The Young Chelsea Bridge Club in London (and probably other clubs) have run Bridge Marathons where a pair (or 3 people allowing for rest) play for 12 or 24 hours with short breaks between sessions. The events can be great fun although the standard of bridge can drop off a bit when people are struggling to stay awake and are perfect for raising funds through sponsorship.
Of course your event doesn’t need to be a full marathon. Your children and grandchildren are always asking you to to sponsor them for swimming 20 lengths of the pool. Why not turn the tables and ask for sponsorship for playing 24 (or more) deals for the benefit of Cancer Research UK?
Decide the format of the event and a date
12 or 24 hours and Matchpoints or Cross IMP Pairs? The 12 hour Marathon is easier to organise and less of a daunting commitent for the players! The bigger the field the better so that pairs are not playing too many boards against each other pair; 5 tables is probably the minimum for a 12 hour Marathon, for a 24 hour Marathon you would need more.
Entry fee and prizes
Based on an expected entry an appropriate entry fee will need to be set. Organisers can consider if they wish to offer prizes for the top places or other spot prizes as an added incentive for those lower down the field. Also try to produce some surplus funds to support Cancer Research UK.
Entries and movement
Players will need to pre-enter as the director will need to know the number of tables in advance to work out a suitable movement. As far as possible you want each pair to play each other pair during the course of the event. The EBU can help with advice on movements if needed.
Refreshments
Players will need refreshments during 12 hours. Can those be provided by the club or are there shops or cafes nearby where players can go?