My challenge for 2011 - Please support me!

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J

Jason_Fisher

  • #1
    Hi everyone.

    I have created a few posts asking different questions, and asking for different advice, all about one thing, so i thought i would create one new thread and use this one only, and also keep you all up to date with my progress from now until the end of 2011.

    For those of you that have not read any of my other posts, i will be running 365 Half Marathons in 52 Cities in 2011. Along the way i will be raising money for 'The MS Society' who are the largest charity in the UK supporting people who suffer with Multiple Sclerosis. My target is to raise £100,000.

    I will be setting up a website, a Blog, a Facebook Page, a Twitter account, a video feed using Ustream and using various other social media to keep people up to date with my progress, and to take donations. I will also be using my 6 years sales and marketing experience to help advertise businesses through these different portals along the way.

    I have started the ball rolling with a website that is currently being created, and i have also opened a Twitter account. Please follow me @2011challenge. I have just made my first ever Tweet!

    I think this challenge will be very exciting and interesting, so please get behind me and show your support.

    Thanks for your time.
     
    B

    Bri

  • #4
    How long are you doing them over?
    Click to expand...

    The answer was in the third line of the post.


    i will be running 365 Half Marathons in 52 Cities in 2011.
    Click to expand...

    After posting with Jason over the last few days he's got a challenge on his hands and one he's prepared to undertake fully. I urge the other members of the forum that have already pledged support for him to reiterate their offers of help on this thread as it will be the main area of contact and hopefully spur other members into pledging their support for Jason and his nominated charity over the next 12 months. Good Luck again Sir. Top Man!!
     
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    S

    Stevie.E

    Free Member
    Oct 21, 2010
    14
    2
    Down South, U.K
  • #6
    Jason_Fisher said:
    I will be running 13 miles everyday, from the first day of 2011 untill the last day of 2011.
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    Hi Jason. Purely out of interest, how will you be supporting yourself financially whilst you do this?. And if you're aiming to run 13 miles a day, how are you factoring in time for injury etc? Also, again out of interest, how long on average does it take you to run 13 miles?

    It really is a great thing you're doing <virtual pat on the back!!> and and I wish you the best of luck. Make sure to post links to blog/facebook etc so we can keep up with your progress! :)

    Stephen.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #7
    I have other ventures in the pipeline to support myself financially, and my mortgage is paid so thats a great start. I havent factored in time for injury, i have been running for a while now and have not suffered with injury, a little tightness, but nothing that a hot bath doesn't sort out for me...i will cross injuries as and if they come.

    Thanks for the comment about the facebook links etc, i will post them when i have set them up. You can follow me on twitter now @2011challenge
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #11
    Hi Jo,

    I am still finalising them. I am currently speaking with radio and other media to see who is more interested and where i can get more coverage. I am also speaking with hotels about my challenge, and seeing where i can get free accomodation. So i will have a better idea in a wekk or so.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #14
    Thanks Bri,

    I am setting up a website too, this is just to get a presence online ASAP really. I have also just set up the sponsorship page through The MS Society so people can now sponsor me. Things seem to be moving quite quickly now which is great!
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #15
    How do i go about finding some really good blogs out there to ask them to post something about what i am doing? Is there anywhere i can go to look for blogs relevant to what i am doing, or where people who read that blog ma be interested in what i am doing?

    Thanks
     
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    adventurelife

    adventurelife

    Free Member
    Dec 2, 2007
    2,050
    620
    Scotland/Spain/Himalayas
  • #17
    Hi Jason

    Good luck. That is a very hard task. In my younger days I used to do over 100 miles a week and it was rare I got through a year without an injury that stopped the running for a week or so. Lucky if I could run 10 miles week now:redface:

    You may want to have a chat with Dr Andrew Murray at Scotland2Sahara he knows a thing or two about long distance running.

    I am also going on a bit of an endurance challenge in 2011 in the Gobi desert but it just a 1000 miles. A whole year is a major mission so the very best of luck.

    Peter
     
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    P

    puffin

  • #18
    Jason, Best of luck mate!

    I hope you will achieve your aim.

    This post reminds me of Eddie Izzard.

    I would personally love to carry out such an ordeal to help charities, but my body wouldn't be up to it.
    And also on the last day of 2011, remember to upload a picture of your feet..
    I couldn't begin to think about what condition they would be in.

    But one serious note, is it safe to do that much each day every day?
    Would there be any long term injuries if carrying this out?


    Best of Luck
     
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    G

    GaryMc

  • #20
    Have you spoken to any shoe manufacturers yet? Most people should change their shoes every 300 -500 miles so you could be changing them on a monthly basis if not more.

    You shouldn't run long distance in new shoes so how are you going to work on breaking in shoes ready for when you need to change them? Might be work speaking to Asics, Brooks etc to see if they will give you a load of pairs of shoes in advance.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #21
    Thanks for your comments and offers of encouragement.

    Puffin, do you have any other ideas for marketing? I want to raise more than £100,000 as im doing this for the whole year.

    GaryMc - I see you did a challenge involving half marathons, how did you find them? Did you market what you were doing for donations or keep it between friends and family? Great advice on footwear by the way, and i have this sorted, i have spoken to a major sportswear brand and they are going to supply me with trainers tracksuits, shorts etc.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #24
    Thanks Oliver.

    Just a quick question to anyone who may be experienced in this area, what is the best way to contact national media? I have been going about it by sending an email, followed by a call the following week. Is this OK?
     
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    B

    Bri

  • #25
    Jason_Fisher said:
    Thanks Oliver.

    Just a quick question to anyone who may be experienced in this area, what is the best way to contact national media? I have been going about it by sending an email, followed by a call the following week. Is this OK?
    Click to expand...

    Most of the media put their email address after their article these days, pick one out which may be relevant to you at the time, hit them with your website, pays to watch the news and time it with some event or government announcement etc associated with what your doing, reporters love stories thrown at their feet, less work for them.
     
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    G

    GaryMc

  • #26
    Jason_Fisher said:
    GaryMc - I see you did a challenge involving half marathons, how did you find them? Did you market what you were doing for donations or keep it between friends and family? Great advice on footwear by the way, and i have this sorted, i have spoken to a major sportswear brand and they are going to supply me with trainers tracksuits, shorts etc.
    Click to expand...

    Hard work! I got a stress fracture at the beginning of the year so had to limit my training = some tough races.

    I mainly used a JustGiving page for friends, family and work colleagues. One idea that I had was to 'sell' advertising space on my kit but I couldn't find anyone who would do 1 t-shirt with different logos on it.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #27
    On friday i managed to sell 6 spaces on my flyer for £25 each which covers the cost and some. What do you think of this type of advertising for a business?

    I am having 10,000 flyers printed and on one side will be about me and what i am doing etc, and the reverse side is split into 6 sections and a business advertised in each section, great for local businesses i think. £25 each = £150 and printing cost £125.

    10,000 flyers door to door, hopefully should get some good sponsorship from them?
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #29
    I sold the space on my flyers in 6 phone calls! Everyone bit my hand off at the chance to advertise locally and support the challenge. I know of another area that receive a newsletter type brochure, door to door. I'm thinking of maybe doing this, would be like the flyer but on a bigger scale, all profits to the challenge target?

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks for the heads up Bri, i don't really watch his show, does he give stories like this a mention then, or will it just appear on the website?

    Cheers
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #31
    I maybe could have done, i just thought 2011, sounds simple. Start 1st day of the year and finish on the last day. I didn't really look at the paralympics or olympics.

    Plus, even if i had, i only thought of doing this a few months ago and needed a few months to train etc.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #37
    I have been featured in the local paper 'Mansfield CHAD' this week, and my website has seen steady increases in hits each day. Please check out my 'Sponsor a Run' Campaign. Aswell as that, i am adding a billboard style advert to my website, where your advert will run all year round. This will work on a reel, where your advert will be active for 30 seconds and then change. This is included in the Sponsor a run campaign.

    I am predicting this to be a great ROI for your advertising, as i have editorials organised throughout the year, including a feature in Running World Magazine in the March edition.
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #38
    Just a quick update - I have run my 7th Half Marathon today. It has been intense, the first one was ok, i felt good, then the second day i woke up in bits! The second and third were extremely grueling, and then they have progressively got easier. A very long way to go, but a good start.

    My website is currently offline due to a few changes, but will be back on over the weekend. I have many ideas for fundraising and will keep you updated. I have been speaking to a few people who organise events for sport, including half marathon and marathon events and we are discussing holding an event for people to participate in a half marathon and raise sponsorship for themselves which will be raised towards my target if that makes sense, and they will pay an entry fee which will go to the organisers. For that event we are looking to try and get 4,782 people to enter as they is the total of miles i will be running over the year. If everyone can raise £25, thats £119,550 which will go towards my target, and say the entry fee is £10, the organisers who help me will get £47,820, get a sponsor on board and we're laughing. Very ambitious i know, however these guys do this for a living and you get roughly 5,000 enter half marathon events. Even if we only get 25% of the people enter it would be great towards my target.

    Any suggestions or feedback welcome.
     
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    P

    puffin

  • #39
    Good Luck Jason.
    Can you not create a document on your website, that states where you are going to be? (the running side of it)

    Rather you than me on the last day of the running, imagine the look and state your feet will be in.

    But keep on it!
     
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    J

    Jason_Fisher

  • #40
    I'm sure it could be done somehow, however i have already asked allot of the web developers who created the website, and do not know how to do this myself, so it will have to do as it is.

    I will try and create something in the Blog
     
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