I got the email yesterday.....

cynthiaj777

"Congratulations! You finished in the top 5% at Tough Mudder Mid-Atlantic & have qualified for World's Toughest Mudder 2012! On November 17 & 18, Big Mudder will be delivering the baddest, most epic Tough Mudder course to date in Englishtown, NJ where extreme Mudders from around the world will come together and compete over 24 hours to determine who are the Toughest Mudders in the world."

Now: I need help with ideas on how to sell sponsoring me to my gym. With equipment and fees, I'm estimating around $1500.

Here are the stats from last year's race:
Total Number of 2010-2011
Tough Mudder Participants: 157,000
Total Eligible Qualifiers: 7,850
Total WTM Participants: 1004
Total Number of Participants Still on the Course after 24 Hours: 103
Total Number of Obstacles: 40
Number of New Obstacles Debuted: 9
Tallest Obstacle: Massive Turd – 40 Feet Tall
Longest Obstacle: Mud Mile – ¼ Mile
Length of 1-lap of Course: Approximately 8 Miles
Lowest Temperature recorded in the 24-Hour Period: 23⁰ Fahrenheit
Highest Temperature in the 24-Hour Period: 42⁰ Fahrenheit
Average Water Temperatures: 32⁰-40⁰ (Participants broke ice on ponds in the early hours of the morning!)

You can imagine the kind of gear needed for this when you have to be on the course for 24 hours in those conditions.

I have a tentative plan, but any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated!

1. Get in touch with local newspapers on doing a story on me, running the race and how I train at my gym.
2. If they will do that, show the gym the costs for fees and equipment (I'm making an excelsheet now), the race info, the charity info (Wounded Warrior Project) and explain to them how the story running in the newspaper will help bring in business. Tough Mudder is VERY well known. Also, I will put my gym's name on all my gear. The story will include how I train with the gym trainers and how I am thankful for their help in making everything possible.
3. Have 2 of my Zumba instructor friends do a Zumbathon to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
4. Die.

My old trainer said he'd train me 6 days a week for the 5 weeks leading up to the race for FREE. (It is in 6 weeks, but I'm gone all next week on work travel).

Advice? Suggestions? Marketing experts out there? :flowerforyou: