No, it wasn’t a race, but thanks to the Racery Virtual Races app the 2018 Tripawds Virtual Marathon was a fun-filled exciting event, and successful fundraiser for the Tripawds Foundation!
Tripawds members and fans around the world logged the miles they ran or walked using the Racery app. Their mileage was then advanced along the virtual course map, with their picture and link to their profile. Every day – from New York City to Denmark, California to Alaska, and many places in between – total strangers made new friends while commenting on each others’ progress. Check out the final activity here and read on for details about the results, and rewards!
41 Runners and Walkers
During the six weeks from Thanksgiving Day to New Year’s Eve, 41 racers runners and walkers participated in the virtual marathon course. The 26.2 mile route took supporters from Arlington, Virginia to the Washington Monument through the streets of Washington DC, with the Racery app showing them the street view at each destination every time miles were logged. Runners were sent postcards from specific milestones throughout the race, with an email encouraging them to share their progress.
Fundraising Results: $1,480 Raised!
Racery donates 50% of every $20 entrance fee to the Tripawds Foundation. Along the way, participants donated and shared their personal fundraising links to help raise $1070 by asking friends and family to back them using the simple and secure app interface.
2,416.8 Miles Logged
Along city streets and desert trails, on treadmills and through the snow, supporters ran or walked alone, in groups and with their dogs for a total of 2,416 miles. Thanks to the simple Racery app, most would add a comment and upload photos each time they logged their miles from their mobile phone or desktop computer.
Our own Admin Guy frequently posted to the Tripawds Facebook page with updates and shared screencast videos here in the forums showing how the Racery app tracked progress of the “race” and fundraising efforts.
First Tripawds Virtual Marathon Awards
First Finisher: Admin Guy may have been the first to finish a first lap around 26.2 mile course, but this award goes to Mom2shelby.
Top Ultramarathoner: Technically, any run longer than 26.2 miles is an “ultramarathon” so with 7.7 laps around the marathon course, Mom2shelby stands out with 203.3 miles logged during the course of this event.
Top Fundraiser: With $811 raised in the final days of the event, Paula (aka: dobemom) donated enough to help the Tripawds Foundation reach it’s goal of $1000 for the event – making her the top fundraiser, followed closely by Amy and Kat. The Racery app allows donors to back specific participants, or back all racers so everypawdy deserves a big three paws up for playing along!
Top Team: While everypawdy represented #teamtripawds, Team WAG (Wrigley Amy Gracie) took shape with WAG, JM, EMosesforWAG, AmandaforWAG, and Swimmy all logging miles and helping to raise another $130 in donations.
Best Cheerleader: With the easy engagement provided by the Racery app, Tripawds fans cheered each other on throughout the entire event. One supporter stood out, as ShirleyMaePepi commented on nearly every single mile logged, and always replied to comments from others.
Honorable Mention: Long time Tripawds friends Snowmama and MrMcBoingBoing – along with Marianne2018, who they clearly recruited – deserve special credit for logging many miles in snowshoes from Willow, Alaska! Those miles should count double.
Thank You! Every single one of the runners, walkers and supporters of the 2018 Tripawds Virtual Marathon deserve honor and mention. You helped determine that this may just need to become an annual tradition to Help Tripawds and their people everywhere!
2018 Tripawds Virtual Marathon Racers Supporters
AdminGuy, Mom2shelby, K9Carr, dawn3g, Marianne2018, ShirleyMaePepi, tinsch, Dobemom, TripawdsRene, Snowmama, TripawdRio, mtnbkr74, JeanetteG, Sten, WAG, TessMama, Laney, R4J, TeamWAG, MayaNyssa, Bonzsmom, MrMcBoingBoing, KatEndert, EMosesforWAG, Krun, AngelBartsMom, Loripop, BradTally, Swimmy, AmandaforWAG, FrankiesDad, Kaiserinmom, FrankiesMom, FrankiesBro, Ziggiy, Bogartsmomma, 3PawedSadie, Huckleberrysmom, Bunnyman2018, Yuie
What a fun fundraiser! It gave me the extra motivation needed to keep going in Wisconsin winter. (if you do one in the summer, I can add a lot more miles 🙂
Congrats to all participants – Tripawds Rock!
Needless to say, there’s always one who couldn’t figure out how this worked. Dat B me!
But what I do understand is, lots of funds were raised for TRIPAWDS!!! 😊😚
To all who participated in any form in this app thing GREAT JOB!!!! TRULY ASTONISHING TO SEE THE AMOUNT OF MONIES RAISED!!
So much fun!! Glad to have been a part of it and can’t wait to do it next time!
Wow, almost $1500, that’s awesome! Let’s do it again 🙂
Was a blast!!! It also helped motivate me to move even more than I already do! 🙂 Cannot wait to do another one and “lap” these miles.
Will this be done in 2019? We would love to participate…
That’s the plan, so far. At least once…stay tuned for details, and subscribe to Tripawds News or follow Tripawds on Facebook to get notified!