What do you think about Virtual Races in 2025?
6 watchers
8 Feb
2:18pm, 8 Feb 2025
40,371 posts
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Ocelot Spleens
They're great if you want to run a distance and fit it in with other commitments. The prices could and should indeed come down.
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8 Feb
3:15pm, 8 Feb 2025
1,130 posts
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Dibble
I could see the logic of virtual races during lockdown, although they never appealed to me. I guess once people realised that runners were still willing to pay for these afterwards, they were always going to carry on offering them. If those on both sides of the transaction are happy, then seems ok to me even if I really can't see the attraction.
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8 Feb
5:37pm, 8 Feb 2025
10,958 posts
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Surrey Phil
Not a fan of virtual races, even the Virtual London Marathon. I did do a virtual 10k race in lockdown more out of doing something different. Oh yes, and I did the Brighton Marathon Edit in 2020 as I didn't have to pay to do it and got a medal and t-shirt. |
8 Feb
5:46pm, 8 Feb 2025
62,206 posts
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EvilPixie
Kept me training in lockdown otherwise the sloth would have won!
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8 Feb
6:07pm, 8 Feb 2025
192 posts
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Dustin
Our club trail marathon in 2020 was virtual (we'd already bought the medals) and quite a few did the actual route (solo). I also did two 'mileage' ones during COVID - the virtual Spine (270 odd miles in January) because I ran the Pennine Way 15 years ago and I always have a soft spot for it. I did a second one, supporting a local running/physio firm based on Lejog for annual miles run (single, double or treble). I didn't do any others, as has been said you pay for a medal (which I don't really need) for a training run. They were very good during lockdown for motivating people though which is undoubtedly a good thing. Indeed, as a coach , I organized 4 or 5 virtual challenges for the club to get people out running. They seemed to go down well in terms of participation numbers. I've no idea why people would do them now, but if it floats your boat, go for it. |
8 Feb
6:13pm, 8 Feb 2025
16,538 posts
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Meeps
Same as EP, kept me going and I got a couple of fab medals
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11 Feb
11:00am, 11 Feb 2025
12,139 posts
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minardi
Don't forget the Sheepy Shuffle - this is the only virtual race I will continue to do as it's supports the Mirkwood Rest Home for Retired Sheep and our wonderful Jovial Gnome.
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11 Feb
11:36am, 11 Feb 2025
53,331 posts
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♪♫ Synge ♪♫
I don't think I would ever do a one-day single-race virtual event, unless there was a very good corollary reason to do it, such as @Big_G's NY experience above. I really enjoyed the multi-day distance challenges that appeared during lockdown (@Velociraptor's SWCP is a good example and was a lot of fun). I did several other multi-day virtual events around that time: the Great Virtual Race Across Tennessee and a couple of "End-to-End" events including the Welsh Coast Path and Hadrian's Wall, but those were much more about keeping motivated and exploring new places online than about any kind of "race" or competition. I don't think I would pay a commercial provider for another one. And now, of course, we have the annual Fetch virtual events each summer to look forward to. 
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22 Feb
10:57pm, 22 Feb 2025
7,450 posts
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Blister
Thanks for all the responses everyone - sorry for my lack of presence here, I've been trying to get a job and finally have one now. I started on Wednesday! I concur with many of the points of view expressed so far. It seems like virtual challenges make more sense or races now. I came across this company that offers the most amazing medals I've ever seen theconqueror.events I can see why people would want to collect them all - I'm even a bit tempted! They have a large following on Instagram, something like 550k, so there are clearly a lot of people who enjoy doing these. |
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23 Feb
11:51am, 23 Feb 2025
7,451 posts
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Blister
Wow £30 just for a medal! They are nice medals, but not worth £30
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