Do the speedwork first, build endurance later

Start with your close friends and family. They’re your core group of supporters, after all. Be sure to communicate why you’re doing this. Maybe you’re particularly passionate about the cause you’re running for, going for a specific time, or trying to qualify for Boston.

Whatever your reason, tell people! Put your story on your fundraising page and email the link to your friends and family. Even if they don’t make a donation, having their support will make reaching your marathon goals that much easier. At the least, you’ve now made your goals public, which is the best way to make sure you reach them.

Hopefully this group will also be some of the most generous donors you’ll have. It’s always intimidating to see zero donations, so make sure that before reaching further out in your network, your close friends and family have made some good donations to your page.

Before you know it, you should be well on your way to your goal.

Check out some runners off to a great start:

http://www.firstgiving.com/meghanmcevoy
http://www.firstgiving.com/katejohnson
http://www.firstgiving.com/jeanniefong1