Just looking for a little advice really...how do these work? Do you sign up through the virtual running websites or with individual charities? Is it a good experience/motivator?
Thanks 😊🏃♀️
Virtual running: Just looking for a little... - Bridge to 10K
Virtual running
58 Replies
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TomasGraduate10
You sign up through the virtual running website and pay your money. Then you report back to say "I've done it, now give me my medal", and they send you your medal. For some you are asked to send "evidence" in the form of screenshot of a tracking application, a spreadsheet or a sworn affidavit from your bank manager (just joking).
In honesty I don't think they give a toss about the "evidence". Being a bit cynical, they are really websites that sell medals and nothing more, and the admin of pretending to care whether you actually run is just a task the owner's teenage child can do instead of doing the dishes one day per week.
Does it motivate? Yes I think so, although for me not as much as having a "real" race to train for. But it's fun, and it's another string on your bow to make yourself get out of the house, and for the money involved it's worth giving it a go.
in reply to Tomas
Thanks Tomas
You gave me an idea; I could get one of my teenagers to run it, while I stay in bed😊
Sign up either way. For the Poppy run by choice I have gone directly to the British Legion and similarly for a couple of others. For others Ive have registered through Virtualrunneruk.com. Lots of big events use this site. Recently i signed for a newly opened WomensRunning Series virtual run which is great because I cant get to any of their organised events but I want to run one. You can also get a charity place on some events where you will be required to raise a certain level of sponsorship.
I find them a great motivator. I treat it the same as a real event, training and planning around the run. I set a time for my run, then I run.
Make sure you are happy with the amount of your entry that is going to charity. These are great if you don't like 'big' events etc.
Enjoy!
Ps
Ooops the charity places are for the organised races, but you can raise sponsership for any run and forward to your chosen charity.
in reply to Millsie-J
Thanks Jacs-W, I will definitely look into this further. Might be nice to run with purpose rather than my usual aimless trot!
Millsie-J in reply to
Take a look at the Poppy Run at RBL, that was the first I did. It complements their organised runs but again none happening where I live. There are a few of us on the forum doing that one.
Enjoy
ju-ju-Graduate10
I have never done but I think you can get some pretty medals from doing them...
in reply to ju-ju-
Not sure I understand the medal appeal, but maybe if I got one I would get bitten by the bug!
They are nice and shiny 😉
I agree, I signed up for the Virtual Poppy Run ( British Legion). It had the option of a medal or t shirt and medal. I am not bothered about the medal but want the tshirt, it should be here in time for me to wear on my day before Remembrance Day run.
Oh yes, you can choose your distance,
AndyDGraduate10
This is a good one with lots of options... I've done it once and plan to do it in September... really gives me the motivation to get those miles in. 
in reply to AndyD
That's ongoing motivation alright. I had a look and thought 'Yikes that's a long way'. Then I realised I have run about 75k in the past month!
Did you hear Mo Farah say he does 120 miles a week. Made me laugh thinking of how hard I found 50 in a month. Of course it's his job!!!. Even if it was mine, I couldn't come close. Think I will do it again tho' as it was very good motivation, don't think iwoudl ever manage the 100 you did. .
OldflossAdministrator60minGraduate
Sign up..it is fun and you get to choose your Charity.. and as Millsie-J said, you can make sure that you are happy with the amount going to the Charity.
For someone like me, who is not keen on running with 'real' people, ( I have really found that the thought of it unnerves me :). It is great... I am only running 5K or 10Ks , but I plan my routes, I decide the day and I get excited about it..( sad eh). It gives me a target with a difference... and once a month, a good focus.
The medal bit... just fun... that is all.
I figure, there may be folk who, say they have done it and have not... well, they have still had to pay the entrance fee and the Charity gets an amount anyway...so what is the point?
On Virtual Runner you have to send evidence... I always snapshot my Garmin at the end of the run
It was fun this week, because Realfoodieclub , Jacs, davelinks and a few others were doing the Kidney Research one... so it had a family feel Yesterday for instance.. I was running the Kidney research run, and at a slow point..suddenly thought of Jacs... and it carried me on... turns out, she was running it, at almost the exact time I was thinking of her..spooky eh
Have a go
in reply to Oldfloss
I will. It was you lot talking about the Kidney Research run that made me think about it
skysue16Graduate10
I like the excitement and anticipation of an organised event, the Race for Life I did last year was great fun, such a buzzing atmosphere with people of all ages, pushchairs, dogs - pink everywhere! But I think the virtual runs are a great idea, especially if there are no charity runs near you. Great if others on the forum are also running as Oldfloss
I fear that like Oldfloss I may be a solitary runner.....
Nothing wrong with that! I run alone (well with doggie!) most of the time. Try one of the virtual events, I will look forward to reading how your preparation and run goes 😊
I run with all of you... and the voices in my head...of course x
Voices in your head? Hmmm...😀
I am not sure why... I have not done a Park Run... I was all geared up to go for it... then an injury stopped me., and the thought of just too many people..I am just not sure... The virtual run is a good way to go for me
I do a bit of both but am now VERY careful which organised events I attend. The big noisy events don't appeal to me but for others they may well do.
We are all very different. It's great that we can pick and choose
Got my results up on the Race page Jacs... good to see that I did not dream it xx
I am awaiting my medal Floss, evidence has been accepted .............bling on its way ! 🏅
Mine too... x Trying to decide which run to do next month!
Medal arrived, pleased with that! Take a look at you Sept edition WR mag page 41. Im doing the first race, WR Series , its newly launched to go alongside the organised races in the race Series. I wanted to do one of these but none anywhere near our area, so this is perfect!
Not for charity though this one. Ooopppp im also doing the second one on that page..... for charity.
Poops..mine hasn't !!! I will take a look at that !
Oldfloss it suprises me that you have not done a Parkrun. You were the first person on here that encouraged me to start running at age 64. 10months later here I am about to run my 40th Parkrun this weekend. I am not fast but have gone from 47.50 at my slowest to 40.19 todate. I love it, made great friends and although I ache for hours after my run I feel better in my self . So If you promise to do a Parkrun I will try my hardest to run below 40 minutes which I am finding so hard, but keep trying.
I am, I feel, odd... McFitty and I were going to do it together... then she had to post pone and I got an injury and I really just lost the nerve again. It has nothing to do with speed... I know I would have no issue with it..I do most of my runs up and down fields tracks, and hills and inclines...! Trouble is no one in this area anywhere near me to buddy up with and the thought of all those folk... 350 at the last run which is near to me!!! Eeek!
I went on my own , did not know anybody there. Go for it. Talk to people if you want to or just go run and go home, it is down to you.
Please take that step, I promise you will not regret it. P.S. Don't forget your barcode , then I can see how you are doing. 1st parkrun/ sub 40min challange, how will do it first?
I thought I was a solitary runner. But last Saturday, after running out of excuses, I did the Park run. It was a revelation. You can talk with people or focus on your own run, but the wave of motion you get swept in is fantastic. Also, the looking ahead and thinking: I'm feeling good. If I step it up a little bit I can get in front of that person, or, I'll just hold on behind this person as their pace is goo for me to follow. It brings a new element to your running.
And if you don't like it for some reason, you don't have to go back.
davelinksGraduate10
Just go on the site and choose a run you want to do, pay, do the run and send in the proof, I send in a photo of my watch with the evidence, then they send your medal..
skysue16Graduate10
Been looking at the virtual runner website - great range of runs, I like the Dog Jog in January. Think I will sign up for that (for a good cause too). How about it Helen and Maddee_6333 doggies would enjoy it and nice doggie medal too! (not medal for the dog but with a dog on the medal - am I making any sort of sense 😉)
Oh I like the idea behind that charity! I'm in.
in reply to skysue16
I'm going to start with Poppy run in November and then the dog jog in January. Bit disappointed there's no medal for dog (even though I disapprove of dogs in clothes 😊 )
Yes, they could make a mini version (like an identity disc) which could be put on their collar! If you and Maddee_6333 are doing the Dog Jog then I will sign up, it will be fun to compare runs and photos
The Canicross race I did with the girls at Bedgebury earlier in the year, had medals for the dogs, but not the humans 😍
I also disapprove of dogs in clothes, but medal bling for the dogs isn't clothes.
in reply to Maddee_6333
Although we do have a Santa hat that makes him very depressed
After reading about the virtual runs I was amused to find the dog run too ... I think my young scruffy would be rather pleased with a medal for having to plod along with me !!!
Park runs kinda scare me too I've read my local results timing and I think they would have all gone home by the time I get myself round the course 🙈😂🤣🏃🏼♀️🏃🏼♀️
See my comment above Vixen67 are you going to sign up for the Dog Jog in January?
jaybro28Graduate10
I've never heard of virtual runs, will have to check that out. Thanks Helenwheels!
That's one of the (many) things that is great about this site- so many things that I never knew about- not least the whole dog running scene!
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