Virtual Events

Virtual events have so many benefits

When Covid took over the world running events were cancelled and it was more than two years before most came back and even then with reduced capacity. Their replacement was the virtual event. Most of us had a go at one or two and even though they don't come close to replacing the real thing they do have benefits. Will they now disappear or are they here to stay?

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What are they?

For most runners in 2020 and 2021 the only way of feeling connected with the event world was to take part in a virtual event. These had existed before the pandemic but they exploded in popularity over this two year period. Pretty much every event globally offered a virtual option. They had to. There was no revenue coming in and they still had costs, so they all had to look at a virtual option, even though many were against them for many reasons. Basically a virtual option was to do the event at home. No-one could travel and there weren't any events anyway, so the only option was to do it where you lived.

There were many options, but the most common were:

• The official virtual event that had to be done on a specific day, at clearly defined times and on a specific app. These included the London and New York Marathons. You couldn't record your run on any other app or submit evidence later.

• The official event that could be done within a set time frame, sometimes many weeks. Some events, like the Honolulu Marathon, allowed the run to be done on multiple days, rather than all on the same day.

• Virtual events, offered by multiple companies allowed runners to select a distance and decide when they completed it.

How do they work?

Runners (or walkers) record their activity on their favourite app, or that required by the event, and upload the detail to the relevant platform. Some apps sent the information directly to the event so further action is needed. For those that took multiple days to finish their run they could see progress, both in terms of miles covered, but also on a map of the course, with information on the landmarks they would have passed at certain points along the course. Many events offered much more than just recording functions. They offered downloading features that attempted to bring the event to their runners. There were official race numbers (sometimes sent in the mail, but normally downloadable), details about the destination and sometimes themed videos, including specific training information were provided. It was important that those that took part really felt part of the experience. Some event organisers did this a lot better than organisers and many continue to do so.

In addition to the downloadable and video products, most event organisers and many others not directly linked to events, offer medals and T-shirts. Medals are essential and the quality of these differs hugely. Virtual events that include shirts are often more expensive and again the quality can differ, so make sure you know what you're getting in detail before you sign up. Also remember to check when your bling will arrive. Generally this will be linked to the date of the physical event, if you're signing up to one that is provided by a physical event organiser.

Check the quality of the medal you'll be getting once you complete your virtual event

Why would I do one now that the real thing is back?

There are lots of reasons for still running virtual events:

• If you want to be involved in a distance running event and you can't travel for whatever reason the virtual option is definitely worth considering. You'll get official race gear without leaving your local area. If you want a medal and T-shirt from an exotic destination thousands of miles away, no problem, now you can.

• If you're not ready to do a full or half in one run then these give you another option. You can do it over multiple days. Some official marathons allow you to do this and a great way of getting some marathon bling without putting yourself under undue pressure. Some purists don't like that, but it's opening up events to a bigger audience and that has to be a good thing, doesn't it?

• You can reward those long training runs. Training for a full or a half means lots of long runs, and now you can use one or two of them to grab yourself some extra medals and T's. Sign up to a virtual and you can use that as extra motivation as you're training for your physical event.

Will they stick around?

Virtual events were an essential replacement, but now they are an addition. It's an extra revenue stream for event companies and a great way of extending the profile of the brand. When they first came to prominence many event companies had to cancel their events at really short notice and many used medals and T-shirts that had already been ordered, or delivered, for those that completed the virtual event. Without the virtual option all of this event bling would have been wasted and huge costs incurred with no return. Now event organisers create merchandise especially for the virtual. Medals and T-shirts are now often different to those for finishers of the physical event and this satisfies those that felt the official medal shouldn't be given to those that don't complete the event in one run. There was a view that the medal could be devalued. That isn't now an issue and it's clear, by seeing how many event companies still offer a virtual option, that they are here to stay.

Final thoughts

Virtual events existed long before Covid and they will continue to exist far into the future. While many of us will associate them with difficult times they did give many runners a degree of motivation to keep going. Motivation was difficult for many people during this time and virtual gave many runners a source of inspiration that kept them going. No physical events are back, virtual events still have a role and they could prove invaluable for physical events organisers as they look to rebuild.

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