Virtual Run/Walks Will Get You Exercise + Away From Crowds

As more and more events get cancelled, such as the Saint Fennessy 4K, there is still a way to do a 5K, 10K and even a half marathon that includes shirts, medals and no crowds.

I discovered virtual runs last year through Medal Dash Virtual Runs on Facebook.  I'm a big fan of the movie "Field of Dreams" and there was a run where the medal and shirt had that as its theme.  I couldn't resist, so I signed up for the 5K.

Here's how a virtual run works:

1. Sign up for a virtual run of your choice.  Most companies offer a 5K, 10K and half marathon. Some offer longer challenges.
2. Run or walk your committed distance, whenever you want, within the month.  You can do this outside, on a treadmill or indoor track.
3. If on Facebook, through a company like Medal Dash Virtual Runs, you'll join their group and post a picture of yourself along with your time and distance (this can be a picture of your treadmill screen, Fitbit, etc).
4. Wear your medal and/or shirt with pride!  If you collect these things from other races, you've earned it so you can add it to your collection.

These events are not hard to find, as an online search will show.  I've done Medal Dash Virtual Runs through Facebook and they have a 'May The Fourth Be With You' event coming up that sounds like fun.  Another popular company is VirtualRunEvents.com.

What's cool about this is you can run or walk during a time and at a location that fits your schedule.  You can run alone or with a friend or spouse, but you won't be in a huge crowd.