Road Races in a Pandemic: Staffer reviews virtual 5Ks

Although I didn’t do road races very often, I was still bummed when I realized they wouldn’t be happening for the time being because of COVID-19. When I first heard of virtual races back in April though, I was intrigued. The idea of getting a T-shirt for running three miles around my neighborhood sounded simple — plus, I love a good race T-shirt. However, I never got around to signing up for one until now. After running in my first one, I’m not so sure these virtual races are worth it. 

A virtual road race is where you run a 5K, 10K or whichever distance you choose, and upload your results to the website, with the cost varying from race to race. 

For my run, I wanted to get into the Halloween spirit — so I chose the “Jolly Jack-O-Lantern Run.” Before stumbling upon this one, I spent over an hour combing through RunSignUp, a popular website for finding virtual (and normal) road races. Each race had a different price point, location, length and awards selection. Some races had a virtual run section, but then had in-person packet pick-up. Some races were over $40, but didn’t come with a medal or a T-shirt — my main racing motivator. 

For my race, the cost was $29.99 and the proceeds benefited the Special Olympics. Though, after checking out, the cost jumped to $41.19, leaving me surprised and disappointed. I was not expecting two $5 fees for shipping and processing. I could’ve tried to find another less expensive race, but I didn’t want to go through the whole painstaking search process again. 

The run itself was uneventful. Despite running in leggings, a jacket, a hat and gloves through snow in 30-degree weather, I enjoyed the simplicity of a run with a friend. It was a nice break from my daily monotonous after-school rush to finish my homework before a reasonable hour so I can get to bed. 

I still had to look both ways before crossing Belinder because the road was not blocked off like it would’ve been for a road race, there wasn’t anybody cheering me as I rounded up a hill and instead of water stations, there were just asphalt-stained snow deposits. It definitely did not feel like a road race — but how could it?

Uploading my results only required me to text my time to the phone number provided on the race website, and within a minute, I could already see my standings on the site. Completing the race was not as fulfilling as a typical road race. I wasn’t bestowed a participation medal upon completion and a random insurance company was not handing out oranges, but I am looking forward to when my T-shirt comes in the mail in 3-5 business days. 

If you’re looking to do a road race with some friends, I’d maybe skip the virtual option. Instead, I think it would be more fun to design some T-shirts just how you want them, plan a route and invite friends and family to have your own mini road race. It would be cheaper and more fun than a virtual route. 

However, I will say this: if you’re wanting to beat your sibling’s time, taking advantage of a virtual race’s rules by using a treadmill to pace yourself would be the perfect way to do so.