{"id":177868,"date":"2025-04-15T16:13:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-15T14:13:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=177868"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:46","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:46","slug":"charity-run-collects-24-thousand-euros-for-scholarships","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/04\/15\/charity-run-collects-24-thousand-euros-for-scholarships\/","title":{"rendered":"Charity Run collects 24 thousand euros for scholarships"},"content":{"rendered":"

Runners raised 24,000 euros at this year’s Erasmus Charity Run. The money was brought in by 306 students, staff and alumni who ran the quarter marathon last Sunday, and will go towards scholarships for master’s students.<\/p>\n

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The Erasmus Charity Run team for the 2025 Rotterdam marathon.<\/span><\/p>

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The Erasmus Charity Run is organised yearly by project manager Laurens Wielaard and alumni relations coordinator Kim Elferink. Students, alumni and staff members from the university took part in the 10 kilometres of the Rotterdam Marathon last Sunday. Their aim? To collect scholarship funds for prospective and in need master\u2019s students.<\/p>\n

The day started at 7 in the morning for the organisers. But quickly the first runners arrived \u2018to collect T-shirts, have a coffee, and have a chat\u2019, said Wielaard, before they started their quarter marathon.<\/p>\n

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The Erasmus Charity Run crew, with Kim Elferink (bottom row, second starting from the left) and Laurens Wielaard (bottom row, first starting from the right).<\/span><\/p>

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Records<\/h2>

This year was a record breaking for the Erasmus Charity Run, with 24,006 euros raised by 306 participants and 860 donors. According to Wielaard, this is \u2018nearly enough\u2019 to offer full scholarships to two master\u2019s students next year.<\/p>\n

Past and current students joined to raise money for the scholarships. Alumni from the Executive MBA at RSM participated with seven runners and raised 4,453 euros. Thirty students from faculty association EFR raised 1,765 euros.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe actual amount that we wanted to reach was 25,000 euros\u201d, said Elferink. Although it wasn\u2019t achieved this year, she is ambitious, aiming for 28,000 euros next year, and more than 350 participants.<\/p>\n

Running songs<\/h2>

\u201cWe have a Spotify playlist and Strava club where people can share their success\u201d, mentioned Elferink. Participants can share running songs and cheer each other\u2019s running milestone. The idea is that the runners are \u2018connected and committed\u2019 not just to the marathon, but to a cause.<\/p>\n

This strategy appears to have worked. For a lot of participants, this wasn\u2019t the first charity run, Wielaard and Elferink noticed. But they were joined by new participants as well: \u201cEvery year we get more people, and people will stay for next year\u201d, said Wielaard.<\/p>\n

Why are people less likely to leave, and more people continue to join? Wielaard believes that \u2018people are happy with it\u2019, and enjoy the experience, making it more likely for them to return. Elferink thinks that the runners are \u2018amazed by the vibrant atmosphere of the community\u2019.<\/p>\n

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Runners for the Erasmus Charity Run during the Rotterdam marathon.<\/span><\/p>

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