It is no secret that registration day for runDisney races can be chaotic. When 12 PM Eastern hits, runners are frantically clicking the registration link and hoping to get themselves and even friends and family registered for the races before they sell out.
So what happens if a race does sell out and you still want to run?
One fantastic option is through a charity group. On runDisney’s website, you can click on the registration tab for the race weekend you are interested in, then scroll to the official charity groups for that weekend. If the group has space available, it is a guaranteed entry!
While we have both experienced many runDisney races in various ways, participating through a charity group was still on our list. So when the opportunity arose for Megan to come to Princess Half Marathon Weekend, she was excited to join a charity group for her race participation!
The first step is to research the official charity groups. For the 2016 Princess Half Marathon Weekend, there were 18 to choose from. Link by link, Megan researched each group. Some were very well known (Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and Special Olympics) and others were newer. Each held a story that tugged at your heartstrings, making us extremely thankful that organizations work together to help families in various needs.
Along with the stories, there also was a bit of fine print to pay attention to. Each group requires a fundraising minimum. It is very important to not only be aware of the amount involved to meet your requirement, but also the time frame in which you need to complete it by. Another aspect to consider is that some groups offer additional race amenities like a tent near the family reunion area, or even jerseys to wear during the race. Specially-priced Walt Disney World Resort hotel rates and park tickets are also available to those interested.
After all the research was done, Megan sat down and thought about which one meant the most to her. While it is very hard to choose one over another, being a former math and science teacher – she kept coming back to the Teaching & Learning Collaborative. Their mission is to provide innovative, high-quality professional development and support for educators in math, science and technology – specifically for girls in STEM programs. Knowing that many of these programs deal with funding issues, this was an area she was more than happy to work with!
She contacted the group and they directed her to a link where she would register for the race. She paid the race fee and received a special link through Active.com that registered her directly with runDisney (through the charity group). After a few days, she was in runDisney’s system, allowing her to update her proof of time, etc.
After she was registered, the Teaching & Learning Collaborative sent her information on how to create her fundraising page. They even offered fantastic ideas for fundraising, such as asking for donations in the digits of Pi ($3.14 or $31.41), getting donations to have a pie thrown at you, a bake sale of pies, etc. (Do you sense the theme?) From there it was Megan’s job to get the word out and get the donations coming in!
This is a fantastic way to not only participate in a runDisney race, but raise money for wonderful causes. We highly encourage you to consider this option in the future – let’s make a difference in the world!
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