Forums >General Running>Unique Race Ideas
My friend is the chairman of our local firefighter's toy fund drive. Since he took over this post a few years ago, I've been gently prodding him to add a 5K as a fundraiser to supplement their annual December telethon. He's now committed to a race in October and is looking for unique ideas to separate his race from the more established local races. I'm not above stealing ideas from other races (or trolling message boards for ideas). Anybody got anything memorable from races you've run?
CT JEFF
Flag Day 5K, they had a huge US flag hanging from the Engine Ladder. As it turned out, a light rain and sunshine made a double-rainbow behind the flag. At a FM coming up, they have flat soda and candy at mile 20. Quality tech tees are cheap advertising all year. Being in October, maybe something along the line of "I Earned My Candy" (Nike).
Personally. If the cost of a 5K is $20 or below, I'll probably do it again if its convenient to my schedule. Having a Certified Course, Certified Timing are attractive, but cost money. Good luck to your friend.
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A couple 5K's that have set themselves apart from the slue of other 5K's in our area:
"Couple's Classic" - Includes team divisions for couples (married, 2 males, 2 females, mixed, blind date (randomly selected teammate by the race director).
"East vs West" - Our city is divided by a river. This race had become huge. Each side of the river get a different colored T-shirt. Aside from the normal winners and age groups awards, the east-west rivalry competes for attendance numbers, average time, top finishers, etc, and this is big for the local news, and bragging rights for the year.
I'm also on Athlinks and Strava
The Irreverent Reverend
Random drawing among the youth entrants to win a ride to school on a firetruck ...
Youth silly relay running in firefighter boots and jacket and helmet ...
Firetruck ladder arch over start/finish ... shooting water from truck hoses over the starting line ...
Husband. Father of three. Lutheran pastor. National Guardsman. Runner. Political junkie. Baseball fan.
Interval Junkie --Nobby
Unique race idea: No shirt, no schlock, no shit -- just run. $5 5K
2021 Goals: 50mpw 'cause there's nothing else to do
Not unique, sorry. Although $5 is kinda steep, the local 5k series is only $2 per race.
Runners run
I hate gimmicks
I prefer low cost no frills races.
But if you feel that you need a hook to increase attendance use the Charity itself for the hook.
Do something Similar to the "Pump and Run" where you can knock time off of your official finish time by performing a certain number of bench presses.
In this case, maybe It's how many hoses you can roll in 3 mins, or set up teams and do a bucket brigade, or send people out with a one gallon bucket and discount thier finish time based on how much water they bring back. Who's willing to run it in firemans boots.
The well attended 5k's around here don't offer anything special other than they may be well advertised with big sponsers and the Charity itself is the Hook...Susan B Komen Race for the cure as an example. Other well attended ones like the most recent Steve's Springtime Chaser is hosted by a tavern...nuff said.
If I was the RD I would concentrate more on selling the cause than the gimmick. People around here like supporting the fireman and thier causes.
Random drawing among the youth entrants to win a ride to school on a firetruck ... Youth silly relay running in firefighter boots and jacket and helmet ... Firetruck ladder arch over start/finish ... shooting water from truck hoses over the starting line ...
You could call it the Wet T-Shirt 5K.
not bad for mile 25
Try mud, foam, color, and dinner-plate size medals.
I ran the James Joyce 10k a few times. It was dedicated to the works of James Joyce. Every quarter mile, there were people in costumes reading from his works. You'd go by and hear a sentence. Not like a band where you can hear from a distance.
The Chef's 10k was fun. Post-race food was from local restaurants. Delicious.
"Guess Your TIme 5k" (now defunct). You guess your time before the race. Run watch-less. Whoever guesses closest wins.
These are great. Please keep them coming. They're very much appreciated.
#RunEveryDay
There is a Mile Race like this here. Everyone states their time and slowest start first. The idea being that if everyone can predict correctly, everyone will come into the finish close to the same time.
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How about this one? The Sexy School Girl 5K.
http://www.sexyschoolgirl5k.com/event/cincinnati-oh/
I don't know - as a father of 5 girls, I find a sexy school girl run to be in really bad taste. Is this run for charity or for pedophiles? Kind of blows my mind that someone would put this on. I know Mad Men is a popular TV show, but we aren't in the 1950s anymore.
- Scott
2014 Goals: First Marathon - BQ2016 <3:40 (3:25:18) - 1/2M <1:45 - 5K <22:00
2014 Marathons: 05/04 Flying Pig (3:49:02) - 09/20 Air Force (BQ 3:25:18) - 11/01 Indianapolis Monumental
Play 21. You get one card at the start. One card in the middle and one at the end if you chose to take it ( you should always take a third card unless you have 21 because somebody will always get 21) Everybody puts $5 in pot and winner gets the pot. There are usually multiple winners so they split the pot.
You can hide jokers on the course for gift certificates.
Fanilow
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Play 21. You get one card at the start. One card in the middle and one at the end if you chose to take it ( you should always take a third card unless you have 21 because somebody will always get 21) Everybody puts $5 in pot and winner gets the pot. There are usually multiple winners so they split the pot. You can hide jokers on the course for gift certificates.
That sounds like fun.
2014 goals
Well, there's always next year.