Last week, we announced that our annual 5K run and 2K walk would be done virtually this year, and would be held through September 5th through the 13th. But what does that mean? What the heck is a virtual 5K and how do you run it? And how are we keeping track of our runners’ times? In this blog post, we’ll be answering all those questions and more.
Q. What on earth is a ‘virtual 5K’?
A. Essentially, it’s a 5K run or walk, done remotely. Instead of a large group of people getting together on a singular date on the calendar and running together on a set course, each runner will select their own route to navigate, run their 5K, and post their time on a social media platform. This is, admittedly, not our first choice for handling our annual walk and run, but given the global pandemic, it’s our safest option right now.
As you know, we’re handling registration online this year, though if you’d like to request a registration form via mail or email, contact donate@saveourbridge.org or call 207-837-0558. Don’t forget that the first 100 registrants score a free T-shirt!
Q. That sounds neat, but how do I run it? Where do I go?
Q. What on earth is a ‘virtual 5K’?
A. Essentially, it’s a 5K run or walk, done remotely. Instead of a large group of people getting together on a singular date on the calendar and running together on a set course, each runner will select their own route to navigate, run their 5K, and post their time on a social media platform. This is, admittedly, not our first choice for handling our annual walk and run, but given the global pandemic, it’s our safest option right now.
As you know, we’re handling registration online this year, though if you’d like to request a registration form via mail or email, contact donate@saveourbridge.org or call 207-837-0558. Don’t forget that the first 100 registrants score a free T-shirt!
Q. That sounds neat, but how do I run it? Where do I go?
| A. Once you’ve registered, paid your fee, picked out your route, and are ready to run… well, you’re going to have to wait ’til September 5, because that’s when it officially starts. But once the 5th rolls around, you’ve got until midnight on September 15 to choose your 5K or 2K route (though we recommend planning it ahead of time), and run it at whatever pace you’d like. |  |
Of course, you’re free to navigate the usual routes used in our annual 5K and 2K, or you can choose a route more local, convenient, or scenic for you. Or you can run it on your treadmill at home. That’s up to you.
 | Q. Okay, I’ve done my run, now what? A. Post it to social media! Once you’ve finished your run, you’ll take to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram- or all three, if you want- and post a picture of yourself at your finish line, along with your time and your route if you’d like, and tag the post #SOSB2020. |
Make sure to post once you’ve finished and use that hashtag #SOSB2020 because we’ll be using it to look for your posts and keep track of who’s finished their run and when. If you’re on Facebook, you can go directly to the Save Our Swinging Bridge page and post there. We aren’t keeping track of times this year, so you only need to post your time if you wish.
Q. Then what?
A. After everyone’s completed their runs and we’ve collected the results, we’ll be giving away some prizes! As stated, we’re not tracking times this year, so there won’t be a prize for the fastest time. However, make sure to wear your best, weirdest, or most interesting running clothes, because there will be prizes for…
Of course, we all know that the Swinging Bridge is the prettiest of all the bridges, but if your route takes you across a bridge, take a picture of it and include that in your post, because if it’s particularly pretty, it might just net you a prize! Those prizes, by the by, include gift cards from the restaurants and other eateries who are contributing to our annual races, like Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick! It’s also entirely possible that we’ll be adding more prize categories before the start date, so keep an eye out for that.
Q. Okay, you’ve got my attention. What time does this whole thing start and end?
A. You’re free to start running on September 5, at 12:01 AM, and you’ve got until midnight September 15 to finish. So you early birds who’re looking to net that First Finisher prize better start pretty darn early!
Q. Is there anything else I should know?
A. Make sure to watch our social medias- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, this website- for more information, make sure you get your registration in nice and early to net yourself that T-shirt, and stay healthy and safe. We’re looking forward to seeing your posts and your routes!
Q. Then what?
A. After everyone’s completed their runs and we’ve collected the results, we’ll be giving away some prizes! As stated, we’re not tracking times this year, so there won’t be a prize for the fastest time. However, make sure to wear your best, weirdest, or most interesting running clothes, because there will be prizes for…
- First Finisher
- Final Finisher
- Youngest Participant
- Oldest Participant
- Funniest Running Outfit
- Most Unusual Running Outfit
- Farthest from the Swinging Bridge
- Second Prettiest Bridge
Of course, we all know that the Swinging Bridge is the prettiest of all the bridges, but if your route takes you across a bridge, take a picture of it and include that in your post, because if it’s particularly pretty, it might just net you a prize! Those prizes, by the by, include gift cards from the restaurants and other eateries who are contributing to our annual races, like Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick! It’s also entirely possible that we’ll be adding more prize categories before the start date, so keep an eye out for that.
Q. Okay, you’ve got my attention. What time does this whole thing start and end?
A. You’re free to start running on September 5, at 12:01 AM, and you’ve got until midnight September 15 to finish. So you early birds who’re looking to net that First Finisher prize better start pretty darn early!
Q. Is there anything else I should know?
A. Make sure to watch our social medias- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, this website- for more information, make sure you get your registration in nice and early to net yourself that T-shirt, and stay healthy and safe. We’re looking forward to seeing your posts and your routes!
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