Disclaimer: I received an entry to the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about becoming a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews.
This past Saturday I was scheduled to run the Soldier Field 10 Mile Race in Chicago. I was so looking forward to it, with the course set to start and finish at Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears! When I signed up for the race back in early February, not in my wildest imagination would I have guessed what racing would look like in 2020. But alas, the global pandemic had other plans.
My race packet arrived a few days before the originally scheduled date of May 23rd. I received my bib and medal along with an awesome shirt and some other fun items including Honey Stinger waffles, Tootsie Rolls wrapped in red-white-and-blue paper, a Bondiband neck gaitor, a nuun sport tablet, a wristband honoring veterans, and even a small American flag!
One of the nice things about virtual races is that you usually can pick the date you choose to run, as well as the time of day and the route. I have a 5-mile loop near my home that I often run, so I planned to complete the loop once and then again in reverse to total 10 miles. I woke up early on race morning, and I really wasn’t feeling it. It was humid out with storms predicted later in the day. The sensible thing would have been to get out the door early in the morning to avoid the rising temperature and increasing humidity, but of course I don’t always do the sensible thing!
By the time I finally started my run it was pretty hot and humid. About 3-1/2 miles in the wind picked up and the dark clouds started to roll in. I picked up the pace and completed the first 5 miles in a decent time – about 3 minutes faster than it usually takes me to complete the loop. Not wanting to get caught in a storm, I decided to head down to my basement for the final 5 miles. Maybe not a conventional way to complete a race, but it was a nice option, given the circumstances. After I finished I came upstairs from my basement and of course, the sun was shining brightly. I could have gotten the second 5 miles in before the storms rolled in, but oh well. I was happy to be done in either case.
With most of my scheduled races now having gone virtual, I plan to run them all on the originally scheduled dates, since I made myself available for them in the first place. I can’t wait for the world to turn itself upright so we can get back to business as usual. While I’m grateful to have the option to run these races virtually, I’m looking forward to the day I can toe the actual line and meet up with some of you again!
Have you been running races virtually? Do you wear your race bib? What races do you have planned for the upcoming year?
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On (or off) my 2020 Race Calendar:
January 9 – 12, 2020: Walt Disney World Dopey Challenge, Orlando, FL
March 1, 2020: Tokyo Marathon DEFERRED to 2021
March 15, 2020: Amita Health St. Paddy’s Day Half Marathon, Bolingbrook, IL POSTPONED until September
May 2, 2020: Cinco de Miler, Chicago, IL Gone VIRTUAL
May 23, 2020: Soldier Field 10 Miler, Chicago, IL Gone VIRTUAL
June 21, 2020: Wonder Woman 10K, Chicago, IL Gone VIRTUAL
July 12, 2020: Across the Bay 12K, San Francisco, CA Gone VIRTUAL
September 12, 2020: Run Mag Mile, Chicago, IL
October 4, 2020: Bucktown 5K, Chicago, IL
October 11, 2020: Chicago Marathon
I just registered for my first big virtual challenge. I won’t have a big, but I will be super proud of my shirt and medal.
I love that they mailed you your swag bag. Some races just consider it a loss.
I can’t wait to run a real race again. It will be so great.
Looking forward to hearing about your virtual. It sounds like a ton of fun!
Congrats to you Linda! Virtual races take a lot more mental strength especially the 10 milers. I also cannot wait to get back to real in person racing and everything!
I agree! My next virtual is a 10K and I’m looking forward to the shorter distance. I honestly don’t know how people are doing virtual marathons. That has to be so tough!
Well, that was creative, finishing it in your basement! Good for you for persevering even without the normal milieu of a race.
Lemonade out of lemons, as I always say!
Great job! Sounds like a pretty fun run! I would have headed to the treadmill, too.
Thanks, Rachel! I probably could have done the second loop outside, but this way I got to binge watch some TV!
Awesome job! That’s a significant distance for a virtual endeavor. Yes, I also am most eager to hit up a real race course!
I hope when things open up again we can all get together for a fun-themed race!
I love the race shirts!
A shame about the weather but fortunately, you are very resourceful. 5 miles in the basement would have been a challenge for me!
The shirts are really nice! I wouldn’t want to wear mine if I didn’t do the distance.
Great job getting this race done! I’ve signed up for three virtual races and have completed one so far.
If I had my druthers, they would be ‘real’ races…hopefully we’ll be back to those sooner than later!
Nice work getting in your race! What awesome swag. A neck gaiter and a t-shirt. Plus the t-shirt looked really cool!
Thanks! RAM Racing puts on great races and always has the best swag!
It’s such a shame that the events I had planned this year have had to be cancelled (although I agree 100% that they should be cancelled).
I look forward to getting back to them next year. I am trying a virtual event to help keep my motivation.
I’m with you. I can’t imagine there will be any races held in 2020 or if so, they will be the very small ones.