Disclaimer: I am participating in the NYRR Virtual Halfway There 13.1M as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!
So if you are a regular reader of this blog you have heard (seen) me extol the virtues of Virtual Racing before both here: http://box5183.temp.domains/~joshuany/runnerdgirl/2019/03/the-benefits-of-racing-virtually.html and here: http://box5183.temp.domains/~joshuany/runnerdgirl/2019/06/join-me-for-world-refugee-5k.html
I’ll summarize: Virtual racing is awesome. You can do your race anytime, anywhere and still get to be involved with other amazing runners completing the same challenges as you. I’m very pro.
Well, I am at it again! Just signed up for another Virtual Race and this one I am a bit stupid excited about, the NYRR Virtual Halfway There 13.1M! See, running the TCS New York City Marathon and Half Marathon is one of those dream races. But with my budget and schedule, sadly it is one of those races that I will probably never get the chance to do. (Never say never, right?)
And that is the beauty of Virtual Racing. I can run right along with those who are training for the TCS New York City Marathon and Half Marathon without having to travel.
And you know the best part of this Virtual Race? It’s absolutely FREE! You just need to register for a free account with the NYRR and with Strava and you are good to go. Just do your Half Marathon wherever, whenever you want before October 13th and log it with Strava as a Race and you will join Virtual runners all over the world.
Since the Virtual Race is powered by Strava, there are a few minor disclaimers:
- The Challenge starts and ends based on each runner’s local time zone.
- All activities logged during the Challenge period must be uploaded to Strava no later than three days after the Challenge ends.
- Manual entries, virtual runs, or treadmill runs are not eligible. Activity privacy settings must be marked “Everyone” to count towards the Challenge goal.
- Each activity must be tagged as a “Race” in order to count towards the challenge and influence an athlete’s leaderboard position.
There’s also a little extra cool thing for those who are doing the actual NYC race. Show your badge of completion at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance from October 31 to November 2 for a surprise gift (limited supplies, first-come, first served).
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| Decisions, decisions… |
Now for the hard part – I have to decide when to run it! I am currently training for the Rock n Roll Savannah Half Marathon the first weekend in November. Between now and the October 13th race deadline I have four 13 mile or higher long runs on my training schedule. I could go with one of two different strategies – 1) go ahead and use the first one to knock it out and get the accomplishment or 2) pick my fastest long run time to count for the race. Or, I could just pick one of the weeks and say beforehand – this is the one. I’ve got a bit to decide. Which would you do?
Let me know in the comments if you plan to join me and the already over 4,500 other runners registered. Follow this link to sign up: https://www.nyrr.org/races/nyrrvirtualhalfwaythere131m
You can visit the Strava event page here for more details as well: https://www.strava.com/challenges/nyrr-virtual-half-marathon-2019
There is even a Facebook Group that you can join to further connect with your other Virtual Running Buddies.
But don’t delay, the Virtual has already started and runners are completing their race every day! Don’t miss out.