What runner doesn't love a seasonally-appropriate virtual race? I am one of those people who have a Pinterest with different boards for different seasons, and right now I am happily engaging (and indulging) in many of those Christmas and winter pins. While you're welcome to browse our Pinterest, I thought I'd make a quick list of the race entries, awards and challenges for the holiday season that have caught our eye this December.
First on the list is a company that we (likely) all know and love: YesFit. In fact, YesFit produced the first virtual race I ever joined and they often have longer distances than other companies provide. Plus, they have a cool feature where each race corresponds with a distance on Google Maps and you can see your progress as you log your miles. Super cool and very handy for social media posts. The Snowman Adventure is the 30.3-mile virtual race that I'd recommend for the holiday season. While the adorable medal is sold out, they still have t-shirts available if you sign up today.
Next up is a British company called POW! Virtual Running which, if you haven't heard of it, has some of the most awesome medals on the market. They have an Elf-themed Christmas Cheer Race that spins which is suitably festive, but I'm most interested in the RUN You Filthy Animals! race. It's a stackable medal that you earn after completing three runs and it's based off of Home Alone; my favourite Christmas movie is Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. POW! Virtual Running works a little differently from other companies in that it requires proof of completion for ALL of their races by a specific deadline. If you sign up, be sure to check for the timeline to make sure you can make it. Also, the RUN You Filthy Animals! race is partnered with a charity called Children with Cancer UK so if you sign up, you're doing good for yourself and others.
Of course, there are our own offerings as well! I'm currently working on the Holly Jolly Half-Marathon. While I'm looking up to all of you out there who could run this in one session, I myself am still working my way up to that. Instead, I'm using a combination of treadmill running sessions and outdoor walks to complete this race award. Hopefully, I'll be able to add it to the tree by Christmas Eve!
Looking for something a little shorter? We have the Running Around the Christmas Tree 10K, the design of which was inspired by the multicoloured trees in A Charlie Brown Christmas TV special. If something a little more wintery and less blatantly Christmas is your style, we also have the Walking in a Winter Wonderland Step Goal Challenge and the Frosty 5K.
Whichever race you pick, make sure you stay safe and have fun!
Countdown to Christmas: 5 days
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