There’s no denying that virtual runs are gaining the attention of many runners. It can be seen as the running community’s way of incorporating social media and technology with their passion for running.
Virtual races basically work by setting a required distance to finish in a given number of days or weeks. But so many people still ask why someone would join virtual racing when there are tons of actual races every weekend.
And so we listed our top 5 reasons why you should give virtual racing a try.
1. It helps you prepare for a big race without spending too much
There’s always those few races each year that you’re really preparing for. Most of the time, these are the half marathons, full marathons, and ultramarathons. And it’s no secret that many runners join weekly fun runs to accomplish their required kilometers every training week. The deeper we are into training, the longer the required mileage is.
We join Fun runs to keep us motivated while training for the long runs and help us mentally prepare for the race. But…it can be expensive to do this as we prep for a big race.
Virtual racing can help you prepare for that big race while saving your wallet. You can choose to log only the long distance runs or you can choose to log even your short weekday runs, whatever it is, you can keep track of where you are in your training without having to spend weekly!
2. You don’t have to wake up early
Let’s face it, not everyone is a fan of 3 am or 4 am call times for running events. The long travel time, very early morning baths, preparing a pre-race breakfast, and the mere thought of doing all that on a weekend just doesn’t seem all that appealing to other people
That’s where virtual running comes to play. It takes away the inconvenience of going to a far place and waking up super early to join a fun run. It takes away the inconvenience of a lining up for portalets, deciding how you’d go to the venue, and where to eat before/after!
It’s perfect for those who want to sleep in a little on the weekends but still wants to be part of running events!
3. Gives you a goal
For some people, a goal that keeps them running is to lose a certain number of pounds. For others, it’s to beat their own personal best. Whatever it is, a specific goal motivates us to run.
Signing up and committing to run a set distance for a set date period will help you in keeping yourself accountable. It’s one thing to say that “I’m gonna start running this week” and another to actually sign and be aware that you have to complete a certain mileage to get a reward in an app that will always notify you!
4. You can play it with your friends!
It’s hard to gather the entire running barkada for one race. There’s always that one person that’s not free on that day or maybe two or three people who are out of town for the weekend.
Virtual running allows people to connect more practically! You don’t have to be physically together with the whole barkada but with the Pinoy Fitness App, you can share your progress with each other and have friendly competitions on who can finish the race faster! I mean everything is just a tap or screenshot away!
5. Perfect for people who are not free on weekends
Flexibility of time is probably one of the best selling points of virtual running. Given that many people have work on weekends and/or are in night shifts, virtual racing is perfect because you have control over your own time.
If it’s raining, you can do it on a treadmill. If you have a beach trip on the weekend, you can opt to do it before you hit your trip. However and whenever you choose to run is up to you, the only thing that matters is that you commit to your goal and you hit it.
At the end of the day, Virtual runs are not meant to be a replacement for fun runs. We, especially here in Pinoy Fitness, love Fun Runs. A better way to think of virtual runs is as additional experience in the running community – one that hopefully engages more people to run and commit to a goal.
If you want to try virtual runs, all you have to do is download the Pinoy Fitness Atleta app and register there! The best part is there are free virtual runs for you to try!
Let us know what you think about virtual racing through the comments section below!
