Tag

virtual race

Browsing

You’ve probably heard that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” If that’s true, race directors across the country are falling all over each other to get in line to flatter race director Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell and his Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k challenge. (For those keeping track, runners have from May 1 to August 31 to run the approximately 621ish miles across the state. A real human has already finished, and is “resting” before doing the miles to “run the other way” back to the start.)

Hmmm, that would make a good blog post…

Yesterday, I opened an email from my friends at Blue Ridge Racing. (They are the team that puts on the Blue Ridge Marathon.) Like many race organizations, all of their in-person races are canceled this season. The email was notification of the Virtual Interstate Challenge, to run the distance of I-81 in Virginia. When I shared this virtual race across Virginia with my accountability group, one of the members posted about The Great Run Across California, which is a 155, 347, or 705 mile challenge with team options.

Since I thought this was hilarious, I posted it in the facebook group for GVRAT1000 (one of the few spots on facebook guaranteed to be positive, uplifting, supportive, and 100% free of politics, bickering, woo-woo goop-esque advice, and fake-news). Within minutes the other members of the group were posting about virtual races across their states too! One runner even noted that a NY-based run was calling itself the largest virtual race, at least until a GVRAT100k runner pointed out there are around 19,000 runners signed up to run with the one and only Lazarus Lake.

It’s NOT too late to sign up to run across Tennessee with Laz, but this is America–you’ve got options! [EDIT: I stand corrected. You can still jump on this run, BUT you can’t enter any miles you ran before you registered.]

For your unbridled merriment, I present The Complete (as of now) List of Run Across A State races! NOTES: I have attempted to collect up the same information for each race so that you can make informed decisions about how much you want to run, how much you want to pay, which charities you want to support, etc. I have also attempted to find the actual event page for each event, if one exists. The most accurate information will ALWAYS be on the race’s homepage–so go there and verify! The entry fees listed below DO NOT include the processing fees charged by the registration platform, and DO NOT include any extras. Some races include a medal and a shirt in the basic swag, others do not. Read carefully!

(If You Just Want to Run For the Glory of Running…)

Runner’s World Run Streak. This year’s summer run streak kicks off on Memorial Day and runs through July 4th. No miles to log, no medal and no shirt, but plenty of social media bragging opportunities. Details: https://www.runnersworld.com/runners-stories/a27546583/rw-run-streak/

Run The Whole Country!

DetermiNation Runs the Country (June 1 to June 7)
Distance: Join Others in Running Across the Country
Race Director: American Cancer Society
Charities: American Cancer Society’s DetermiNation
Registration: $25 (no shirt) or $50 (shirt)
Special Note: Fundraising incentives include goodr sunglasses and more
https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/NewYork/DetermiNationRunstheCountry

Amerithon (no date restriction)
Distance: 3,521 miles (run, walk, bike, swim) solo or team
Race Director: Run the Edge
Charities: Unknown
Registration: $75, $50, or $25 (you choose the level of swag you want)
https://shop.runtheedge.com/pages/amerithon

Great American 5000 (June 14 to September 14)
Distance: 5000k or 3107 miles (teams of up to 24)
Race Director: Sports Backers
Charities: Unknown
Registration: $50
https://www.sportsbackers.org/events/great-american-5000/

America Strong Mileage Challenge (June 1 to June 21)
Distance: How many miles can you run?
Race Director: Planet Ultra
Charities: Not applicable (help Planet Ultra survive this time)
Registration: $35 (options to avoid race platform fees)
Special note: everyone who runs 15 miles per week will be added to a prize drawing
http://runplanetultra.com/americastrong-mileage-challenge

Multi-State Runs

Mountains to Sea Virtual Run (June 1 to September 20)
Distance: 350 miles
Race Director: Upstate Ultras
Charities: Unknown
Registration: $60
Special detail: choose from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, or Virginia (belt buckle design features the state you choose)
https://runsignup.com/Race/SC/Sunset/MountainstoSeaVirtualRun

Run the States Challenge (May 25 to September 7)
Distance: 379k (Missouri), 630k (Kansas), 1000k (I-70 Challenge)
Race Director: Unknown (the race website does not include this information)
Charities: the Canine Challenge proceeds go to unnamed “local animal shelters”
Registration: $39 (MO or KS), $49 (I-70), $25 Canine Challenge
https://runsignup.com/Race/Info/MO/KansasCity/I70VirtualChallenge

Road to Gettysburg Challenge (May 23 to October 17)
Distance: four options from 132 miles to 991 miles (representing the distance from one Civil War battlefield to Gettysburg)
Race Director: Unknown (the race website does not include this information)
Charities: None identified
Registration: $60
https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Gettysburg/RoadtoGettysburgBattlefieldChallenge

California

The Great Run Across California (May 1 to August 30—teams have 30 days)
Distance: 155 (San Francisco to South Lake Tahoe), 347 (SF to LA), 705 (whole state)—team or solo
Race Director: All Community Events
Charities: The Children’s Heart Foundation
Registration: $29.99 (through May 20); $40
https://runsusa.com/greatrunacrosscalifornia

Run Across California
Distance: San Diego to Oregon; San Diego to Arizona
Race Director: Kinane Events
Charities: Feeding American California Food Banks; Miles of Smiles
Registration: $50 or $40
https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/SanDiego/RunAcrossCalifornia

California Coast 500 (June 8 to September 7)
Distance: 500 miles (Santa Monica Pier to San Francisco); option for 100, 250, or 400
Race Director: Run Local
Charities: programs to feed children
Registration: $60
https://runlocalevents.com/california/

Chase the Jester Across California (May 25 to December 31)
Distance: seven options from 220 miles to 1,364 miles
Race Director: “The Jester” (Edwin William Ettinghausen, presumably with help from Andrea Ettinghausen
Charities: Project 99 (fighting teen suicide); Living Free (animal sanctuary)
Awareness & Action: Push the government to get 988 (the newly designated National Suicide Awareness & Prevention Hotline) operational NOW—the Congressional oversight committee approved it in December 2019 but they “need” 18 months to put it into place? NOPE. Let’s get that 988 operational NOW. It’s much easier to remember than 800-273-8255 (the current number)
Registration: $59.88 and up (longer events = more bling)
https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/SanFranciscoLakeTahoeLosAngeles/ChaseTheJesterAcrossCalifornia

Colorado

Virtual Colorado Trail Challenge (June 1 to September 3)
Distance: 500 miles (solo or team)
Race Director: Bear Chase Race Series/Runners Edge of the Rockies
Charities: Colorado Trail Foundation; Tunnel to Towers COVID-19 Heroes Fund
Registration: $65 solo; $130 2-person team
Special Note: there are competitive category challenges (e.g. most vertical feet in one day)
https://ultrasignup.com/register.aspx?did=77426

Colorado Trail Challenge (June 1 to August 31)
Distance: 486 miles
Race Director: 3W Races
Charities: The Colorado Trail Foundation; Athletes Serving Athletes
Registration: $70
Special notes: option to bike all your miles, or to enter a combined run/bike/etc.; relay team option (up to 6 run/walk or 3 bike); 28 digital badges; facebook group
https://www.coloradotrailchallenge.com/

Connecticut

The NUTmeg Challenge (May 25 to July 14)
Distance: 155, 253, or 328 miles
Race Director: Unclear (not stated on event website)
Charities: Connecticut Food Bank; Bridgeport Rescue Mission; Mercy Learning Center
Registration: $35 (register by June 1 to be guaranteed a medal)
https://runsignup.com/Race/Events/CT/Anywhere/TheNUTmegChallenge

Florida

The Sunshine State Challenge (May 18, 2020 to June 30, 2021)
Distance: 1,121 miles or 330 miles
Race Director: Advanced Running Project
Charities: ReTree PC (tree planning to replace Panama City trees destroyed in Hurricane Michael)
Registration: $60
https://www.sunshinestatechallenge.com/

Florida Virtual Challenge (June 1 to October 31)
Distances: 1000K / 500K / 100 Mile
Race Director: Chris Lauber, Florida Road Races
Charities: Running Starfish Foundation, Inc. for distribution to other small non-profits.
Registration: $60 for the 1000K; $55 for the 500K; $50 for the 100 Miler
https://runsignup.com/Race/Donate/FL/SaintPetersburg/FloridaUltimateVirtualRuns

Illinois

The Great Run Across Illinois (May 1 to July 31)
Distance:390 miles (north-south) or 210 miles (east-west), solo or team
Race Director: All Community Events
Charities: Illinois Nurses Foundation
Registration: $34.99 until May 20; $40 after
https://allcommunityevents.com/greatrunacrossillinois

Minnesota

The Great Run Across Minnesota (May 1 to August 30)
Distance: 407 miles or 181 miles; solo or team
Race Director: MNruns.com part of All Community Events
Charities: Special Olympics Minnesota
Registration: $29.99 until May 20; $40 after
https://mnruns.com/greatrunacrossminnesota

New Hampshire

Run New Hampshire Challenge. (June 15 to October 11)
Distance: 599 miles (team options available)
Race Director: Millennium Running
Charity: Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock
Registration: $30
http://www.millenniumrunning.com/runnh

New Jersey

The New Jersey Virtual Challenge. (May 15 to July 15)
Distance: 28 miles (Boardwalk Challenge), 117.2 miles (Run the NJ Turnpike), 172.4 (Run the Garden State Parkway), 289.6 (Toll Booth Challenge ), 579.2 miles (Jersey Devil Road Tour Challenge)—the website has these broken out by average miles per day
Race Director: CompuScore
Charities: CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for kids in foster care), The Community FoodBank of New Jersey
Registration: $40-$85
https://www.compuscore.com/

New York

New York State Virtual 434 (May 15 to September 15)
Distance: 434 miles (Niagara Square, Buffalo to Times Square, NYC) with options for 70, 150, 290, and 868 miles
Race Director: Score This
Charities: FeedMore WNY (fka The Food Bank & Meals on Wheels)
Registration: $60
Special detail: run/walk, bike, and swim offered as separate events
https://www.nysvr434.com/

One NY Virtual Challenge (“now” to August 31; last day to register is July 5)
Distance: 1000k or 500k (team or solo option)
Race Director: Upstate Event Management LLC
Charities: Direct Relief (COVID-19 PPE and medication)
Registration: $60
https://runsignup.com/Race/NY/EntireState/OneNY

NYCRuns Subway System Challenge (Memorial Day to Labor Day)
Distance: 245 miles (New York City Subway system tracks!)
Race Director: NYC Runs
Charites: Robin Hood Relief Fund
Registration:$0 Turnstile Jumper (no swag); $60 Token Collector (sweet swag!!); $100 Transit Enthusiast (sweet swag and surprises)
https://nycruns.com/race/nycruns-subway-system-challenge

North Carolina

Run OBX (May 25 to September 7)
Distance: 300 mile Run OBX; ? Run and Ride; 800 mile Run the Ridge and Run OBX (see entry below)
Race Director: Unknown; this information is not on the race website
Sponsors: Coastal Hillbilly Leather goods, RC Outdoor Supply, Ridge Supply, Grafig, Seaside Silk Screening, EDA Surf
Charities: unnamed food banks that serve the Outer Banks region
Registration: $45 or $80
Special note: race swag is all made by North Carolina businesses, including shirts (designed by Grafig in Carolina Beach and printed by Seaside SilkScreen in Wilmington), medals (Elevation Culture), and awards with goodies
https://www.run-obx.com/

Run the Ridge (May 25 to September 7)
Distance: 500 miles
Race Director: Unknown (this information is not on the website)
Sponsor: same list for the Run OBX above
Charities: unnamed local community food banks in the Blue Ridge Mountains
Registration: $45 or $80
Special Note: The Blue Ridge Mountains go through Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and West Virginia. This event is NOT the Blue Ridge Racing virtual event.
https://www.runblueridge.com/Race/NC/Cherokee/Runtheblueridge

Ohio

The Great Run Across Ohio (May 1 to August 30)
Distance: 227 miles or 454 miles (solo or team)
Race Director: OhioRuns.com, part of All Community Events
Charities: Whole Again (at-risk children)
Registration: $29.99 through May 20; $40 after
https://ohioruns.com/greatrunacrossohio#prereg

Buckeye State Challenge (May 16, 2020 to June 15, 2021)
Distance: 1,118.87 miles or 250 miles
Race Director: The Advanced Running Project
Charities: Shoes 4 the Shoeless, Inc. (provides properly fitting gym shoes and socks to kids)
Registration: $60
Special Note: There’s a cycling challenge too
https://www.buckeyechallenge.com/

Buckeye State Challenge (July 1 to August 31)
Distance: 220 miles
Race Director: Unknown
Charities: Unknown
Registration: $29.99
https://runsignup.com/Race/OH/Ohio/BuckeyeStateChallenge

Virginia

Virginia Virtual Interstate 81 Challenge (June 1 to August 20)
Distance: 325 miles
Race Director: Blue Ridge Racing
Sponsor: Fleet Feet
Charities: Feeding Southwest Virginia; Blue Ridge Area Food Bank
Registration: $45 individual; team fees vary by team size
https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Roanoke/VirtualInterstateChallengeI81Virginia

Washington

Run Washington Challenge (June 20 to September 22)
Distance: five options from 35 miles to 277 miles
Race Director: Unknown (the race website does not include this information)
Charities: Seattle Children’s Hospital; Food Lifeline
Registration: $35 (lower mileage) $80 (277 miles)
https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/Seattle/RunWashingtonVirtualStateRace

WAVE Run 500 (June 1 to September 7)
Distance: 2325 miles (Long Beach to Cape Flattery), 265 (Cape Flattery to Port Orchard), or 500 miles (Long Beach to Port Orchard)
Race Director: Run Amok Racing, Inc.
Charites: Kitsap Humane Society; South Kitsap Help Line
Registration: $50 or $60 ($20 for doggos, but no swag for Fido)
https://runsignup.com/Race/WA/PortOrchard/VirtualRaceAroundWesternWashington

Wisconsin

The Great Run Across Wisconsin. (May 1 to August 30).
Distance: 176 or 314 miles (team or solo)
Race Director: WisconsinRuns.com, part of All Community Events
Charities: Wisconsin Ovarian Cancer Alliance, Hope Council (substance abuse), and Hunger Task Force
Registration: $29.99 through 5/20, $40 after
https://wisconsinruns.com/greatrunacrosswisconsin

Elsewhere in the World…

The Virtual Swiss Alps 800 Race (May 16 to August 16)
Distance: 800k
Race Director: Jakob Herrmann, Founder and Race Director of the Swiss Alps 100
Charities: Not applicable
Registration: $50
https://www.swissalps100.com/vSwissAlps800.asp

The Great Canadian Crossing (July 1, 2020 to July 1, 2021)
Distance: 4800 km (2982.5 miles! WHOA!) or choose a single province
Race Director: 5 Peaks
Charities: NA
Registration: $85 CDN (full country) $65 CDN (one province) +mailing if outside North America
Special Note: separate options for run/walk, bike, and “multi-sport” (anything self-propelled)
http://www.5peaks.com/thegreatcanadiancrossing

Okay, what did I miss?

I’m in a bit of a hurry to get this posted, since several of the events have a discounted price that expires today (May 20, 2020). While I did run some quick searches and ask around a bit, I’m sure I’ve missed some “run across [your state here]” events. Feel free to drop a link in a comment.

Most of us are looking at another month or more of “Stay At Home”–I’m in through July 6, at a minimum–and races throughout Oregon and SW Washington (and the rest of Washington, for that matter) are cancelled. California races are cancelled. Pretty much all the races are cancelled. That’s okay because running is NOT cancelled, camaraderie among runners is NOT cancelled, and swag and bragging rights are NOT cancelled. If you’ve never connected to the running community on social media, now is the perfect time to join a virtual challenge. Motivate to run/walk/wog/whatever those miles by connecting with a challenge or a virtual run club. Unlike a virtual race (which happens once, you probably do it by yourself, and maybe you forget?) a challenge or a virtual rub club is ongoing support and a reminder to get off the couch!

The Original Edition

Run the Year 2020 medal

Run The Year. “Virtual” since the start! You can choose to literally “run the year” (2020 miles or kilometers), alone or as part of a team, or you can choose your own goal. For the Basic fee of $25, you get access to an easy-to-use mileage tracker (it lets you separate out walking and running and “other” miles), a private facebook group (plus a regional facebook group–once the virus ends, we can meet new runners at local meetups!), and a mileage guide. Upgrade to the Deluxe package for $39 to score a medal, legacy coin, and mileage tracking poster (it’s color-by-number-of-miles!). If you want to Get It All, spend $59 for all that and a bag of chips I mean a sublimated Run the Year tech shirt. See all of your options at https://shop.runtheedge.com/pages/run-the-year-2020 and don’t forget to join the Uncanceled Project (it’s free!)–your race on your day–to get those sweet custom photo bibs I know you’ve seen on Insta.

I’ve been a member of Run The Year since it started. My favorite aspect of this group is that ALL runners are welcome. This isn’t a club about being speedy–though there are speedy members. There are walkers, too. There are people brand new to any kind of exercise, and people who regularly take home trophies. It’s an encouraging space. Last year I volunteered to lead the Portland-area Facebook group, and I met some great people. Plus I’m apparently still a child and I love coloring in my poster.

The Ridiculous Edition

This is the photograph from the GVRAT 1000k Facebook group. Yes, those appear to be buzzards looking for roadkill.

The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee 1000k. If you’re really into running, like to the point where you read about other people running, look up stuff online about running, or like to hear “war stories” from really crazy serious runners, you’ve probably heard of the Barkley Marathons, aka “the race that eats its young” according to the documentary subtitle. (Trailer on YouTube, film on a variety of platforms.) Despite the fact that few people enter and almost no one finishes, making it almost automatic social distancing, the race is off this year. So race director Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell came up with something else: The Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee. It’s a mere $60 and you have from May 1 to August 31 to run 1000k BUT the miles only count if you cover them AFTER you sign up (and that’s run, walk, treadmill miles) https://runsignup.com/Race/TN/Memphis/TheGreatVirtualRaceAcrossTennessee1000K

Now why on earth would I, a banana slug of a “runner,” who hasn’t done 50 miles to date this year, sign up for #GVRAT1000? I think back to my earlier running days, when I lived in California, and some of my friends were telling me about The Goofy Challenge at Walt Disney World: run a half marathon Saturday, and a full marathon on Sunday. My reaction? “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of!” So when The Dopey Challenge premiered a few years later, I signed right up. Maybe this time I hope to learn some geography? Call it the Go Big Or Go Home principle, if you will, but there’s some magic in publicly declaring that you are going to do an insane thing. Also, it’s find of fun to do the impossible. Take it from Bib #14066. 18,000+ runners in 68 countries can’t be wrong!

P.S. if that’s not enough, perhaps your pooch can motivate you? There’s a separate division for doggos! The cost is half of the human registration (Laz says it is half as hard to run that far on four legs) and 100% of proceeds will go to animal shelters in Tennessee. So grab your pupper and go!

The Local (As I Define It) Edition

At the outset of this section, if you have the resources to support your local running club, local running store, and local race directors, PLEASE DO IT. I know many of you have lost your jobs or lost some income that makes this impossible; to you, I say go forth and shamelessly apply for every running “scholarship” there is for your local runs: then get to doing it, talking about it, and wearing the local swag. I recently read an article about coffee that mused after all this is over, Starbucks might be the last roaster standing. (Blog post forthcoming.) PLEASE DO NOT LET THAT HAPPEN TO RUNNING. While big, national “road show” type races are fun, local races give back more to your community. The money almost all stays close to home (to pay vendors, suppliers, and for security, etc.), and almost every race gives some amount of the entry fees to a local charity. A smaller local race can happen in a town that can’t support a marathon of 20,000 which means more runs in more places.

Marathon Matt’s SF Run Club is going virtual too.

SF Virtual Run Club. California is where I really started running, and Run Club was my first stab at running with people on a somewhat regular basis outside of races. Usually it’s an in-person thing, with a short run and a cross-training workout during the week, and a long run on the weekend, plus plenty of social time. Runners are often training for, or “targeting” the same SF Bay Area race. This year? We’re going the distance, at a distance. The virtual summer season starts May 16 but you can join late if you’d like. http://www.sanfranciscorunningclub.com/

Oregon Brewery Running Series May Virtual Challenge. What’s a local race director to do when all the breweries close and we’re under a Stay At Home order? Go Virtual! In addition to prizes for hitting certain targets, there are weekly Zoom happy hours (you run your miles, then it’s BYOB) with “door” prizes. I wrote about how much I love this series. You should join us. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/oregon-may-virtual-challenge-tickets-102838915966?

The Do-Gooder Edition

Reigning Roses Walk. This annual event is the main fundraiser for Rose Haven, a women’s day center in Portland that receives no federal funding. Rose Haven provides services to women, children, and gender-nonconforming individuals to achieve self-sustainability, with dignity and respect. The programs include medical, access to showers, mail service, and classes. Reigning Roses was never a run. Instead it was a sort of parade, with participants carrying jaunty umbrellas and live music. While social distancing and anti-gathering rules currently in place make it unsafe to hold the event this year, and there is a virtual version, I’m betting participation will be down. That would suck, because Rose Haven does great work and it’s likely even more women will need help in the wake of COVID-19. https://www.makeitreign.org/event/reigning-roses-2020/e275129

The Environmentally Friendly Edition

It’s A Re-Run! No, not like on TV.

Griffith Park Virtual Re-Run. What happens to all those race shirts and medals when the race is over? I know some races will sell them next year as “vintage.” The Race for Warmth uses the shirts for people who late register the next year (so if your size is unavailable, you get last year’s shirt). The people that direct the Griffith Park Run had a better idea: let’s make a new race to use them up! You sign up for 6k, 8k, or 12k and run by May 24th. You get a random shirt, medal, and bib from a prior run, a Gu product, and a Re-Run sticker. $5 of your entry fee goes to the L.A. Emergency COVID-19 Crisis Fund, organized by The Mayor’s Fund of Los Angeles. At only $22.50 (which includes your swag mailed to you), it’s a bargain that also does good (both by repurposing ace swag, and supporting the LA community). Register: https://runsignup.com/Race/CA/LosAngeles/GriffithParkVirtualReRun

One of my favorite California race companies!

Brazen Racing Retro Remote. I learned about this one right after I hit “go” on the original post. Brazen Racing is a much-loved trail race group in California; die-hards who run each of the 20+ events in a year become “Streakers” and receive official numbers at the end of the season. Brazen has pulled ONE medal from each of their prior events to make this happen. As the website explains, “Those participating will have the opportunity to choose which one of those medals they want to get mailed for their virtual race package. Every medal sent out as part of this event will be unique and the medals are available on a first-come/first-serve basis. If you want to know what each medal looks like, you’ll have to do some searching around as even we’re not sure where/if pictures exist for every single one! Or you can just pick an event medal from a certain year and be surprised.” Distances include 5K, 10K, half marathon, marathon, 30K and 50K (the normal Brazen distances) and you can run solo or with a team. “The goal is to at least start your run by May 16th, but there are no strict rules here. We’re just trying to celebrate the good times we’ve had and the good times to come!” https://brazenracing.com/retroremote/

The National Edition

Even though I’d strongly encourage you to run local and support your local race directors and charities first, I have to give a nod to the national series races which are also not happening.

Zooma Run Club. Zooma specializes in women’s destination races, and this is a women’s run club. Sorry gents! Set your own mileage goal for the year (250 to 2500) and get swagged when you bag it. Zooma will also have giveaways, in addition to a private Facebook group, a Strava club, and more. If you join now, you get inaugural member status (which makes it sound like this club is here to stay, even past the Stay At Home era). Price: free option, swag packages at $65 (before June 1) or $75 (after June 1). You have the option to add-on more swag (hats, jackets, etc.) and the summer challenge for an additional fee. What can I say? The hoodie was really cute… https://zoomarun.com/zooma-run-club?

Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Run Club. Price: free, though completing a challenge gives you the option to buy finisher swag, and there’s some sort of points system (no idea what the points are for yet). Personally I have given up on this one, as the recording platform that Rock ‘n’ Roll chose to use cannot connect to Strava, and they do not connect to Coros. NO STRAVA? What the what? True story. Sport Heroes, the platform Rock ‘n’ Roll chose to use, can only connect to the following apps: Garmin, Polar, Suunto, FitBit, Nike+, Runtastic, Map My Run, Runkeeper, Health Mate, Rouvy, Decathlon Coach, TomTom, and Movescout. The only one of these apps I use is FitBit. (I also use Strava, Coros, and Charity Miles. I do NOT need to use another app just so I can do a Rock ‘n’ Roll virtual.) While the FitBit app recognizes “activities,” and Sport Heroes can import all the data, the RnR VRC will only recognize an activity if you set your FitBit to “run” before you go run. Sadly, this is not stated anywhere in the RnR VRC materials, so I missed out on the first VR 5k–I signed up and ran 5k, but didn’t push the special button on the FitBit, so it did not count. BTW no explanation from Rock ‘n’ Roll even after I filled out the feedback form, mystified that I’d run 5k but RnR VRC showed zero miles–I had to find this out from a savvier friend! So for the second week I pushed the button to start and end a run. You might think this fixed the problem, but you’d be wrong. Turns out my FitBit and my Coros had slightly different data, so FitBit said I did 9.82k and not 10k. As a result, RnR did not recognize my finish (so no badge, etc.) though I did get 99 points (whatever that is?) for the week. The Sport Heroes explanation for why they don’t connect to Strava is lame, and frankly sounds like it was written by a whiny, overprivileged, teenager who is used to getting away with whatever they want. It also contradicts Strava’s statement, and I’ve got a solid, multi-year relationship with Strava, and trust them. Strava’s explanation is short and sweet: Sport Heroes aggregates Strava data with no transparency about it, in violation of Strava’s rules. So if YOU are interested in attempting a Rock ‘n’ Roll Virtual Run Club event, you can give it a whirl. I’m out.

The Sponsored Edition

Run 50 miles, score a free pack! Image from Honeystinger.com

Honey Stinger 50 Mile Challenge. This is a challenge you sign up for directly on the Strava app. (Why couldn’t Rock ‘n’ Roll just use Strava? So easy, free for everyone.) If you’re not familiar with Strava, it’s a great place to connect with other runners, and with running brands. Honey Stinger is one of the companies that encourages runners on Strava by hosting a run club, and sponsoring various challenges. Head to the Strava challenge page to sign up. Finish 50 miles in the month of May and score a badge for your Strava profile plus a pack of the brand new Honey Stinger Plus Chews. Fifty lucky participants will also score a race kit (though there are 189,000+ people signed up so it’s a bit like the lottery).

If you’re not familiar with Honey Stinger, OMG go check them out! My favorite products are the caramel waffles (they also have gluten-free options) and the caffeinated cherry cola chews. Pro tip: to avoid crushing your waffles, use medical tape to affix 1-2 waffles to the back of your race bib. (Medical tape is cheap, will hold the waffle in place flat, and is easy to rip off the bib without any damage.)

The UnderDog Edition

While you’re at it, join Team Ordinary.

The Ordinary Marathon. Scott Rieke, aka the Ordinary Marathoner, started this ten-day event three years ago. This year, it runs (pun!) from May 8 to May 17. Every year, runners from all over run their miles (maybe a marathon, maybe not!) during the course (pun!) of the race and connect on social media. The photos later become part of the #OrdinaryMarathon slide show video. There are daily prizes, too. Entry fees also support a charitable donation to help pets ind a “furever” home. This year the optional in-person 5k isn’t happening, but that’s not stopping the event. It’s an Ordinary Marathon because anyone can do 26.2 over the course of 10 days–even you! $30 to register, includes a medal and treats, shirt is optional extra. http://www.ordinarymarathon.com/

What are you running in May?

Know a great race that had to go virtual due to the virus? Got a run club that’s “meeting” online? Drop a link to the registration page with your comment!