A new initiative from World Athletics and the local organizing committee of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020, in Poland, is looking to deliver ‘the world’s largest virtual half-marathon.’
A decision regarding the delivery of the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships Gdynia 2020 will be made by the end of August. The championships were originally scheduled for March 29 this year. However, due to Covid-19, the event was subsequently postponed to October 17, 2020.
Aiming to keep athletes motivated, leading up to the decision about race day and race day itself, there are a number of virtual challenges in the pipeline.
The ‘First Mile with Sebastian Coe’ challenge begins on July 27 and runs until August 9, 2020. For registration and more information, runners can visit www.AllYouNeedIsRunning.com.
In subsequent weeks, the run distance will increase for the next challenges. The aim is to get athletes race ready for October 17 during the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships mass and virtual run.
All challenges to prepare runners to complete the half-marathon are free. The organizers also encourage the participants, during the registration process, to financially support the SOS Children’s Villages Association, which is part of the international organization SOS Children’s Villages. This operates in 136 countries around the world. The aim of the organization is to help abandoned, orphaned children and those at risk of losing their parents’ care.
