Short answer: a fundraising minimum is the amount you promise to raise for a charity in return for its marathon place. For 2027 the published figures run from about £1,100 for some Berlin places to $15,000 for some Boston teams. The race sometimes sets a floor, and the charity sets the actual number. If you fall short, many charities ask you to pay the difference.
Below are real 2027 numbers from organiser and charity pages, why they differ so much, and what to check before you pledge.
What a fundraising minimum is
A charity place costs the charity something: in New York, for example, NYRR's charity entries are non-complimentary, so the charity pays for them. The minimum is how the charity makes sure each place raises more than it cost and funds its work. It is written into the agreement you sign, so treat it as a debt you take on, not a hope.
The minimum is almost never the whole cost to you. Registration fees, the race's own entry fee and travel all sit on top.
2027 minimums at the big races
Every figure here is from the race or charity page linked next to it. Charities can change their numbers, so check the page before you apply.
- New York City Marathon: NYRR sets a floor of $3,000 per runner for Bronze Level partners and $3,500 for Silver Level partners (NYRR partner program). NYRR's own Team for Kids lists tiers from $3,000 to $10,000, with the $3,000 and $4,000 tiers already sold out for 2027.
- Boston Marathon: no floor from the B.A.A., and the numbers are the highest of any race here. Free to Run asks for at least $12,000 and Rebekah's Angels for $15,000. Free to Run says the average Boston charity runner raised $16,000 in 2026.
- Chicago Marathon: every charity runner must raise at least $2,500, set by the race (Chicago charity program). Charities can ask for more.
- London Marathon: each charity sets its own. OCD-UK, Concern Worldwide and St Richard's Hospice ask for £2,500, and Coram for £2,300 (Run for Charity).
- Berlin Marathon: lower than the other majors. On the official realbuzz listing, Place2Be asks for £1,100, Spinal Research £1,700, Brain Research UK and Children with Cancer UK £1,750, and Street Child £2,000. Kenya Children Centres asks for $3,000.
- Tokyo Marathon: a minimum donation of 100,000 yen set by the foundation, and many charities ask for more (Tokyo Marathon Charity). On the 2027 list, minimums run from 100,000 yen to 350,000 yen.
- Sydney Marathon: set by each of the 50 plus charity partners. Pankind, for example, asks for A$3,000 (TCS Sydney Marathon).
You can compare live listings, with each charity's minimum and deadline, on the races page.
Why minimums differ so much
Three things drive the number:
- Demand for the race. Boston has no open lottery and most runners need a qualifying time, so a charity place is often the only way in for everyone else. Charities can ask for more and still fill their teams.
- What the place costs the charity. Where entries are sold to charities, the charity has to cover that before it raises anything for its work.
- The race's floor. New York, Chicago and Tokyo publish one. A charity can go above it but not below it. Openlands notes on its Chicago page that the minimums set by the marathon cannot be lowered for any reason.
When the money is due
Most US and UK charities let you raise the money over the months before race day. Some add interim deadlines. Concern Worldwide asks London runners for £1,000 by 31 December 2026 and the full £2,500 before the race. Team for Kids wants its $5,000 and $10,000 tiers paid in full by October 13, 2027.
Tokyo works the other way round. You pledge a donation when you apply, and if selected you pay it, plus the entry fee, in a fixed payment window. Pay less than you pledged and your application is invalid.
What happens if you fall short
This is the part people skip, and it is the part that costs money. Three real examples:
- Coram's 2027 London terms: if the £2,300 has not come in two months after the event, you pay the remainder yourself.
- Fred's Team's 2026 New York fundraising agreement made runners personally responsible for their minimum and charged any unpaid balance to their card after the race.
- Good Sports, a Boston charity, says on its 2027 application that a runner who falls short of the required minimum is responsible for the difference.
So before you accept, ask yourself a blunt question: if the fundraising goes badly, can I cover the gap?
What to check before you pledge
- The minimum, and the currency it is in.
- Any registration fee, and whether it counts toward the minimum. (Kenya Children Centres in Berlin takes a $150 contribution that does count toward its $3,000.)
- The race entry fee you pay on top. Chicago's 2027 charity entry fee is $325 for US residents and $335 for non-US residents.
- Interim deadlines and the final deadline.
- The shortfall rule, in writing.
- What happens if you are injured or cannot travel.
Ready to plan the fundraising itself? Read the 16-week fundraising plan, or see how charity entries work from the start.