Virtual Event Info
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Virtual Race Information
The inaugural Coast Guard Marathon in 2021 was completely virtual and garnered over 11,000 participants from all 50 states and several countries abroad! The Coast Guard Marathon will continue to offer the virtual race option to enable athletes from all over the world to participate and continue to honor and celebrate the U.S. Coast Guard. While we’d love to welcome you to our in-person event, if travel just isn’t in the cards we hope you’ll join us virtually for the 5K, half marathon, or full marathon.
Athlete Amenities
All registered virtual athletes will receive a Coast Guard Marathon t-shirt, downloadable bib, and finisher medal specific to their chosen race. Race packets will be mailed to virtual participants in two stages. Athletes registered before February 1st will receive their race packets before the in-person events in March. Athletes registered after February 1st will receive their packets after the March in-person event.
Virtual Race Guidelines
The great thing about a virtual race is the flexibility. You can complete your race any time during the months of March or April, in your own space, on your own time. Whether that means walking 1 mile per day until you’ve reached the “finish line” or running the entire distance on race day is up to you!
Submitting your results is optional, and race packets will be shipped to the address submitted during registration regardless, so please ensure your address is current in Run Sign Up.
Virtual runners are welcome to complete their race by any means as long as you are using your own power to go the distance. This leaves room for individual adaptation where necessary, so biking, swimming, rowing, etc. are welcome for the virtual events!
Full
26.2 miles
Half
13.1 miles
5k
3.1 miles
Virtual Race Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
WHAT IS A VIRTUAL EVENT?
A virtual event allows participants to complete their race distance anytime and anywhere. You may run, walk, row, swim, or bike, etc for virtual events. You choose your race day and your own start/finish lines.
HOW DOES A VIRTUAL EVENT WORK?
Simply complete your race distance any day and anywhere beginning March 1st. After you finish, we encourage you to upload your finish time to the Run Sign Up results page by April 3oth. We will mail your race packet to the address you provided in February if you registered before February 1st, and April if you registered February 1st or later. If you have not uploaded your items by the end of the race period, your items WILL still be mailed to you.
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY VIRTUAL RACE RESULTS?
A link will be posted when it is time to start submitting your virtual race results, although it is not required in order to receive your race packet and amenities.
IF I PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY, WILL I STILL RECEIVE MY RACE SHIRT AND FINISHER'S MEDAL?
Absolutely! We will mail your race packet which includes the official race shirt and finisher’s medal to you in April if you registered before March 15th, and in May if you registered after March 15th. There will be no in-person packet pick-up for virtual participants.
DO I HAVE TO RUN MY VIRTUAL EVENT ON THE SAME WEEKEND AS THE IN-PERSON EVENTS?
The great thing about a virtual race is that you get to choose your very own race day! This can be any day beginning April 1st through May 31st.
We are also aware that virtual events are not the same as in-person events when it comes to support (hydration, restrooms, medical, etc) so please take this into account when you complete your virtual event – stay safe, healthy, and have fun! If you need to complete your event at a later date, that is perfectly acceptable too.
WILL THERE BE A SET ROUTE OR DO I MAKE ONE UP?
You will choose your own route for the virtual event.
HOW DO I TRACK MY DISTANCE AND PACE?
You are going to be on the honor system for completing your virtual event. However, we will be asking participants to upload their finish time so we can have a results page (link will be provided at a later date). If you would like to track your distance and time, there are many apps you may download for free such as runcoach, Strava, RunKeeper, Garmin, Fitbit, etc. It’s helpful to map out your route ahead of time too. Don’t forget to share your “finish line” photos on social media using the hashtag #RunCGM #AlwaysReady so we can see your smiling faces!
WILL THERE BE AWARDS FOR THE VIRTUAL EVENT?
As everyone will be on the honor system and submitting their own finish times, we will not be offering awards for the virtual event since all results will be considered unofficial and will not be verified.
IF I REGISTER FOR THE VIRTUAL EVENT, CAN I RUN THE DISTANCE ACROSS MULTIPLE DAYS?
You are absolutely allowed to complete your distance across multiple days. However, if you are planning on submitting your results, we encourage you to run to your event distance in one day and at one time just like you would on race weekend. This will be helpful should you choose to upload your results to the online results page (link will be provided at a later date).
CAN I TRANSFER INTO A DIFFERENT EVENT?
Yes, you may transfer into a different event in RunSignUp participant dashboard. You have until February 20th to transfer into a different race.
CAN I REGISTER FOR THE 2025 VIRTUAL EVENT?
Registration for the 2025 events will open on August 10th.
ARE THERE ANY VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES?
Yes, there are volunteer opportunities available. Learn more and register on the volunteer webpage.
Register to Race!
We look forward to having you join us for the 5th Annual Coast Guard Marathon.