Signing up for races can become pretty addictive, but these days you don't need to travel far to earn your bling. Virtual races are walking, running, or cycling races in which you track your activity and send proof to the organisers via email who then send you your medal in the post. 

Virtual races tend to be a lot cheaper than traditional races and usually cost around £12. There are hundreds of different virtual races on offer in the UK and often they are accumulative, which means you do a certain number of miles over a specific time period in order to achieve your medal. Virtual racing can be a great way to stay motivated and is also a way to get more people involved in walking, running, and cycling. Many of the virtual racing organisations also donate some profits to charity so you know you're doing your part too!

Virtual Races With Medals

There are lots of different types of races on offer and you can go at your own pace to earn your medal. Some races are more challenging than others, but they are all a great way to stay motivated all year and can help to encourage more to people to get active. Some races involved running a certain distance in a month and some encourage you to just walk or run as far as you can in a specified time frame.

If you think you might be interested in joining a virtual race, there are two big players in the UK:

Virtual Runner UK

Virtual Racing UK

The benefits of doing virtual races

At a time when doing real races isn't possible, a lot of people are looking to do virtual races to keep them motivated. Having something to work towards can be hugely beneficial and can keep you focused on a goal. At a time when the future is very uncertain, having focus and discipline is needed more than ever.

By signing up to a virtual race, not only are you giving yourself that push and motivation to work towards a solid goal, you can also get other people involved and feel more connected to the racing community. Healthy competition is great for achieving goals and can keep your head in the right place.

The drawbacks of doing virtual races

Nothing will ever compare to doing a real race. That feeling of adrenaline on the start line, the other races by your side pushing your pace and keeping you focused. With virtual races, we can maybe put too much pressure on ourselves and without a solid event to go to, it is easy to lose motivation and maybe not perform at your best.

Make sure you don't put too much pressure on yourself and remember why you decided to start running or cycling in the first place. This is all for you, to help improve both your physical and mental wellbeing. Remember to have fun and enjoy the process!