Walking a Marathon for a Charity

Many walkers enlist for their first marathon or half-marathon through a charity program, such as the Leukemia Society Team in Training. They receive coaching and encouragement for their walk training but must also raise a large sum of money for the charity to participate. I have both walked in and crewed the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer and the 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk, both of which were excellent walking experiences and fantastic volunteer experiences. Charity Marathon or Half-Marathon Training Programs
Give Yourself Enough Time to Train: Marathon directors warn new walkers not to set too high of goal in too short of a time. Many of the walkers and runners who get into difficulty on their events are those in charity programs who didn't give themselves enough time to train properly. If you haven't been walking regularly for 2 hours at a time, you need to take a year or more to train for a marathon - do not expect to go from the couch to the finish line in only 18 weeks. Set your sights first on a half-marathon or shorter distance event. Also - consider volunteering as crew for the event first, then walking it the next year.
How Not to Train for a Marathon