Raise a ton...while students have fun!

A school fun run, also commonly called a color run, walkathon, or jogathon, can be a great way to raise thousands of dollars for your school. It promotes community and builds school spirit, and most important, it gets students excited about raising money. Because a fun run fundraiser or other pledge drive fundraiser involves the whole school, it requires up-front planning. But don’t worry—we have you covered!

Our free School Fun Run Fundraiser Guide covers the key steps for planning a fun run, walkathon or "athon" fundraiser at your school. You’ll get tips on motivating students to collect pledges, ideas to make your event more fun, and lots of free downloadables to promote your event (like Facebook and Instagram Canva templates, pledge sheets, and more).

How Does a Fun Run Work?

Fun runs and other “-athon” events follow a simple structure: Students are encouraged to collect donations or pledges, either as a lump sum or for each lap that’s run, each word that’s spelled, etc. After the event, students get prizes depending on their performance or level of financial support. At some schools, the event is held during the school day, with each grade participating during a set time. Other schools hold their -athon event on the weekend to make it easier for the entire family to attend. For a fun run-type event, both setups require volunteers to track laps, hand out water, and cheer on runners.

After the running is over, you’ll need to collect pledges, calculate final tallies for students, classes, and grades, and recognize students for their hard work. Don’t forget to share your achievements with the entire school community! Spread the news about how much money your event raised and some of the ways it will be used to benefit the school. Last but not least, thank everyone who supported your event: volunteers, donors, school staff, the principal, and, business sponsors.