Run For a Cause participants will hit streets and trails in November, with individuals clocking their own course to support the community as much as they can afford.

This comes after The Ballarat Foundation scrapped the fun run, walk and roll as an on-site event in July due to ongoing uncertainty in pandemic restrictions.

Foundation chief executive officer Andrew Eales said it was exciting to find a way forward and offer people a goal, an outlet and way to keep helping community in such a tough year - even if the event was a very different model.

"Where we've landed in ongoing conversations with our partners and members of the community is we can do something," Mr Eales said.

"We felt with the easing of restrictions and people wanting to continue to be engaged and support community, this was a great opportunity to give an alternative.

"(A virtual event) is indicative of what we're seeing generally in the community - we are going to be trying new things and people are going to be acting differently."

Virtual fun run events have found their stride this year with most major festivals moving online, including more than 45,000 lining up on their own for this Sunday's London Marathon.

Ballarat (not) Parkrun, consistently ranks within the top five for participation in Australia with people logging their five-kilometre run or walk.

Run For a Cause will still support a community need with this year's efforts going to Ballarat Reads.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a program within Ballarat Reads, delivers children aged zero to five in Ballarat a free book every month.

Mr Eales said Ballarat Reads was designed to meet each developmental phase and was a way to make an impact given the difficulty and still unknown measure of COVID-19 outcomes on learning.

"It's been really challenging for families with the responsibility of home learning, particularly those with quite young children. In the circumstances we've faced, it does reinforce the importance of literacy," Mr Eales said.

"Ballarat Reads is a great way of knowing any support you are making has a real difference on young people's lives."

A key difference to this year's Run For a Cause is no set registration fee for those who sign up in October. Entrants can nominate their own registration amount.

"We know many people are doing it tough in the community and we didn't want to set a fee that might exclude people or prevent them from participating," Mr Eales said.

"For those who might not have the means, they can choose how much to enter, no matter how small that might be. We recognise there are also those in the community who might be able to give a little more."

Participants can take the challenge to complete a marathon across the whole of November or can nominate a chosen distance based on their ability.

Visit run4ac.org for more information and to enter.

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