Stepping Up: Getting Started with Virtual Races
Last week, we took a look at the basics of virtual races: what they are and why you should give it a try. (If you missed it, be sure to check it out!) And now that you’re (obviously) convinced to sign up for your first virtual challenge, we’re going to dive into a few more of the details.
HOW THEY WORK
If you’re new to the whole virtual race process, you might be wondering how it all works. Fortunately, virtual races are all about you: your schedule, your pace, your rules. There are no Virtual Race Police, so you can figure out what works best for you. But here are the basic guidelines:
1) Find Your Race
There are so many options for virtual races, and I’ll be offering up some suggestions later in this post. So you’ll want to start out by finding one that works for you. Head online to choose your distance and your theme, and order your race.
2) Plan Your Race
While you’re waiting for your race swag to arrive in the mail, start planning! Of course, you can always wing it—just do the race wherever you feel like walking on whatever day your package arrives in the mail. But it’ll feel more official if you schedule a date and time and plan out your course. Apps like Footpath can help you figure out distances and plot your course.
3) Make It Fun!
Virtual races are all about you—so make your virtual race the perfect race for YOU! If you want to stay low-key and do your race by yourself, with no one paying attention, go for it. Or make it more of an event by adding elements to your race. Don’t like walking alone? Ask a friend or two to join you in signing up, so you can walk (and celebrate) together! Want more fanfare? Put together a fun race day outfit, and wear your race bib! Get your kids to make silly signs to cheer you on. Have someone take fun event photographs. And set up a paper finish line to break through in the end. Be sure to time yourself, so you can record your race time!
No matter how you do your race, be sure to take lots of pictures—even if they’re just selfies. Enjoy the process, and celebrate the fact that you completed a race! It doesn’t matter how far or how fast you went. You got up. You got moving. And you accomplished your goal! Be sure to get a picture of your smiling, happy face posing with your new medal!
4) Submit Your Results
This part is usually optional—though there are some race companies that require you to submit your results in order to get your swag. If you’d rather keep your time to yourself, that’s fine, too. But there’s something about entering your time that will make it feel a little more official.
5) Repeat
Once you finish your first race, you’ll want to do it again! You’ll think of new ways to make it fun—or you’ll find new races that you want to complete. If you’ve been thinking about signing up for an in-person event, signing up for more virtual races will give you some great practice! You can challenge yourself to pick up your pace a bit, and you can see which race gear works best for you. And while you’re at it, order yourself a medal rack, so you can keep track of your accomplishments and celebrate them every time you walk by.
WHERE TO FIND THEM
Ready to select your theme and sign up for your first virtual race? Here are some sites to get you started.
Virtual Run Events (VirtualRunEvents.com)
Virtual Run Events has been my go-to site for virtual races from the very beginning. It was the first one I ever tried, and it’s stayed my favorite ever since. They offer a variety of different themed races throughout the year—all of which support a charity—and they run some great sales, too. I’ve also participated in their annual year-long event, in which participants log their annual miles together—though this year is reportedly the final one.
Gone for a Run (GoneForARun.com)
Gone for a Run isn’t just a great store for shirts and socks and medal holders and other gear. The site also offers some fun themed virtual races. Most of them work in the traditional way: you order your race and your swag (and, in many cases, choose your distance), you put in your miles, and you celebrate how awesome you are. But I love that they also offer a few different distance challenges that help you build up to your first 5k or marathon.
Run Motivators (RunMotivators.com)
Like Gone for a Run, Run Motivators offers the traditional style of race options and more. You can go with a 5k or 10k, or you can take part in one of their distance challenges. One summer, my daughter and I chose to sign up for a 100-mile challenge—and instead of the traditional medals, we decided to get CharMedals—cute charms that can attach to a chain bracelet or necklace (though they also offer medals, stickers, or magnets). It was so much fun to work together and earn a cute piece of jewelry when we achieved our big goal!
Yes.Fit (Yes.Fit)
Yes.Fit offers a different kind of virtual race experience. Again, while you can do the traditional kind of virtual races, you can also choose longer challenges and track your progress in the Yes.Fit app (which connects to a number of different fitness trackers and also allows for manual entry). As you put in miles, you can follow the course in the app—and you’ll get your race swag when you’re finished. You can pay from race to race or sign up for a membership, which gives you unlimited races for a monthly fee.
RunDisney Virtual Races (RunDisney.com)
Doing a RunDisney event in person is at the top of my bucket list. But…between travel and race fees and the fact that it’s really hard to actually get into a Disney race, I’ve considered giving a RunDisney virtual event a shot. Throughout the year, Disney hosts different themed virtual series. They’re definitely more expensive than the typical virtual race, but…Disney.
Your Favorite In-Person Event
During the pandemic, race organizers learned a valuable lesson: that people actually enjoy doing virtual races. So many in-person races also offer virtual options for those who aren’t able to be there on race day. This is often the case for themed fun-run events that take place around the country (like the Hot Chocolate Run and Gourdy’s Pumpkin Run), but many others have virtual options, too. Though you won’t get the same post-race party that in-person racers will get, you’ll still get the swag shipped to your door—often at a slightly discounted price. So if you’ve heard of an event that you’d like to try—but you aren’t ready to do it in person—be sure to check for a virtual option.
Virtual races are such a great way to motivate you and keep you moving. And that rack full of medals will serve as a daily reminder of how hard you’ve worked to stay healthy and strong.
Have you tried a virtual race? Which one was your favorite?
