Events such as the "24 hour famine"
raise awareness about world hunger as well as the
money that can change poverty. Participants
need to be told about the dangers of long-term
fasting before beginning.
•Cook-a-thons
: In these events,
which are often better for small towns where security
issues are not as much of a concern, participants
cook for a specific period of time. The food
cooked can be sold to raise even more money or can be
donated to a shelter or food bank. These marathons
can be expensive to sponsor unless you can get a
company to help you, as the cost of cooking supplies
can be quite high.
•Eating
contests:
Part race and part marathon, these contests are often part
of a fair or bazaar. Participants try to eat as much
of an item (usually a pie) within a set period of time, and
are usually lots of fun.
•Sit-ins: In the 1960s, sit-ins were used
to protest certain conditions or institutions.
Today, some non-profit groups are using sit-ins
to raise money and awareness for specific
issues. Participants spend a few days in a
specific area, "camping out" creating a stir about an
issue while also raising money through
sponsors. This type of marathon requires lots
of organizing and careful controls to keep everyone
safe. Also, you will need to find someone
willing to lend space for your
event.
•Read-a-thon
: In this type of
marathon, participants read as many books as they can
over a period of a few weeks. In exchange,
sponsors give participants a specific sum of money
for every book read. Since this activity takes
place on participant's own time, there is no need to
provide a space or
refreshments.
Participants
also provide their own books, making a read-a-thon
one of the more inexpensive forms of marathon to
organize. Schools and libraries are often
willing to help advertise or support this type of
event, as well, so you can be sure of getting help
with this type of project.
In fact, any
event or activity that can be organized to take place
in a group for a few hours can generally be made into
a successful marathon. For inspiration, try
looking at the Guinness World Book of records and
other similar reference works for activities that
could be converted into a marathon.
