Running Together, Remotely: Virtual Races Are a Questionable Trend
Im not always on top of my weekly running , but I still like to sign up for races. I can always get through five kilometers in exchange for a t-shirt and post-race brunch, especially if it involves a reasonable start time. But a recent race caught my eye that seemed both genius and a little disturbing: The New York Road Runners Japan Day Run for Hope sounded like a good excuse to run beyond my proclivity for Manhattan brunch: The short, four-mile run is being held to raise funds for Red Cross efforts in Japan . But upon close inspection for race dates and rules, I realized that this was a virtual run — you sign up, send the money, and do the run whenever and wherever you want, then send your results using Map My Run to see how you would have placed among live participants. This could be the next big running trend, but I have mixed feelings: Arent we leaving out something important by running together only in theory?
I kid that my only motivation for racing is brunch: What I really like about most races is the chance to get together with friends, and run anywhere from three to 13 miles without the need for a playlist. And although I love my eggs benedict, the part of brunch that really excites me is getting to eat with a crew of runners wholl happily help me rehash every mile . Running with friends is exciting but unfortunately, I dont get to do it much these days. My favorite running buddies now live hundreds of miles away; we dont get to trot together more than a couple of times a year. The runners I know who do live in town are, unfortunately, not at all the same pace. My motley crew of local runners is great for racing; bad for casual group runs. So whether they live close or far away, races are my main opportunity to run with friends.
So for the most part, running a race virtually sounds a little sad, at least to me. On the other hand, running for charity is great, and despite how much more fun I would have if the race to benefit Japan were in Central Park instead of on my own watch, I know that it would be far more expensive to conduct, and therefore, far less effective in raising large sums for the Red Cross.
The race for Japan isnt the first to go digital; other organizations have done more virtual 5ks, too. Most are for a cause; some are more a way to provide virtual group training, but none include wheezing alongside friends and gossiping about your latest sexploits. I dont think anyone should hesitate to log their run online and donate money in honor of worthy causes like Japan, but I also dont think we should stop signing up for old-fashioned, live races .
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