Whether you like them or not, virtual races exist…and you have to admit, the medals are pretty sweet. I personally have mixed feeling about the whole setup, individuals login in their own times and remaining honest (actually completing the run), but I do have a handful of them hanging on my wall.
I use them as training for my actual big event runs like my Spartans and 10K/Half-Marathons; they become big motivators to get out there and push yourself, especially if you’re like I use to be and have days where you just don’t want to go out and complete your training (the days where you just want to be lazy). You can also do these races on your own time, so they’re quite convenient for runners on the go, who don’t have time for all of the weekend runs.
I have gone through a few companies, but there are hundreds out there. I personally like the medals from the following companies best: VRC (virtualrunningclub.com), Run Motivators (runmotivators.com), Virtual Pace Series (virtualpaceseries.com), and Full Medal Runs (fullmedalruns.com). However, I do have to add, if you’re interested in a medal from Full Medal Runs, make sure to check if it’s a pre-order medal before you purchase, because they can take months to get to you and their customer service is extremely lacking in the being helpful department.
The other thing I really like about these virtual races/medals is that many of them give back to charities or are runs for a cause, so the money goes somewhere were it can do some good, like our national parks or other wonderful groups out there. I’m a big supporter of people doing good, so I definitely encourage you all to look into some of these charity runs, as well as the fun ones like the Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, or even the new Jurassic Park runs.
So if you’re looking for a medal to motivate you or a convenient run, then you should definitely look into trying some of these virtual races.
Once again, until the next entry, remember to never give up and push yourselves each and every day.
-Daniel E. Lopez
All Things Racing: 5K, 10K, Half-Marathons, Fun Runs, & Obstacle Races! 