Run across the country in a virtual race, starting this Canada Day

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Charity run

According to the event website, runners can create teams with as many people as they want. There’s also a solo run, which is 800K, designed for runners who would prefer to compete alone but aren’t up to tackle a full cross-country race. The run will raise money for three charities: Operation Underground Railroad, Discovery House and Habitat for Humanity. 

RELATED: Canada Day race to feature virtual “living flag”

Finishers will receive a medal, a neck gaiter, an official race wristband and a virtual finisher’s badge. There will also be a leaderboard that will mark the progress of the different athletes and teams, so runners can see where they rank with the rest of the competition. 

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Virtual mileage 

An 8,000K route is obviously a long way to go, but race organizers help make that distance a little less daunting by using the example of a 10-person team. In this case, each team member just has to average about 2.2K per day throughout the year. That would bring a team of 10 runners to just over 8,000 kilometres by July 1, 2021. The daily mileage of course grows steeper with fewer team members. 

RELATED: The 2020 virtual race calendar

For the solo 800K race, the daily mileage also works out to about the same total of 2.2K. This way, a runner can miss a few days here and there and they’ll still be able to easily make up the distance with a couple of long runs. As runners progress along the virtual route, they’ll receive different badges for certain distances, such as the Moose Badge at the 400K mark, the Beer Badge after 1,500K and the Polar Bear Badge at 5,650K, among many others. 

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Race fees and discount

Registration is open for the relay and solo races, and both cost $60 to enter. After July 1, when the race officially begins, the price will jump to $99, and from August through to the end of 2020, the price is $129. As of 2021, the registration will be closed. The Big Canada Run is giving Canadian Running readers a 20 per cent discount for all race entries. Enter the code RUNNING20 on the registration page for this price reduction. Click here to register and learn more about the cross-Canada run.