Race To Create America's Next National Park

Champion for the Chesapeake
Virtual Race

Run, hike or paddle this virtual race and help secure “forever protection” for our nation’s largest estuary as the 422nd unit in the National Park System!

Introducing the "Champion For The Chesapeake" Virtual Race

It's time to create the Chesapeake National Recreation Area as the newest unit in the National Park Service. Participate in this event and be a Champion For The Chesapeake.

Join us!

To learn more about the Chesapeake Conservancy’s campaign to create America’s next national park unit – Chesapeake National Recreation Area -- click here.

How This Works

A virtual race is just like a traditional race with medals, shirts and bibs. But you get to do your race when and where you want! Not convinced yet? Check out the 14 reasons why we think you'll like racing with us. 

Registration starts at just $29.95, includes FREE Shipping and is available a la carte, so you can get just the swag you want.

Race Day: November 14, 2020 (or whenever)
Extra Early Bird Shirt/Bib Deadline: 10/1/20
Early Bird Shirt/Bib Deadline: 10/25/20
Registration Deadline: 11/14/20
Reporting Deadline: Report your finish time by 12/13/20 to earn your medal
Distance Options: 5K, 10K, Half Marathon
Location: Wherever you want!
Cost: Registration is just $29.95 for a medal. Add a shirt for as little as +$13. Shipping is Free!
NOTE: As of November 3, the first batch of medals are sold out. More medals are being manufactured, but those that register November 4 or later will not get their medal until 1. Their time is reported AND 2. Approximately January 2021.

Tell Me More

To honor the spirit of traditional races, we require that anyone that registers for a medal can only earn their medal by finishing their race. We verify that a race is finished using the honor system by having participants report their finish time to their VRC account (created during the registration process & tied to the email address entered). Participants can take as long as they need to finish their race and can do it however works best for them. Most participants walk, run or hike their race and ideally, they are using their own power to go their distance, but we leave room for individual adaptation where necessary. Biking, swimming, rowing, etc. are welcome. 

Medals do not ship until after the official race day. Participants can complete their race whenever they choose, but that "race day" will be the day that all timetables are based on. There is a 30-day grace period to report your finish time (following the start of the race). Multiple people may be added to a registration. All participants are tied to the main registrant. Only that registrant will get updates about the race and their email address will be needed to report the finish time.

Messages regarding the race come from support@virtualrunningclub.com. Please add that address to your safe list.


About Chesapeake Conservancy

Big, beautiful, bountiful, diverse, historic, majestic.

When we think about our national parks and the many special places of the National Park System, these are words that often come to mind. Big, beautiful, bountiful, diverse, historic, and majestic are also words that perfectly describe our nation’s largest estuary: the Chesapeake Bay.

The Chesapeake Bay is a natural wonder. There is an abundance of life in the Chesapeake, where freshwater from rivers and streams mingles with saltwater from the Atlantic. The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most productive ecosystems in the world, and its tributaries, wetlands, and forests are home to amazing and diverse species.

Today the Chesapeake is recognized as a national treasure and the region’s greatest natural and cultural asset. Tourism and nature-based recreation are among the drivers of an economy serving a population of more than 18 million people. Outdoor recreation thrives here, as exemplified by Maryland, which reports $14 billion in consumer spending and 109,000 jobs, and Virginia, reporting nearly $22 billion in consumer spending and 197,000 jobs generated by outdoor industries.

The Chesapeake Bay is woven into the fabric of our nation’s history. Its waters flow through the cultural identities of the many people who call the Chesapeake their home. The moments of life found here—watermen tending to crab pots at sunrise, an osprey making an acrobatic dive for a fish, a quiet paddle on a creek—rival those found anywhere else in the world.

It’s no secret that the Chesapeake Bay is also in trouble. For 40 years, partners have been working tirelessly to address pollution challenges that harm the waters and wildlife of the Bay. However, the monumental effort to restore the Bay, which involves government at all levels, universities, nonprofits, advocacy groups, and everyday people, is a feat in its own right. The story of the Chesapeake Bay restoration effort is one that must be widely shared to educate the public and to inspire the next generation of conservation stewards who will restore and protect the Chesapeake Bay.

There’s yet another important descriptor of our national parks: worthy. National parks represent places and landscapes worthy of protection and celebration. When places are included as units of the National Park System, the experiences and stories of these places are elevated on a national and international scale. National parks show the world how a singular place represents an essential part of the total American experience.
The Chesapeake is big, beautiful, bountiful, diverse, historic, majestic, and—yes—worthy. It’s time for the Chesapeake National Recreation Area. Join us to establish Chesapeake National Recreation Area and help to forever protect the Chesapeake Bay.

Learn more on their site.


Curious about the video at the top of this page?

It's a YouTube livestream of Tom and Audrey - a pair of osprey living near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.

Early Bird Registration Deadline

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Register by October 25 to get your shirt/bib before the race!

Registration Deadline

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Registration will be open while supplies last.

What You Can Get When You Sign Up

FINISHER MEDAL

KEEPSAKE PRINTED BIB

OFFICIAL RACE SHIRT

Shirt Type & Color Options

Common Answers and Event Specifics

Registration Deadline & Race Day

Registration will be open as long as swag remains available. Most people will run on race day BUT you can do it when and where works best for you. Because we strive to honor the tradition of in-person races, you’ll receive messages as if that is race day for you, just know that we’re okay with it if you need to do something different.

Medals & Shipping

Medals must be earned by finishing the race. This helps us maintain the spirit of the traditional race experience. We'll begin shipping medals after the race to those participants who:

Added a medal to their registration AND reported their finish time (by the reporting deadline)

NOTE: As of November 3, the first batch of medals are sold out. More medals are being manufactured, but for those that register November 4 or later will not get their medal until 1. Their time is reported AND 2. Approximately January 2021

Shirts & Bibs & SHIPPING

Shirts and bibs are printed specifically for each participant. Shirts and bibs ship regardless of whether your time is reported. All swag ships separately. Once a registration is complete (paid for), it cannot be changed. Registrations are processed according to the timelines below. Due to manufacturing and international shipping constraints, if the color of the shirt you select is out of stock, the next closest color will automatically be substituted for you. Click here to download your own generic digital bib PDF.

EXTRA Early Bird Shirt/Bib Shipment Deadline: Register by October 1, 2020 and your shirt and/or bib will arrive around October 17, 2020

Early Bird Shirt/Bib Shipment Deadline: Register by October 25, 2020 and your shirt and/or bib will arrive around November 13, 2020

Registration Deadline: Register after October 25 and your shirt and/or printed bib will be printed after November 16 and arrive around the second week of December.

How Shipping Works

All swag ships separately. Shirts & Medals ship with a tracking email from support@virtualrunningclub.com. Bibs are sent first class with a stamp.

All items will ship according to the timelines listed for each items in this dropdown.

Reporting

For tracking your distance and time, you can use whatever app or system that works best for you. All we need is the finish time. We use the honor system to verify results, so if you say you did, we have no reason to not believe you.

To report your finish time, click here and follow the prompts. This video shows what the process looks like.

Results

Results are just for fun - but see how you stack up.

Distance Options

5K, 10K, Half Marathon

The distance you chose when you register is technically a placeholder for you. You'll be able to select a different distance when you report your finish time. Note: the medal is the same regardless of the distance you choose.

Does it have to be on race day?

You can do your race when & where works best for you.

Shirt Size Charts

Everyday Shirt Sizes

Basic Everyday

100% Cotton


Basic Everyday Youth
100% Cotton


Premium Everyday
Ladies / Tank / Mens
Tri-Blend Poly/Cotton/Rayon (50/25/25)

Tech shirt sizes

Basic Tech (Not offered for this event)
This is a "slippery" polyester shirt


Premium Tech 
Ladies / Mens
This is a "soft" polyester/spandex (95/5) shirt. It feels like cotton, but still wicks



Here’s what people are saying about VRC

We work hard to earn your business and your trust. Our swag is high quality and we try to match that quality with our customer service. Here's what others say:

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Chesapeake Conservancy.

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