What’s an organization that relies on large crowds, in-person events, and organized endurance competitions to do in the midst of a social lockdown?
Go virtual, of course
When Covid-19 put Team Friendship’s event calendar indefinitely on hold, the team got creative: while they might not have to maintain social distancing, they didn’t have to be socially distant.
In fact, they realized, here was their opportunity to reach a wider audience than ever before.
After successfully organizing a fully virtual running, they’re now aiming to break records with a Run Across America.
Come date, hundreds of runners will be teaming up to complete the 2,400 miles run from the Friendship Circle International HQ in New York City.
Their strategy is simple but revolutionary: it relies on social technology to bridge the distance. As runners register to run the mileage of their choice (run 5k, 10k, or half marathon, a virtual, interactive map updates the tally to show the team’s collective mileage to date.
With registration opened just a few days ago, the team is already some 300 miles in—or, in other words, almost in West Virginia.
With the map tracking their progress and logging their mileage on the day of the event, they had one more hurdle to climb: how would they make the event cohesive, when they have runners participating from around the country?
Enter another popular social app: the Charge app enables runners to join live running events with live coaching, cheering, and more. It’s the perfect tool for coordinating a virtual endurance event and enabling people to run together despite the physical distance between them.
What’s any millennial event without a podcast? The Team Friendship training podcast helps runners keep pace with training tips, inspiration, and a curated playlist by Friendship Circle Alum DJ Joe Volfman, and a virtual celebration at the end of the run marks the event with all the appropriate pomp.
There’s a reason why Team Friendship is going to all the effort to organize a virtual marathon, instead of just “waiting Covid out”; with this global pandemic, the special needs community has been hit hard. In order to compete with Team Friendship, which operates under the Friendship Circle International umbrella, registrants are asked to pay a $65 registration fee and to fundraise for the organization.
With 60 branches across America and in 80+ countries around the globe, Friendship Circle International is at the forefront of the fight against loneliness. As they campaign for the inclusion of and provide support for individuals with special needs, they’re ensuring that every person who needs it has a friend. And with Covid wreaking havoc, their work is more necessary than it has ever been before.
While it’s not quite what was envisioned when Team Friendship was first launched, however the virtual events are so popular, the team is considering keeping them on the permanent event roster once things go back to normal.
”The virtual events are actually easier,” notes longtime Team Friendship runner and Event Committee member, Dana Ginsburg of Potomac, Maryland. “There’s no travel and no race-day stress. I’d encourage everyone to give it a try.”
Looking for an opportunity to stay fit, connect with motivated athletes from across the country, and support a crucial cause and meaningful work? To learn more about or register for the Team Friendship Virtual Run Across America, click here
Go Zalmi Perlman #1