My first and probably last virtual race. Virtual Runfire 20 K, #RFSL2020

Every year, I have a good a reason to avoid running Salt Lake Runfire, and this year the reason was, guess what, Covid. The organisers decided to go for only 100 miles or 160 K category this year, kindly inviting all other lesser humans to compete virtually using Rooner app. Check Runfire out for future years. Salt Lake is an amazing place and this race should be in every runners bucket list.

It has been more than 18 months since my last race. I had been travelling like crazy for the entire 2019 with no time to additional travel. After spending the first half of 2020 under quarantines, I started itching for a race. Be it virtual or physical, a race is a race and much better than running a lonely Sunday long. So I decided to give it a try.

A good friend once said that “Half” is the most beautiful of all distances. You can just wake up one day and race a Half. No preparation needed. For Runfire Virtual 20, I did prepare by waking up half an hour earlier than usual and eating half a banana. This surprised Sirnasik The Cat, but no one else.

Race mornings are very special. Breakfast with friends, travel to start point, last minute coffee, counting the gels… It has its own chores and routines. This time I had none of this. With no one around to share the excitement, no start line to go (you choose one) and no finish line to cross, it did not feel any different than a usual training day.

On my way to my “start”, I realised that I did not have a “race plan” either. Normally, I would have a simple race plan somewhere in the back of my mind or I would just note the plan on my forearm. Race plans are just intentions, but having at least a simple plan turns a run into a race. This time I didn’t have one.

There is a 2.5 km paved connection road between Ortakent and Yahsi. It is a silent road snaking through tangerine gardens. I must have used this segment hundreds of times- it could be my all-time-most-repeated segment. I could run, cycle or drive this road blindfolded if I had to. The familiarity, security and silence is priceless. Yet, it is not a “racing” place for me. It is the only “flat” road that I know of in Bodrum, so I had to use it. On a normal summer morning, I would just put my water flask in my usual hideaway, pick an unripe tangerine from one of the trees (I like the smell) and just run, without even looking at my watch.

So I started my race as any other morning, running my all-too-familiar segment back and forth four times. And that was it. No cheering crowds, no start, no finish, no friends. Just a notification from the application congratulating me for completing the race.

I picked up my flask, stopped my gps and kept running home. A virtual race is a very, very poor substitute of the real thing and I hope I will never have to do this ever again. I am thankful for the organisers who took all the trouble to organise this event, giving us a brief sense of normalcy in these weird days.

I don’t know what will happen to the race organisations in the next few years. Running, cycling or swimming are not exactly close contact sports. Some of us might be dropping off but I am sure more and more people will be drawn to recreational running because of the sports sheer simplicity. I am sure finding a slot in the bigger marathon organisations will be even harder due to increased demand. Running will emerge from the Covid crisis as a stronger sport. Till then, my plan is to keep training. But my adventure with virtual races is over.