Virtual Race Literally Not As Fun

I said I would never do it. I didn’t get the point of it. Running races is a group activity where you feed off the energy of your fellow runners!

But I did it because I am equal parts a Disney fan and race medal whore. I signed up for runDisney’s first virtual race series, Virtual Running Shorts.

For those of you not in the know, virtual races are growing in popularity as they allow runners to run a set distance during a certain time frame and receive race swag for their efforts. You sign up online but there is no race venue or runners (unless you choose to recruit some friends to run with you). You are virtually and literally alone.

I am a runDisney fan. I have participated in Marathon Weekend at Disney World three times (Half Marathon, Goofy Challenge, and Dopey Challenge) as well as the Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend. In my opinion, Disney races are the most fun. They are well organized, have great swag, amazing medals, and endless entertainment on route. Also, running through the various parks is incredibly cool!

So, when I saw runDisney started a virtual race series, my Disney/medal greed insisted I participate. I signed up for the entire series, which consisted of three 5k’s. The entire series cost $151 and you received three medals for each 5k plus an extra medal for completing the entire series (again, medal whore) and a branded drink cup. The series ran from the middle of May through June and you had about two and a half weeks to finish each 5k (which, if you are training for half marathon, is pretty easy to complete just through one training day).

Once the series ended, a month later you received your medals. The medals are HUGE and in Disney style, gorgeous. Unfortunately, I would say that is where the positivity ends and I revert back to my previous belief that virtual races are not for me.

I admit, Disney was smart in starting the virtual series because Disney races are: a) incredibly expensive and b) sell out quickly due to high demand. And I know it is a virtual race, so I get that I will not have the same experience as being at a Disney race, but I do think there are things they could have done to make it more interactive.

For instance, there is no accountability. So I could have sat on the couch and collected medals (defeats the purpose, but it was a possibility). The responsibility of entering your time would have been nice to kind of formalize the races. Also, you could post your “race” photos online with a determined hashtag, but again, there was no structure. I almost feel like the virtual race needed its own site so that runners could interact with one another. Communication for the series was spotty, so there was no encouragement or congratulation to runners as races came to a close. It just was very lackluster until you received your goodies in the mail for a race you completed a month earlier.

Don’t get me wrong, I continue to be the biggest fan of Disney races. But like the brat I am, I think I will save my pennies and stick to the in-person races. Unless Mickey Mouse is kicking off my race with a countdown firework extravaganza, it just is not the same.