On a brisk Sunday morning in late August, Nathalie Robert laced up her running shoes, loaded up her waist pack with water and gel packs and set off on her second half marathon.But the 34-year-old Health Canada employee was the lone competitor on the 21-kilometre course, which stretched along the hilly, curving road that snakes through Gatineau Park, just north of Ottawa.
Ms. Robert was racing against 111 others in a virtual competition as part of Ohio's Spirit of Columbus Half Marathon (the official run attracted 1,287 competitors). The other participants in the virtual race were from around the world, including Melbourne, Vancouver and Philadelphia.
Virtual marathons are springing up across the United States this year as a side event to official races. For the first time, the ING New York City Marathon – one of the world's most elite long-distance running events – is staging two virtual races.
They allow those who don't qualify, can't travel or can't afford to run the official course to compete.
Runners anywhere in the world can register. They simply map out their own routes online through MapMyFitness.com and then track their time manually or with a GPS device. Upon completing their course, they submit their race data online and can see how they stack up against the competition. Organizers expect 3,000 to 5,000 people to participate. But results have to be taken with a grain of salt: Finish times could be affected by differences in terrain and weather conditions.
Of course, it takes a lot of motivation to complete a half or full marathon. Many seasoned long-distance runners credit their fellow racers or the cheering crowds for giving them that final burst of energy to make it to the finish line. Tackling a virtual race means preparing yourself for unique mental challenges.
“I didn't realize it was going to be so different from participating in the real half marathon,” Ms. Robert said. “The last kilometres were tough. You don't get that drive that you get when people start to cheer you from the finish line.”
Indeed, the support of crowds can be a major source of inspiration for runners, said Toronto mental skills consultant Peter Papadogiannis, who helps athletes mentally prepare for competitions.
“In that time of need, getting that support from someone could be priceless.”
Ms. Robert had to battle the temptation to take breaks and slow down during her journey. The Garmin GPS watch strapped to her wrist that tracked her distance, pace and running time kept her legs pushing forward.
So while she says the race served as a great training exercise to prepare for a real half marathon she did in September, Ms. Robert said she isn't likely to do a virtual run again.
Linda Hilts, 61, a seasoned marathon runner from Richmond, B.C., shares that sentiment. She participated in the same virtual race – except on a course in Vancouver.
Ms. Hilts, who has 18 full marathons and 20 half marathons under her belt, said running with just one competitor physically present – a running buddy – was “unnerving.”
“I find I run better if there's a pack of runners. If I'm on my own, I'm not as motivated.”
The effect was clear: While she usually completes half marathons in about two hours, that time she clocked in at 2:15.
Other runners report similar results. Larissa Martin Ralph, a 34-year-old from Everett, Wash., who placed first in the virtual race for the National Marathon to Fight Breast Cancer, which takes place in Jacksonville, Fla., said even her winning time of 1:53 was slower than her personal record of 1:46.
But she says virtual marathons are perfect for “half marathon fanatics” like herself who don't have the means to travel the world.
“I could do it all the time and travel but I have a family and a job and it's just a little harder,” she said.
And after completing a couple of virtual races so far this year, she is learning to adapt her running style.
As she raced through her neighbourhood, she pretended the runners out for leisurely jogs on her route were competitors and “went after them like road kill.”
But finishing the races was anti-climactic, she acknowledges. It was weeks before she found out about her win and received her medal in the mail.
Mr. Papadogiannis says it's important for runners to have a clear finish line and reward themselves after they've completed a race.
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