The recent Summer Tokyo Olympics produced the most number of world records broken, ironically during the pandemic.
The athletes had more than a year to train for their respective sports, and prepare their utmost best when the Olympics was canceled last year.
Finally, we were able to watch real sports event even without the thousands of spectators cheering for their respective countries. Nevertheless, it was exciting to watch the competitions on TV.
The Philippines finally produced a gold champion in weight lifting, and two silvers and bronze in boxing. Some of our athletes even had to live abroad while training due to IATF restrictions – all for the glory and honor of representing our country thirsty for Olympic medals.
Closer to home, our local sports enthusiasts have had to endure outdoor sports like marathons and triathlons being put on hold, rescheduled, postponed due to the endless lockdowns.
The organization of virtual races then is the closest to having an actual race that can be done alone or with a small group as long as they follow IATF quarantine guidelines.
The conduct of virtual races all over the world gained traction almost instantly last year when regular competitions were banned in the streets due to pandemic restrictions of gathering hundreds or thousands of participants and spectators.
In the beginning, it was mostly virtual running races of various distances that were being conducted. Then later, some virtual triathlons were added to the trend.
With modern technology through online apps like Strava, virtual race participants are able to upload their workouts instantly using a smartwatch or a smartphone, which records their activity performed like swimming, running, cycling, or walking.
Unlike a live race where everyone toes in line, and starts the race at the same time until they complete the race at the finish line, a virtual race could be performed anywhere, anytime.
An organizer sets up the rules for the race, determines whether the race is for free or if it requires some registration fee, and presents options for particular distances to be completed, with the deadline for completion in terms of hours or days.
For example, a 42-kilometer marathon virtual race requires it to be completed between Aug. 15 to Aug. 22. A participant then could log any distance anytime within that duration until he/she completes 42 kilometers by the end date.
In the case of the 2021 Cebu Virtual Marathon, the organizers required the participants to complete the 21K or the 42K distance within a specified number of hours in one given date.
The results are then submitted online through an app like Strava for authenticity. A finisher’s medal and commemorative shirt are then mailed to the participant who completed the race.
Virtual triathlon races may not be as popular as virtual running races due to some limitations with regards to physical facilities. For example, swimming pools remain closed to the public, depending on the area where quarantine restrictions are strictly enforced. However, those who have access to beaches or lakes or the sea can log their swim times.
Virtual triathlons do not necessarily require the participants to complete all three sports (swim, bike, and run) in one go. The performance of each discipline could be spread out within the given dates, usually within a month to complete – giving the participant ample time to complete each portion.
Like virtual running, the distance in virtual cycling races is longer than normal races, ranging from 100-200 kilometers to complete.
Like in an ultramarathon of 50 kilometers upto 200 kilometers, it is up to the participant to determine how he plans to break the distance until the full distance is completed.
If the virtual race specifies one month to complete, then one could choose to run 10 kilometers each day, with some days off to rest. Others may choose to complete the race in lesser number of days but running longer distances each time.
Whichever it is, the main thing is to complete the distance before or by the end date.
There will always be peer pressure among friends or teams when it comes to which distance to choose. Take this as bit of a warning for beginners, not everyone can do long distance.
Don’t fall into that trap of thinking that if someone can do it, you can do it, too. It doesn’t work like that. It takes a lot of time to adequately train for a person to be able to cycle or run long distance.
A seasoned cyclist or a veteran distance runner could ride/run to Bayawan from Dumaguete and back to Dumaguete all in one day. A newcomer would be asking for injury if he/she attempts to do it without proper training.
Besides the physical challenge, it also takes more mental toughness to run or bike longer than 50 kilometers for an inexperienced individual.
It is safer and more enjoyable to plan ahead, and break the distance based on what a person can actually complete, injury-free, within a particular time.
Some long distance runner who have spent years of engaging in endurance sports, like ultramarathoner Timmy Besario, actually ran from Dumaguete to Bais, and back to Dumaguete when he pledged to run 100 kilometers for the Zero-Waste Virtual Race.
Although it could have been completed in segments, with the 100K distance broken down within four days from Aug. 5-8, Timmy boldly chose to complete the entire distance in one day – while we were sleeping.
Some countries are now open, and some outdoor races and indoor sports are also being allowed. In California, U.S.A., Gerald Tabios, a Sillimanian based in New York, ran the coveted Badwater Ultramarathon in July.
The Badwater Ultra is a 217-kilometer race, and considered the toughest foot race in the world. The race starts in Death Valley, California where the temperature at the starting line could shoot up to as hot as 54 degrees Celsius. The race course runs from 86 meters below sea level, onto rolling hills with little or no shade, and finish after a 2,548-meter climb to Mount Whitney.
Gerald Tabios is the only Filipino thus far who has run and finished the Badwater Ultra for six times.
With the growing number of virtual races being offered online, the absence of actual races makes racing seem less competitive. It also has seemed to become much easier to join a race from 5K to ultramarathons. With a click of a button, one could register for a distance of his choice, and do the race on his own time. It can be done on the road, the trail, or even on a treadmill, and still count, as long as the distance is completed and submitted before the cutoff time/date.
Upon completion and verification, a certificate is available online, stating that one has finished the race. Not a few then post their achievements on social media for “bragging rights”.
Joining virtual races may be the best we can do now, in lieu of joining live races.
Here’s a list of things that I continue to long for that we don’t get to experience in virtual races: I miss training for a particular race for months on end to make sure I am physically and mentally ready to toe in line on race day. I miss waking up on race morning, feeling nervous and eager to join my friends and teammates participating in the race. I miss preparing my running shoes and jersey night before the race day, and pinning the race bib on my shirt. I miss doing my warm up routine, and literally shaking hands with fellow athletes around me, wishing each other good luck and a safe race. I miss waiting for the starting gun to go off, and running the race with all my might. I miss the huffing and puffing sound of runners around me, while trying to maintain my own pace, but also keeping up with other runners. I miss grabbing a cup of water from a volunteer, and thanking them at each water station. I miss giving high fives to the cheering spectators, as if I personally knew them. I miss sucking up the last energy that I have as I get closer to the finish line, and watching the clock tick in a distance, as every second counts until I cross under the finish line banner. I miss the volunteers hanging the finisher’s medal around my neck, congratulating me for a job well done. I miss looking for my family after the race to show them my medal, and complain how bad my race went, even knowing that I did my best to finish, and it was all well worth the effort.
Virtual racing is the new normal, at least for now here in the Philippines. I may not a big fan of virtual races but I support them because they do help us achieve something as an alternative to an actual race.
Hopefully someday when this pandemic is behind us, we could again join hundreds and thousands of fellow athletes racing on the road to the finish line.
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Author’s email: Ironmandario@gmail.com
