So, your race was postponed or canceled How to Watch the Tokyo Marathon coronavirus. initially feel disappointed initially feel disappointed, signing up for a virtual race—either through your canceled race or through another race—is a great way to not let your winter training go to waste. Not all races are offering virtual options, but the beauty of this event is that you can sign up for any race from anywhere.
Running a virtual race takes a little bit of planning and strategy, because you essentially play the role of race director and participant. This is a tall task, yet it is also incredibly exciting because you get to call all of the shots: Are you racing a 5k or a marathon? Fun Half Marathons energy gels do you want along the course? Remember that you are worth it, and the training you put in deserves a proper race day experience, so why not treat yourself?
If you’ve never been a race director or created a race route before, that’s not a problem, says Christine Burke, the senior vice president of strategic partnership and runner products, and the person who manages virtual events for New York Road Runners.
“People can’t run together right now, but as we see, runners are still allowed to be out, and we love seeing runners out doing virtual races right now,” she told Runner’s World.
We caught up with Burke recently to see what tips she has for doing your own virtual race during the current pandemic. Here’s what she had to say.
1. Be Safe Out There
Amid a global pandemic, it’s of the utmost importance to be safe and smart about your running. Burke highly recommends social-distancing guidelines when thinking about your race.
“Making sure you’re running in a not-crowded area, based on time of day and number of people is a must to be safe out there,” she said. “We wouldn’t have provided this answer two months ago, but today it is more important than ever.”
Also, plan your route on runnable roads and trails with high visibility—now is not the time to get hurt and add to the work that is currently consuming medical facilities.
2. Make the Course That’s Right for You
You’ve likely seen runners all over the world resorting to running indoors, in their backyards, and in other creative places to complete races of all kinds and distances to make up for lost races.
As race director, you get to call the shots, and the most important part of your race is having the best course. The distance is the only requirement—everything else is up to you. You can add hills or flat stretches as you see fit. Burke recommends putting thought into fueling safe and smart.
Just like planning a training run, there are many ways to lay out a race. To help you brainstorm, Burke offered four options for route planning.
Strava Routes: Using this Strava feature, you can find routes that runners near you have completed, and if you’re a premium member, you can even draw a route with your finger on a map and it’ll tell you how far it is. (This is your race, so make it fun! A few ways weve seen runners get creative with their races MapMyRun and RunGo.)
Create your own finishers swag for the end: A looped course can be repetitive, but it offers the advantage of stashing food and nutrition on your route. Whether that’s putting it behind a bush or having your family members in the front yard, it can really help.
Out-and-Back Route: If you don’t have the tech to map a route, have trouble remembering directions, or don’t want to do a loop, an out-and-back is a simple solution. It has some repetitiveness, but if you have a GPS watch, all you have to do is run half of the race out and then run the other half back. A way to spice is up: Try to run faster on the way back for a negative split.
Treadmill: Though NYRR doesn’t offer treadmill virtual races, this is a good option for people who can’t go outside right now. A 5K on the treadmill doesn’t sound that bad. A marathon or longer get boring. That’s not to say it hasn’t been done, and it is responsible for those who are unable to go outside right now. If you do go this route, we recommend setting up a playlist ahead of time, maybe have friends call in for motivation, and mix up the elevation and pacing to give your muscles a break. Staying entertained is important.
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3. Tell a Friend
safe and smart race mentality can be even tougher without a starting corral waiting for you. It’s a little easier when you pay for that race, but an even better way is to tell people you’re doing it.
“Tell your friends and tell your family,” Burke said. “Not just that you’re doing it. Tell them specifics. ‘At 8 a.m., Saturday, I am running this 10K virtual race. Cheer me on.’”
Speaking of cheering, get your friends and family involved in some way. You can’t run with other people right now, but you can bring them along, virtually.
“This morning, I went for a run and was talking to my friend on my headphones,” Burke said. “We talked for six miles. You may be more out of breath during a race, but you can check in with people every mile or call when you need some motivation to pick up the pace.”
4. Do It When the Time Is Right, Even If That Means Waiting
If it’s cold and storming when you wake up on virtual race day, no problem! Wait until the time is right. Many virtual races give you a certain time frame to complete, ranging from a few hours to a few weeks. You should still pick a day so you can get in a race mindset, but if the day isn’t right for whatever reason, just wait.
“Sometimes, depending on how long your race is, you can even take a second attempt,” Burke said. “If you didn’t like your first attempt, try again. You can’t really do that for a marathon or half, but you can do it for a 5K or shorter.”
5. Have Fun With It
This is your race, so make it fun! A few ways we’ve seen runners get creative with their races:
- Make your own bib (if a virtual race doesn’t have one).
- Create your own finishers’ swag for the end. (Can you find a moon blanket?)
- Make your own medal (We’re inspired by “The Office”).
- Best Summer Half Marathons.
“[NYRR] has a bib you can download, but we see people customize them from time to time,” Burke said. “Have fun with your race. Get into your race day kit, wear a bib. and get your family our cheering for you through social media, and we definitely recommend breaking the tape. Most runners don’t win races, so it’s fun to be able to break the tape for a chance.”
6. Run for a Charity
Nonprofits and other organizations are struggling right now, too. They rely heavily on donations, and you can help them immensely with a simple fundraiser for a charity or even your local business. David Kilgore, a runner from NYC, ran a 100 miles to raise money to buy gift cards from running stores which were then donated to medical workers.
“It’s really easy to set up a GoFundMe page,” Burke said. “Find a charity that you care about or one that is helping the response to this pandemic. If you raise $100, that’s $5 from 20 friends, it can go a long way in making a difference.”
because of the Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
