For about a year now, I’ve been eyeing the idea of registering for a 5k virtual race. And, it wasn’t until recently that I registered and completed not one 5k virtual run, but, two! Yayy! I’m so excited! So, in today’s post I’m explaining what you expect from your first virtual 5K race.
What is a Virtual 5K race?
For starters, a 5K is five kilometers in distance which is equivalent to 3.1 miles. Prior to me knowing exactly how much 5K was, I thought it was this far out distance, not knowing that it was only three miles – that I already do on the treadmill during my cardio sessions.
Now, aside from the distance, let’s talk about what a virtual race is and is not. A virtual race does mean that you do have to get up and move your body. This is not something that you can do from the comfort of your couch and laptop.
Instead, you get the flexibility to decide when and how you will complete your race on your own. You can also choose your own location. What I love about this option is that even during this pandemic that we are currently in, you can still accomplish your race; it will just be alone instead of with a crowd of racers.
Know Your Why
I believe it is important to know your why with anything that you do. Why? Because successful people know their why and it gives them purpose. So, ask yourself.
Why are you registering for a virtual 5k race?
For me, I had been interested for about a year simply out of curiosity. However, when I began working on my personal summer fitness goals, I knew that virtual races would be a fun and motivating factor.
Therefore, my why for registering and completing virtual 5K races is to help me stay motivated to reach my fitness goals in a fun way.
Not to mention, I love the virtual race swag.
Virtual Race Swag
Oftentimes, I read or hear that many people enter virtual races for the swag. Because not only is the virtual race swag fun, but many of the races are based off of the honor system. So once you pay your registration fee, you can complete the race only if you feel up to it. I personally don’t like the idea of it only being an option to complete, but hey, to each its own.
Registration Fee
Earlier I mentioned a registration fee. It’s important to know that entering a virtual race is rarely free, but it can happen. For example, the first 200 people who registered for the Urbana Park District 5K Race had no registration fee.
However, those who registered afterwards were required to pay $12 which included a t-shirt. This race was actually a lot less expensive than other races that I’ve seen or registered for.
For example, the World Music Day 5K by Moon Joggers was $22 for the registration fee which included a racing bib and medal. When deciding on which race I wanted to enter, I’ll be honest; it was about the medal… the swag. And, this race was music to my ears…literally. Not only do I love music, but I’m an 80’s baby.
How could I pass this up?
Choosing Your Race
When browsing through the virtual races, there are so many to choose from. Some are just for fun, while many are supporting a cause. Oftentimes, a portion of the profits go towards supporting a particular cause; and I am all about helping with meaningful causes.
When to Race
The final thing to note about virtual races is that you can choose to complete your race within a time frame. Oftentimes, there are no specific dates or times that you have to follow. I love this because it allows me to get up and complete my walking prior to logging in for work.
And, once your race has been completed, you simply log your stats into the virtual race website or log sheet. You can also fill out your bib and add it to your collection.
Final Thoughts
I have had so much fun this summer getting up walking to prepare for the actual day that I complete the races. I will be honest here. I don’t run, I use a combination of walking and light jogging.
Each day that I walk, I log my walking video and stats from my Runkeeper app to my Instagram stories and Exercise Highlights. It’s been so great for personal accountability.
This post is not sponsored at all. All virtual 5K races were paid for on my own and no affiliate links are used within this post. Enjoy! I’d love to hear your virtual race stories in the comments or through Instagram or email!
