Even though the pandemic has put a slight stop on gatherings, our DevAiders still found a way to take part in a running marathon! If you think this sounds impossible in light of current restrictions, there is a safe way. This summer, Sporter organized the first-of-a-kind online marathon, called RUNdemia. The concept was unique, reuniting running fanatics in a virtual way. During one week, participants ran different distances by themselves and recorded the workouts on tracking apps. Before the end of the week, runners submitted their recorded runs, and the ranking was calculated. Thus, the experience felt like a real marathon – but in an individual way.

We were keen to find out the impressions of our runners and their experience, since it was the first event of this kind for our colleagues. Interestingly, all of our participants listed multiple positive aspects. For example, the fact that you were able to run multiple times, at your own pace, gave the runners a feeling of independence and control over their workout. Similarly, despite running alone, participants felt a sense of “virtual unity” due to being part of a big event together, with over 200 runners taking part in the marathon. Nevertheless, some runners mentioned the challenge of not having supporters along the track to cheer them up, as well as opponents to keep them on their toes.

Even though it was more of an ‘individual’ marathon than a full-blown event as we know it, we are glad that our participants enjoyed and committed to RUNdemia. Regardless of their results, they demonstrated willpower and determination to show their best without the moral support of others and competitors to race against. After all, the most important competition is against ourselves 🙂