What’s your resolution this summer ?
Whether it’s improving your pace or running a 5k, 10k, half marathon or even a full marathon for the first time, we got you covered.
Start your summer with a Bang!
Try the exhaustive package - the expertise and training for just $20 !
RSVP now to attend the FREE virtual Info Session on 9th May (Sunday) 4.00 PM PDT !
I joined Team Asha in Feb 2018 and ran my first full marathon in Oct. I wanted to stay physically fit and hence was exploring fitness activities. Stumbled on Team Asha post on one of my friend’s facebook. It sounded very interesting because of the couch to 5K/10K program. Being a complete non runner, marathon was a bit intimidating. So this starter program caught my eye. Enrolling in this program changed my life. The amount of stretching and strengthening they made us do was beyond belief. It helped me a lot in running. Thanks to Team Asha I can my first 5k, 10K, half marathon and full in the same year. Made some good friends along the way too. I highly recommend this program to everyone who are even remotely thinking of staying fit. The best part is that Asha does not take fees but expects to fund raise. Which actually made me really happy. Health benefits with a good charity cause of supporting education for under privilege children. Initially I found the cost to be high but considering the tax benefits and the employer match it all works out for a good cause.”Viral Vimawala (runner at Asha Silicon Valley)
Running – Newbie
- Connector.
A new goal!
This is your chance to give a good start to a habit that creates endorphins and improves fitness! Find like-minded peers and mentors who will eventually become your extended circle!
- Connector.
Why Asha?
Experienced coaches and captains who will be there with you in every step and an organized training plan. The program is completely driven by a bunch of volunteers who are passionate about running and for the cause of Asha for Education.
- Connector.
We run so they can read!
Average amount needed to support a kid for a year in India is $60. Change 3 kids lives by sparing a small amount of your time. To make this effort worthwhile for the various volunteers putting in their time, we request for a minimum fundraising target based on your running goal.
TIMELINE
- Connector.
Registrations Open
The registration opens on May 9th, 2021.
- Connector.
Target Run
Americas finest city run, Aug 15th, 2021
- Connector.
Fundraising Deadline
Aug 22, 2021
If you are worried about committing to the program, we invite you to the first run which are open to all without a need for enrollment or a commitment to fundraise.
Minimum FR Target (for corporates/ non-students) : 5k – 1 person – $250 (Family – $400), Kids free | 10k – 1 person – $400 (Family – $600), Kids free | Half Marathon – 1 person – $700 (Family – $1000), Kids free
By 2nd weekend run, you would be required to ‘recommit’ to our program: a commitment to finish your fundraising target as per our deadline.
Minimum FR Target (for corporates/ non-students) : 5k – 1 person – $250 (Family – $400), Kids free | 10k – 1 person – $400 (Family – $600), Kids free | Half Marathon – 1 person – $700 (Family – $1000), Kids free
Minimum FR Target (for students) : 5k – 1 person – $125 | 10k – $200 | Half Marathon – $350
Fundraising Deadline: Aug 22, 2021
All the money raised through this program gets distributed among 4 NGOs that we work with across India.
Donors like you help us ensure that kids don’t just attend school and they actually learn. We support our project partners in India who have diverse education needs – it could be a supplementary school, school with special needs, vocational training classes or digital education.To give a brief idea of some of our projects:
Donors like you help us ensure that kids don’t just attend school and they actually learn. We support our project partners in India who have diverse education needs – it could be a supplementary school, school with special needs, vocational training classes or digital education.To give a brief idea of some of our projects:
- SVYM-VTTRC : Viveka Teacher’s Training and Resource Center
- Ashraya is a home for the residential rehabilitation of mentally and physically challenged girl children hailing from economically broken families
- Aavishkar : Nari Gunjan in collaboration with Aavishkaar aims to empower women of Musahar community through education, by nurturing a sense of excitement and curiosity in school-age community through hands-on experiences and experiments.
- Agragati SRI SRI RAMKRISHNA SIKSHASHRAM is working with marginalized students and making them indepent in rural Midnapore area.
To learn more about our projects and locations, please visit https://sd.ashanet.org/our-projects.
Asha for Education is a 100% transparent and volunteer driven organization. Every single $ you raise are distributed to our projects. All the coaches train athletes for no cost and in fact they fund raise just like any other athlete enrolled in our program. As much as $20 makes a year’s worth of difference to a child.
- Start your fundraising early – this helps in reaching out to more people and raise way more than your minimum target.
- Most of the profit companies in the Bay Area do company matching. All your donations can be doubled by applying for company match. Learn more about it here.
- Every single hour you volunteer for ANY NGO can be used towards your fundraising through ‘volunteer hour grants’.
- Another great way to fundraise is to organize a lunch sale at your workplace or in your friends circle. You also get a chance to explain about various projects Asha supports. Read this article to see how a Alumni raised funds.
- Lose your inhibitions – you are asking people to donate for a great cause. It’s important to explain why you are training through Team Asha and how proud your donors should be because they are helping every child in leading a better life!
- If you are artsy & crafty, this will be an amazing way to show your talent. You can ask people to donate towards your FR for every item you sell.
- General donations to Asha for Education by the athlete in the same fiscal year can be accounted towards FR target. (donations to fundraising campaigns such as Work An Hour, Support A Child etc and events will not be considered).
- Tips from our Asha alumni.
Be sure to attend our fundraising clinic to learn more!
This is a very valid concern that every new member of Team Asha has. We will help you with ideas, materials, fundraising clinics etc to help you with your fundraising. During every weekend training, your group captain will help you keep on track. Till date, more than 80% of our runners have raised more than the minimum fundraising targets.
Team Asha mentors and other Asha volunteers will work with you throughout the program and beyond to help you honor your pledge of raising the target amount. Please see this program as a means of supporting and encouraging the underprivileged children and not simply a running-training program. Without your fundraising efforts, it would be difficult for Asha to continue supporting these projects. We urge you to do your best to honor your commitment in helping these children. If in the end you still fail to reach the target then you are required to cover the balance by yourself.
Asha for Education is a 100% volunteer driven organization. Asha-SD has a list of projects we support every year. 100% of your donation goes towards the projects because our operating expenses will be covered by the registration fee you pay. The donations will go to support our projects that were badly affected by COVID and to provide immediate COVID support. If you want to donate to a particular project of your interest, donate here or contact sd.projects@ashanet.org.
Frequently Asked Questions
Come and get training from our very experienced coaches who have been associated with Asha for more than 10 years. This program will include a training plan (based on the target run) that will help any new or returning runners to work towards the target runs. This program includes a fundraising component (which is standard across all our training programs). Registered runners will be required to commit towards raising the target amount specified in the “fundraising requirements” section above. These funds will be utilized towards non-profit efforts to educate children in India.
$20 covers training & guidance and registration fees for target run.
5k, 10k and Half Marathon – <Link to Americas finest city run>
5k, 10k and Half Marathon – <Link to Americas finest city run>
All training runs will be in one of the parks in San Diego on Saturday mornings/ evenings.
1. A comprehensive training program conducted by either professional coaches or experienced ex-Asha runners and marathoners (the coaching team composition varies by chapter).
2. Schedules for everyday training. This will be a well-paced training program consisting of hard-training days, easy-training days, rest days, suggestions for cross-training, strength training and more.
3. Draw from the experience of coaches and past runners.
4. Network with past marathoners and fellow runners in the local community.
5. Contribute towards improving education for underprivileged kids .
2. Schedules for everyday training. This will be a well-paced training program consisting of hard-training days, easy-training days, rest days, suggestions for cross-training, strength training and more.
3. Draw from the experience of coaches and past runners.
4. Network with past marathoners and fellow runners in the local community.
5. Contribute towards improving education for underprivileged kids .
1. Train for about 12 weeks
2. Join the entire group for a weekly long run (over the weekend).
3. Do short runs or cross-training with mentors once or twice a week.
4. Raise funds as mentioned in Fund Raising page.
5. Join in the socials and parties, make merry and enjoy with fellow runners.
2. Join the entire group for a weekly long run (over the weekend).
3. Do short runs or cross-training with mentors once or twice a week.
4. Raise funds as mentioned in Fund Raising page.
5. Join in the socials and parties, make merry and enjoy with fellow runners.
There isn’t a minimum fitness level to join the training program. However, as with any exercise program, it is recommended that you consult your doctor before beginning physical training.
Every year we get a lot of runners who are new to endurance sports, especially running. 99% of first-time runners have successfully completed both full and half marathons.
Asha for Education is a non-profit organization of volunteers dedicated to bringing socio-economic change in India using primarily the medium of education. To read more about Asha’s charter and projects please visit our website.
Team Asha is a premier endurance sports program that trains people for 5k, 10k and marathons. It is organized and pioneered at the Silcon Valley chapter of Asha for Education and is one of its key avenue for raising funds.
Through this program, we hope to encourage people – both new to the world of endurance running as well as experienced runners – to make a physical and fiscal commitment to help provide a better future for underprivileged children in India.
Through this program, we hope to encourage people – both new to the world of endurance running as well as experienced runners – to make a physical and fiscal commitment to help provide a better future for underprivileged children in India.
This is a valid concern that many new members of Team Asha have. We will help you with ideas, materials, fundraising clinics, etc., to help you with your fundraising. To date, over 99% of our runners have successfully met their fundraising target.
Team Asha mentors and other Asha volunteers will work with you throughout the program and beyond to help you honor your pledge of raising the target amount. Please see this program as a means of supporting and encouraging the underpriviliged children and not simply a marathon-training program. Without your fundraising efforts, it would be difficult for Asha to continue supporting these projects. We urge you to do your best to honor your commitment in helping these children. If in the end you still fail to reach the target then you are required to cover the balance by yourself.
The funds raised will go towards some selected projects. You will have the opportunity to learn about the projects for which you’ll be helping to raise money.
In recent years, we have succeeded in sending 96% or more of funds raised to projects in India. Asha’s overhead expenses are among the lowest nationwide, thanks to our volunteers, and we have been granted a perfect score of 100 / 100 by independent nonprofit ranking agencies such as Charity Navigator.
The program begins on May 9th, 2021. Please email us at sd.teamasha@ashanet.org if for some reason you can’t make it to some sessions but are still interested to join the program.
Please send an email to sd.teamasha@ashanet.org.