When we launched Fluid Running’s first ever World Arthritis Day Fundraising Challenge, we weren’t sure what to expect. After completing the World’s First Marathon in Water last year—an effort that raised over $150,000 for ALS research—we believed Fluid Running had the potential to become something bigger than a workout.
Something that could be a fundraising platform, accessible to anyone, anywhere, regardless of age, injury, or fitness level.
This was our chance to test that theory.
A Challenge Built for the People Who Need It Most
For millions of people living with arthritis, traditional running or cardio workouts can be painful—or impossible. That’s why we chose to align this first pilot with the Arthritis Foundation and launch it on World Arthritis Day.
The goal was simple but bold:
Create a fundraising event that anyone could participate in, without pain, and without impact.
To do that, Jennifer recorded the World Arthritis Day 5K, and we made it available free to anyone who signed up for a DIY fundraiser, or donated at least $25.
Participants could choose from the following challenges:
World Arthritis Day 5K
Fluid Running 10K
Fluid Running Half Marathon
The Fluid Running 350 Challenge — honoring the 350 million people worldwide living with arthritis
All done in the water, impact-free.
Real People. Real Conditions. Real Grit.
Even with a short timeline and early backend challenges, the response from our community was inspiring.
Here are just a few highlights:
Wendy Rivard, who lives with Rheumatoid Arthritis, took on the 10K.
Dr. Dian Ginsberg, a respected anti-aging physician (and well-known performance expert), joined with her son Doug, who completed the 350 Challenge. Read her story!
Theresa Kerman, a running coach living with arthritis, trained for and completed the Fluid Running Half Marathon — 2 hours and 11 minutes of running in the water. Watch her tell her story!
Every story shared the same theme:
Fluid Running enabled people with arthritis — or chronic pain — to complete distances they never thought were possible again.
A Small Test With Big Potential
Although we had backend issues that slowed early promotion, something remarkable happened:
– With limited outreach, ~100 people either participated or donated…
– …and raised nearly $5,000 for the Arthritis Foundation.
For a small pilot run on a tight timeline, this told us everything we needed to know:
Fluid Running is not just a workout. It’s a scalable, inclusive fundraising engine.
One that:
- eliminates impact
- opens participation to people usually excluded from endurance fundraising
- uses the reach and structure of a digital platform (the Fluid Running App)
- can scale into corporate wellness, charity marathons, brand activations, and global challenges
This was Phase One — a proof of concept.
And it worked.
What Came Next: Expanding the Movement
The momentum didn’t stop.
We immediately followed the World Arthritis Day initiative with our in-person Turkey Trot 10K, with proceeds benefiting the Arthritis Foundation.
At the same time, we continued promoting the Virtual Challenges to keep participation open for those who prefer water running or aren’t local.
Together, these created a powerful insight:
Fluid Running can unify in-person events and virtual challenges into a single, mission-driven community experience.