Here, we’ll show you the A-Z of bike-a-thons, including planning, tracking donations, and ideas on how to organize and promote it.
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Everything you need to know about starting a bike-a-thon from A-Z.
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A quick introduction to what a bike-a-thon is and how it works.
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Thon’s can be a powerful fundraising tool.
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The tools, support, and volunteers you’ll need for a successful bike-a-thon.
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How to raise money with bike-a-thons.
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Kickstart your bike-a-thon using curated templates and tools.
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Feel inspired with our bike-a-thon theme examples.
Bike-a-thons are fun and unique. Best of all, they’re great fundraisers. They encourage physical activity while allowing participants to fundraise for their school, extra-curricular, or club.
Use these templates to keep your Bike-A-Thon planning on track:
Use FutureFund to create a Pledge-A-Thon campaign and provide your campaign details.
Make sure your campaign has the following elements:
Here’s a Canva template of sample Bike-A-Thon rules. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: Gear Up for [School Name]’s Annual Bike-A-Thon!
Hello Students,
Pedal into excitement with our upcoming Bike-A-Thon! This event is more than just a bike ride; it’s a fantastic opportunity to show off your cycling skills, support our school, and enjoy a day full of outdoor fun and community spirit.
Why join the Bike-A-Thon?
How to Sign Up:
Getting involved is easy! Just click on this link [insert FutureFund link], follow the registration steps, and you’re set to go. You’ll also receive a link to share with friends and family for pledges based on your cycling achievements.
Whether you’re a cycling enthusiast or just looking for a fun activity, this event is for everyone. Let’s ride together for a great cause!
Best regards,
[Your Name]
[School or Name of School Group]
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: Help Us Pedal Towards Success – [School Name] Bike-A-Thon Update!
Dear [Donor’s Name],
Thank you for supporting our Bike-A-Thon! Your contribution is boosting our efforts to provide a memorable experience for our students and reach our fundraising goals for [insert specific goal or cause].
Current Update:
There’s still time to support our young cyclists through FutureFund at [insert link]. Your generosity is crucial to our success and greatly appreciated by our entire school community.
With thanks,
[Your Name]
[School or Name of School Group]
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Subject: Ready, Set, Ride! Final Day Before [School Name]’s Bike-A-Thon!
Hello [Name of School] Students & Families!
The big day is almost here! Our Bike-A-Thon is just a day away, and the excitement is building. Our students are ready to cycle their way to fun and success.
Here’s what you need to remember:
Let’s make the final push a spectacular one. Your encouragement means the world to our students and helps make a difference in our school community.
Let’s pedal towards a fantastic finish!
See you on the track,
[Your Name]
[School or Name of School Group]
You can also use this Canva template to keep a copy of your email script handy. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Here are some Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your Bike-A-Thon on social media and in your community! Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Bike-A-Thon Template for Instagram Story
Canva Bike-A-Thon Template for Instagram Post
Canva Bike-A-Thon Template for Printable Poster
Example caption: Support [insert school name]’s Bike-A-Thon from [insert date]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by registering to ride!
Ask local businesses to sponsor the Bike-A-Thon. This can help your PTA reach your fundraising targets while business owners get exposure and positive PR.
Make sure to explain how each sponsor’s contribution will be recognized. For example, you could:
Finally, the day of the event will arrive—and if you’ve followed all the steps above, you should have everything you need to make it successful. Here’s a sample event schedule:
Morning Session
During the Event
Afternoon Session
Post-Event Tasks
A bike-a-thon works similarly to a walk-a-thon or jog-a-thon. There is a set course and distance, and participants complete the course. The main difference, of course, is that participants are on bikes instead of on foot.
They can bit a bit more work upfront to organize since bike-a-thons are typically longer distances and require permits for road use. However, bike-a-thons can bring in a lot more donations than a more relaxed walk-a-thon.
Treat these as a base and feel free to tailor these to suit your specific event.
The length of the course is the biggest decision to make when planning your bike-a-thon. Remember that the longer the course is, the fewer people who will be able to participate.
However, longer courses often mean bigger donations, so you can choose what works for your school. Any distance between 1 and 10 miles is a good place to start.
Because bike-a-thons have a set course with a pre-determined route and distance, it should be the participant’s goal to complete the course. You can have prizes for those who finish the course first, but that isn’t required.
Your biking route should be fully paved, typically on a roadway or cycling path. This will make it easier for more people to participate since they won’t need special skills or a specific type of bike.
A continuous bike path often works best. If your local bike paths aren’t long enough, you can also have the event take place on the roads. You will almost definitely need permits for this, so make sure you apply well in advance.
Start telling students about the Bike-A-Thon at least two weeks before it starts.
Students should be signed up in your fundraising system so they can gather donations for at least seven days before the fundraiser starts (although it’s still okay to take last-minute sign-ups).
On the day the fundraiser starts, be sure to re-explain the rules and encourage students to continue fundraising.
FutureFund gives you the ability to generate financial reports for fundraising campaigns in just a few clicks. To do this, navigate to Store and click the Reports tab near the top of your screen. Then choose Campaign Summary from the drop-down menu and click Generate Report.
Yes—FutureFund lets you create a list of the volunteer positions you’ll need to fill, then add a volunteer page to your registration portal so parents can sign up in just a few simple clicks. See the steps for signing up volunteers here.
Bike-a-thons use a peer-to-peer fundraising format, just like other types of a-thon fundraisers. Participants register for the bike-a-thon and then ask their friends, family, and coworkers to support them with donations or pledges.
In exchange for the donations, the biker participates in the bike-a-thon, which is essentially a bike race. You can customize the course and choose a location and distance that works for your school. Most bike-a-thons take place on pavement, but you can also have a mountain bike-a-thon if that works for your area.
You can make a bike-a-thon as long or as short as you want. The main thing to consider is who will be participating.
If you want younger students to participate, you should make the course shorter. If high school students or just adults will be participating, then you can make the course longer. With this in mind, you can make your bike-a-thon anywhere from 1 to 10 miles long.
Bike-a-thons can only be held outside, so you should plan yours for the spring, summer, or early fall. For a school fundraiser, this usually means sometime in September, May, or June work best.
To participate in a bike-a-thon, participants need a bike. You may also want to make helmets mandatory for the event, especially if students will be participating. Everything else is up to the riders, although it doesn’t hurt to remind them to bring things like water and snacks.
Bike-a-thons are good fundraisers. While they might seem intimidating to plan, they have higher donation potential than other a-thons, especially for longer distances. And since participants will be riding along roadways, they raise awareness for your fundraiser too.
Schools that sign up get full access to all of FutureFund’s features—it’s always free and it always will be.
An “a-thon” is a peer-to-peer style fundraiser that involves participating in a certain activity and gathering donations for participating in said activity.
The activity can be almost anything, from reading to running to bowling. No matter what activity you choose, the premise is the same. Participants commit to doing the activity (reading a certain amount of books, running a certain distance) and ask their friends, family, and coworkers to support them.
A-thons work great because you reach a huge donor pool through peer-to-peer fundraising. People are also more likely to donate since participants are “working” in return for the donations.
FutureFund’s built-in pledge campaigns allow you to easily collect money and keep donations/pledges organized. Since parents cover payment processing fees, 100% of the funds raised go to your school!
FutureFund makes running a bike-a-thon easy for everyone. Easier for PTAs to run, for students and parents to participate, and for donors to donate.
Instead of dealing with paper pledge forms and cash and cheques, FutureFund takes the process online. Donors can donate instantly online with their credit or debit cards.
FutureFund makes it easy to track how the fundraiser is going. Easily view how much money has been raised and more with detailed reporting.
Consider the below when organizing your bike-a-thon. Spending a bit of time up front getting organized from an admin and donation perspective will save a lot of time and potential frustration later.
Each student will sign up as a participant in the fundraiser. Then, they can collect pledges individually by credit or debit card. You can also accept cash pledges, but be mindful of properly storing and tracking cash you collect.
If you are using FutureFund, you can record these pledges and they will automatically count towards the student’s total and the grand total for the fundraiser.
Before launching your fundraiser, confirm what records you need to collect from donors.
If you are using FutureFund, it’s easy for students to sign up, especially if their information is already in the system. You can bulk sign up entire grades or classes. All donor payments are automatically entered into the system, so you can instantly see each student’s total and the grand total.
Fundraising campaigns that accept online donations perform much better than fundraisers that only accept cash or check.
If you are using FutureFund, you can accept payments online. Donors are given a donation link and can pay by credit or debit card. Any cash donations can also be noted in the system to be collected later.
Use these templates to keep your Bike-A-Thon planning on track:
Participant Eligibility:
Equipment & Safety:
Route & Duration:
Pledge Collection:
Starting Procedure:
During the Event:
Completion of the Bike-A-Thon:
Incentives & Recognition:
Conduct & Fair Play:
First Aid & Emergencies:
Weather & Cancellation Policy:
Cleanup & Environmental Responsibility:
Or, here’s a Canva template of sample Bike-A-Thon rules. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Unsure of where to start? Use this sample student and parent messaging to get the ball rolling!
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Let’s get moving! On [date], [school name] will be hosting a bike-a-thon to help fundraise for [cause]. You can help by joining our bike ride! Parents, each student will be collecting pledges online through FutureFund: [link].
Please spread the word to your family, friends, and coworkers to help make this fundraiser a success!
Let parents and supporters donate online with FutureFund’s online pledges. Try it out for free!
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Make your donation easily and instantly! Click this [link] to make your donation through secure credit or debit card payment.
If you prefer to donate by cash or check, just donate directly to the student you’re supporting. Thank you for your support!
Use these Canva email script templates to call out for Bike-A-Thon participants, donations, and to keep your fundraiser top-of-mind. Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Bike-A-Thon Student Sign-up Email Template
Use these Canva templates to help you spread awareness for your Bike-A-Thon on social media and in your community! Click “Use template for new design” to create an editable version, then add custom information for your event, change fonts and graphics, and more!
Canva Bike-A-Thon Template for Instagram Story
Canva Bike-A-Thon Template for Instagram Post
Canva Bike-A-Thon Template for Printable Poster
Example caption: Support [insert school name]’s Bike-A-Thon from [insert date]. Help our school community raise money for [insert cause] by registering to spell as many words as you can!
The Tour de France is the most popular biking event in the world. Get participants in the biking spirit by encouraging them to dress like professional cyclists and represent the country of their choice.
Make the event extra engaging with a bike decoration station. Participants can decorate their bikes with streamers, balloons, and other craft supplies to stand out come bike-a-thon time.
You can never go wrong with a holiday theme, even for a bike-a-thon. For a fall bike-a-thon, participants can decorate their bikes for a spooky, Halloween-themed ride.
Some of the most popular bike-a-thons take place in a nearby town or city. If there is an area near you known for its biking routes, consider hosting your event there for a memorable event.
There’s never a bad time to dress up as your favorite movie character. Participants can dress as their favorite superheroes and more, just remind them that long dresses and capes aren’t great for bike riding.
Encourage riders to dress up in their brightest colors. As an added bonus, the fluorescent hues will keep them highly visible on their route.
FutureFund is used by over 1,000+ organizations, including:
Bollinger Elementary & Iron Horse Middle School
"FutureFund is always responsive to questions and suggestions, and added new corporate matching features based on my feedback. We rarely had to wait more than 24 hours for support and always felt taken care of."
Tassajara Elementary
"FutureFund provides excellent onboarding and support for our organization. The FutureFund Team is based in America and easy to get on a call with to help us troubleshoot problems. Most issues are resolved within 24 hours!"
