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No races, no problem: more events to keep you entertained

If you miss watching races, here are some fun alternatives to help you get your racing fix and give you a laugh

March 22, 2020
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While the many race cancellations in the past month are completely necessary and were the right call, it’s still been a disappointing time for runners. The athletes who hoped to run the events aren’t the only people missing out, though. Many people look forward to watching races like the Boston and London marathons and the many track events that have been affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Though this may not be exactly what you’ve been hoping for, but here are a few “races” that might scratch your sports itch (even though they’re a little silly).

Marble racing

Yep, you read that correctly—thanks to the coronavirus, you can now dive right into the world of marble racing. Like track events, there’s a lot of jostling in the pack as the individual marbles fight for position, and in the below video (which even got Canadian Running contributor Alex Hutchinson excited), an enthralling race unfolded. 

There’s even a YouTube channel called Jelle’s Marble Runs that has over 680,000 subscribers, and it only posts videos of marble races. 

RELATED: LIVE UPDATE: How coronavirus is affecting running events

Dogging

Dogging. It’s not quite dog racing, but with the right commentary, it’s thrilling enough. Sit back, relax and take in this new event.

RELATED: Cancelled race? Create your own marathon

ESPN 8: The Ocho

If you’re into these obscure sports, ESPN will be airing a full lineup of these events all day March 22. From the World Axe Throwing League to the National Stone Skipping Competition to more marble racing (which is at 7:30 p.m. ET), you’ll have hours and hours of sports to watch.

RELATED: How coronavirus is complicating Olympic qualification

It might not be as exciting as watching Eliud Kipchoge race for a sub-two-hour marathon or Gabriela DeBues-Stafford push for a Canadian record (or maybe you think it is, we won’t judge), but marble racing and the other ESPN 8 sports might fill that void in your life that opened up when the coronavirus put an end to the 2020 spring race season.

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