The online fundraising alternative to the London Marathon has been encouraging people to take part in physical activity events that comply with social distancing measures.
Online fundraiser the 2.6 Challenge, which was set up to replace revenue lost through the postponed London Marathon due to the Covid-19 pandemic, has raised more than £6m.
The event is being held by mass participation event organisers to provide an online fundraising alternative to the London Marathon, which was to have taken place on 26 April.
Instead participants and the public are being urged throughout April to take part in other physical fundraising activities that adhere to social distancing legislation.
The fundraising event is being promoted on social media with the hashtag #TwoPointSixChallenge. Those taking part are being urged to theme their fundraising activity around that figure, such as running or walking for 2.6 miles or for 26 minutes.
So far £6.7m has been raised with event organisers saying: “You are all doing a magnificent job of fundraising to help us save the UK’s charities.”
🥳️ £6 million!
— The #TwoPointSixChallenge (@LondonMarat
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You are all doing a magnificent job of fundraising to help us save the ’K’s charities.
Want to help in the #TwoPointSixChallenge? Here’s how:
🧠Think of your 2.6 activity
💃Participate
💷Donate (t.co/vS50fWaiSP)
👉Nominate pic.twitter.com/KWBdDjbfKd0\uD83E\uDD73️ £6 million! \uD83E\uDD73
— The #TwoPointSixChallenge (@LondonMarathon) April 27, 2020
You are all doing a magnificent job of fundraising to help us save the UK's charities.
Want to help in the #TwoPointSixChallenge? Here's how:
\uD83E\uDDE0Think of your 2.6 activity
\uD83D\uDC83Participate
\uD83D\uDCB7Donate (https://t.co/vS50fWaiSP)
\uD83D\uDC49Nominate pic.twitter.com/KWBdDjbfKd
The London Marathon last year raised more than £66m for charity.
The campaign is being organised by a number of mass participation event organisers: Human Race, parkrun, The Great Run Company, Run 4 Wales, Grounded Events, London Landmarks, Virgin Sport, Limelight Sports, Threshold Sports, Running High and London Marathon Events.
The fundraiser is also being backed by charity sector organisations including: the Charities Aid Foundation, the Institute of Fundraising, the Small Charities Coalition as well as fundraising platforms Virgin Money Giving and Just Giving.
Online creativity
The Covid-19 lockdown has forced a raft of charities to be creative online in organising alternatives to their postponed or cancelled events.
Cancer Research UK is staging an online version of its flagship annual fundraiser Race for Life from May, called Race for Life At Home.
Meanwhile, Tommy’s is using digital fundraising to reposition the Local Landmarks Half Marathon as a “solo, virtual running challenge”.