Downturn Slows Elite Charity Events

"It's a huge time commitment for training," Gabriel said. "But it's also a huge financial commitment."

Elite fund-raising events like the Pan-Mass Challenge inspire thousands of athletes and weekend warriors to enlist in a training regime and a fund-raising plan for a good cause. But with the squeezed economy pinching so many pockets, some participants are being scared off by the steep fund-raising requirements and recoiling from warnings that their credit cards will be charged if they cannot meet their pledge commitments.