Whether or not you were aware of this fact, gingerbread men are notoriously fast runners. With good reason – as the holidays approach, all these giants are chasing them down and trying to eat them! What could be a worse fate? Get caught and… *crunch*… it’s all over.  That’s why this is the perfect virtual race for the holiday season – the Catch Me If You Can Virtual 5K. Our gingerbread mascot has been vigorously training all year, secretly running in all of our 2016 virtual races, as well as running almost every day of the year.  Do you think you can catch him? Give it a chance and sign up today for this fun race!

When you sign up, you’ll receive your race packet featuring a gift of your choice, an authentic race bib, and a unique gingerbread man medal with an ornament/cookie cutter/press built into the back so you can make your own gingerbread creations as gifts for friends and family, or decorations for your home.  You won’t find a medal like this anywhere else, and there are a ton of creative things you can do with it.  You also choose your gift – one of two RokBAND multi-functional headbands (candy cane or ugly sweater), a pair of striped socks, or a pair of our adorable smiley face gloves (wave to other runners) with touch screen fingertips so you can easily change songs on your MP3 player or use your phone without removing your gloves,

We’re not terribly big on rules when it comes to virtual races, which is the appeal of our virtual races for runners.  Just run (or walk) 3.1 miles any time between December 19th and 26th – and we promise we won’t judge if you do it a little earlier or later, since we know how the holidays can be a hectic time of the year.  Of course, this festive race is a great way to involve the family in running and maybe even start an annual tradition that everyone looks forward to.

We know a lot of people can be intimidated by the idea of running their first virtual race, and we hope to put your minds at ease.  They’re designed for everyone from novice runners who are just getting started to professional runners – and meant to be done at your own pace, on your own time, and in a place where you are comfortable. Run alone, or with friends or family – without worrying about what can, for some, feel like being in the middle of a horde of runners. Take as long as you need if you’re just starting out – there’s nobody there to judge, and when you finish, you’ll be able to proudly wear that medal and say, “I earned this.” That’s part of the magic of virtual races – there are no hard and fast rules, no expectations, and you’re in charge of your own race. And we believe in you!

When you sign up for the race, you are also running for charity. The Catch Me If You Can Virtual 5K supports the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund, and a portion of your registration fee will be donated to this great charity that supports the men and women in the armed forces, along with their families. They do great work, and you’ll be helping to ensure they can continue to.

We also look forward to seeing your great race photos – and reading your recaps. Please make sure you submit them to our Facebook page or email them to blog@chalktalksports.com so we can see all the smiles and happy runners. (It would be our favorite thing to get this Christmas.)

So sign up for the Catch Me If You Can Virtual 5K today and have a great time running – and making your unique gingerbread ornaments.  If you have any questions about the race – or virtual races in general – send them to blog@chalktalksports.com.  I’ll be happy to answer anything you wanted to know (but were afraid to ask.)

Happy running – and happy holidays – from our family to yours. Enjoy this race and we look forward to sharing all the great races we already have planned for 2017 with you as well. Until then, have a happy and safe New Year and enjoy any and all holidays you celebrate, as well as your winter runs.

The post Introducing the Catch Me If You Can Virtual 5K appeared first on ChalkTalkSPORTS Blog.