All charities will ask you to fundraise a certain amount of money for them if you decide to run using a charity place. The principle is quite simple, the more difficult the challenge the more they will be asking you to fundraise! Sounds like it's the wrong way around but your friends, family and supporters will sponsor you higher amounts for more difficult tasks. Here is the rough guide to the distances and the amount you will have to fundraise.

5K runs

A short distance which most people can achieve and is normally the starting point for the average Joe. A reasonable target to be set here is £150. Fundraising tip number 1 is to ask your 30 closest friends in person to sponsor you £5, £1 per km and explain to them how the money will help support your chosen charity.

10K runs

A distance that again can be achieved by most people and can be taken quite seriously as a middle distance run. Charities will expect you to raise about £300 for a race of this distance. Fundraising Tip number 2 is to Use social media such as Facebook to contact all of your friends and ask them to sponsor you. The average person has 120 friends on Facebook so ask for £5 and all you need is 50% of your friends to sponsor you.

Half Marathons

You are now stepping into a serious distance and you need to consider this very carefully. You need to train hard and charities will be asking for about £500 - £1000 from you so no mean feat. Fundraising Tip number 3 is to check with your boss to see if you receive match-giving. If so you have just halved your fundraising target.

Marathons

Completing a marathon is one of the most rewarding things you can do in your life and the self satisfaction will also come with a high fundraising target of £1500+ but don't be deterred by this as this is very much part of the achievement. Fundraising tip number 4 is toarrange a fundraising event and ask your friends and family to help.