How do I organise a sponsored walk or run?

Organise a sponsored walk or run in 6 steps: goal, route, permits and safety, helpers and sponsors, registration, and follow-up.

To organise a sponsored walk or run, work through six steps: choose your cause and target, set the route and date, sort permission, insurance and safety, recruit helpers and sponsors, let participants register and collect sponsorship, and follow up after the day. Here is what each involves.

Start with the cause, the target and the audience

Ask first who you want to take part: families, schools, runners, colleagues? That decides the distance and the mood. A walk of a few kilometres suits almost everyone; a run appeals to a smaller group. Decide how much you want to raise and what it is for, then do a quick sum of how many people you expect and what each might raise, to check your target is realistic.

Leave enough time

For a group walk, Save the Children suggests allowing 8 to 12 weeks for promotion. Pick a season and a date that does not clash with other big local events, and have a wet-weather plan.

Route, permission, insurance and safety

Four things to arrange.

Route: choose a clear route that fits your audience, with signs and helpers at junctions.
Permission: ask your municipality whether you need a permit or notification, especially if you use public roads. In Belgium, municipalities can ask organisers to notify their event.
Insurance: the Flemish government offers a free volunteer insurance for informal associations and non-profits without paid staff: up to 1,000 hours a year, registered at least 24 hours in advance. It covers only volunteers who actively help, not participants. Consider a separate insurance for your participants and check whether your association qualifies.
Safety: do a simple risk assessment and provide first aid, water and a plan for emergencies.

Recruit helpers and sponsors

Divide the jobs: registration, route, refreshments, safety, communication. For local business sponsors, spell out what they get back, such as their name on the start banner or in your newsletter. Be open about costs too: the Chartered Institute of Fundraising advises that promotional material should say clearly if part of the money raised goes towards event costs.

Registration and sponsorship money

Make registration easy and let every participant set up their own online fundraising page where friends and family can sponsor them. Give them a short text and a few photos to share. That way sponsorship no longer depends on a paper form and cash.

On the day and afterwards

Put up clear signage, set up a start point where everyone checks in, and place helpers at checkpoints. Take photos. Thank participants, helpers and sponsors straight after, and publish the total as soon as it is known. Ask for feedback for next year.

In WeGlow

Organisations that use WeGlow can create an event page with tickets and live totals. Participants can start their own fundraiser page to collect sponsors. On the day you can scan tickets to check people in. Glowie can also help draft an event, which you confirm before it goes live.

How long should a sponsored walk be?

It depends on your audience. A walk of a few kilometres suits almost everyone, while a run appeals to a smaller group. A shorter route is more accessible; offer several distances if you can, so that families and more athletic participants each find their place.

Do I need a permit for a sponsored walk?

Possibly, especially on public roads. Ask your municipality well in advance: some ask for a permit, others for a notification. Build this into your timeline of 8 to 12 weeks for promotion, so you are not surprised at the last minute.

How does online sponsorship work?

Each participant shares a link to their own online fundraising page and donors give there directly. That way sponsorship does not depend on a paper form and cash. Give participants a short text and a few photos to share.

Are participants covered by the free volunteer insurance?

No. According to its website, the Flemish government's free volunteer insurance covers only volunteers who actively help, not participants, members or visitors. It applies up to 1,000 hours a year and you register the activity at least 24 hours in advance. Arrange a separate insurance for participants.

Sources

Checked on 2 October 2026.

Save the Children UK: group walk steps: 8 to 12 weeks of promotion, volunteer roles, permits, insurance, risk assessment, follow-up
Chartered Institute of Fundraising: guidance on planning a fundraising event, including transparency about costs
Vlaamse overheid: free volunteer insurance from the Flemish government
GoFundMe: general guide to a charity walk
ikorganiseer.be: powers of the local authority: municipalities can ask for notification of events