Walk the Walk London Moonwalk – http://www.walkthewalk.org/Challenges/TheMoonWalkLondon
The date has now been released for The Moonwalk London 2015! OK so this isn’t a running event, but I love long walks and the Moonwalk is such an incredible experience. I took part this year for the first time (review coming soon) and completed the full 26.2 mile Moonwalk, so I thought I might complete the 13.1 mile Half Moon next time.
The 2015 London event will be taking place on Saturday 16 May, starting at Clapham Common, with entries opening at 9am on Tuesday 21 October 2014.
The Full and Half Marathon are the same price and will be £47.50 – if you enter online there will be an additional £3.33 booking fee. This is the best value event I have ever participated in, as the entry fee includes: a Walk the Walk t-shirt, a high viz cap, a bra to decorate (usually a Wonderbra!), full training plan and advice on walking technique, walker number, luggage label, weather protector, space blanket, a hot pasta or rice meal, all the water you can drink, facilities along the route, a gorgeous medal when you cross the finish line, incredible entertainment, plus all the support and advice that the Walk the Walk Team can give you. This is so much more than a walking event!
Each year the Moonwalk has a theme, and 2015 will be ‘a night at the movies’. Participants can decorate their bra – and maybe also themselves if they wish! – as Marilyn Monroe, Minnie Mouse, Pretty Woman, Princess Leia… the list is endless! Decorating the bra is half the fun and I spent hours on mine this year. The theme was rockabilly so I researched loads of different ideas, purchased swatches of material and sewed and glued to my heart’s content. I already have a few ideas for my 2015 bra and will be ready at 9am on Tuesday morning, debit card in hand, to sign up! Can’t wait.
Heroes Villains Run – http://www.heroesrun.org.uk/content/hrb2012
I can’t believe I had never heard of this. I accidentally stumbled across this race on another running blog and it sounds like so much fun! You enter the race like normal and decide whether you wish to run as a hero or a villain. On race day, the 2 sides line up next to each other for an epic race between good and evil! It’s sponsored by Brooks and Military Fitness and is in aid of Pass It On Africa, a charity run by dedicated people who work hard to help build schools and support education in some of the poorest areas of Africa.
The 2015 event will take place on Sunday 17 May and there are 4 challenges to decide between, with prices varying from £5 – £20.
- The 500m Dash (suggested ages 7 years and under – must be accompanied by an adult). Race start 10:00am
- The Youth Mile (suggested ages 8 years and over). Race start 10:15am
- 5K (entrants must be 13 years or over). Race start 10:40am
- 10K (entrants must be 16 years and over). Race start 10:40am
Sadly, this Heroes Run is the day after the London Moonwalk, so it’s unlikely that I’ll actually be able to take part in 2015 which is such a shame – this event is right up my street (I love dressing up!). I’ll definitely be taking part in the future.
Virtual Runner UK – http://www.virtualrunneruk.com/
Another accidental discovery: the Virtual Runner Twitter account popped up as a suggested account to follow, so I curiously checked out the website. I’m so glad I did – thank you Twitter!
This is how it works: you can opt to run or walk 5K, 10K, half marathon or triathlon within a certain timeframe, and pay a £5 entry fee via Paypal. A minimum of 20% of each entry fee will go to charity, and there is also the option on the website to donate directly to charity which is lovely – this whole concept seems to be very charity-based.
On successfully completing your chosen distance before the closing date, submit proof (screen-shot of a running app, photo of a Garmin/running device etc), by emailing it in. You will receive a finisher’s medal in the post! Pop back to the website at a later date to view the results of the race, as everyone who took part and submitted their proof is listed together with their timings, so you are in effect racing each other!
This is such a great idea and the medals look lovely. I immediately signed up to take part in a virtual 5K race in the fourth week of December, so I’ll have a week-long timeframe to complete a road-run (which I would do anyway) in my own time and my own route, snap-shot my RunKeeper app and email it across. The Christmas medals are so cute and I love the fact that I’m not going to be doing anything out of my usual running routine in order to get one, and I’ve donated to charity in the process. I’m so excited to be a part of such a great idea and look forward to seeing how this will go in December! The review will of course follow 🙂
Laura's footprints 