Human beings have been running for 2.6 million years, initially to hunt and flee but eventually in competition with one another as well. In more contemporary times, running has been found to be an effective way of staying healthy, reducing the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, assisting with weight loss and even improving one’s mental health. Millions of people across the globe consider themselves to be runners, whether it’s for the health benefits, the urge to compete or even the mere enjoyment of the activity.
In 2014, Harry Potter fans discovered a new reason to run with the launch of the non-profit Random Tuesday Inc. and its first virtual running club for charity. Virtual runs are still physical activities but instead of competing against others at the same place and time, the runners complete the necessary distance on their own and receive a medal upon completion. For those who join the Potterhead Running Club of Random Tuesday, the entry fees are given to charity and the medals have a Harry Potter-theme to their design.
“Our founder Brian Biggs got into running actual live events at the start of 2014, and learned shortly thereafter about ‘virtual’ runs that could be completed anywhere,” Keir Hansen, communications director of Random Tuesday, explains of the non-profit’s origins. “After signing up for a few through organizations that sold event registrations for profit, he came up with the idea of hosting them solely as charity fundraisers – specifically themed around fandom interests that could be a fun motivator to get more people involved, and thereby raise more for the resulting charity partner.”
While the first Potterhead running event in 2014 was a success and proved the viability of the project, it wasn’t until the following year and a feature article on the popular MuggleNet.com that Random Tuesday was able to reach a larger portion of Harry Potter fandom. With one fandom under their belt, co-founders Brian and Dawn Biggs then expanded the scope of Random Tuesday by adding running clubs geared towards Doctor Who (Whovian Running Club) and Gilmore Girls (Chilton Running Club) fandoms as well.
“Brian discovered Doctor Who in a binge-watching session while recovering from surgery, and fell in love with the themes and heart of the long-running program,” Hansen says of the reasoning behind the choices. “Dawn has been an absolutely unabashed fan of Gilmore Girls since it first aired because of the wit, strength, and feminist empowerment of the program. All three fandoms gave a look at worlds where the efforts of a committed group of people – wizards, travelers through space and time, or a close gathering of family and friends – could create a better world. We as fans could see that it was possible to better ourselves and others at the same time.”
It is a sentiment shared with other Harry Potter, Doctor Who and Gilmore Girls fans as well. “Rarely, if ever, have we met a Harry Potter fan who learned of what we do and didn’t at least understand the natural connection and then choose to join us at least as part of our fanatical conversation, if not our activities and events,” Keir Hansen explains of the Potterhead Running Club. “It’s rather contagious.”
Doctor Who fans, meanwhile, are the same way. “Whenever we have that conversation with a fan, even if they are not yet on their own fitness journey, they fully understand the idea of bettering oneself while bettering the world, because it’s synonymous with the title character’s spirit and mission,” Hansen adds in regards to the Whovian Running Club.
Lastly, there’s the fandom that has grown out of Gilmore Girls. “There are few things in the world as caffeinated and motivated as a strong Gilmore Girls fan,” Hansen continues. “We attend the annual Gilmore Girls Fan Fest in Connecticut each year, and are constantly amazed by the responses we get from people who learn of the Chilton Running Club for the first time, and say things in response like, ‘I’m mad that I just found you now and not years ago, but at least I’ve found you!’
Obviously there are other fandoms that would eagerly embrace the efforts of Random Tuesday, and for that reason the non-profit added a fourth running club to its original trio. The resulting Fandom Running Club has sponsored virtual runs for television shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural and Stranger Things, such cult classic films as The Breakfast Club and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and even events celebrating tabletop, card and video games. The fandoms represented are only one-half of the equation, however, as the efforts aren’t merely meant to unite fans but to unite them to raise funds for charity as well.
“Our nearly sixty charity partners past and present are a wide global assortment of organizations that look to make a real, measurable, tangible change for good in the world,” Keir Hansen explains of the charitable organizations that have benefited from Random Tuesday virtual runs. “We select them from a long list recommended by our members, and vet them to ensure complete non-profit transparency, no religious or political affiliations, and an operational size that is neither too small or localized, nor too large to be truly impacted by our donations.”
Although still a relatively young non-profit – the organization was founded in 2014 – Random Tuesday Inc. has donated over $2.5 million during its first five years of existence to over fifty charities worldwide nonetheless. A staggering amount by any measure, and a testament to not only the organization but the multitude of fans who have embraced the virtual running clubs founded by Random Tuesday.
It is also representative of the contemporary trend of fandoms and charity going hand-in-hand. “They are not only linked, they are self-amplifying” Hansen explains of the two. “We look to our fanatical passions to charge us up, lift us, show us worlds of wonder and accomplishments that inspire. And with that inspiration, we move forward and support those charities that make such aspirations a reality.”
Harry Potter. Doctor Who. Gilmore Girls. Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Supernatural. Each is more than mere entertainment to the millions of fans around the globe who have built online communities that not only support but empower their members to make a difference in the world as well. The virtual running clubs of Random Tuesday, meanwhile, are a perfect companion that compliments those efforts. “As an organization, we seek to create engaged, motivated fan communities who work collectively to improve themselves and the world around them,” Keir Hansen says of Random Tuesday. “As the months and milestones pass, we strive to become the preeminent fandom non-profit organization in the world and serve as architects of positive change.” He then adds, “We’re everywhere. We’re welcoming. And we’re motivated. We’re changing the world.”
Indeed they are, one virtual run at a time.
Anthony Letizia