C.O. races go virtual, make changes amid coronavirus
Bend Marathon and Half 2020, Peterson Ridge 40 Mile Rumble canceled, but go virtual; solo runner steps up; PPP announcement due Friday
(Update: adding comments from Co-Race Director for Bend Marathon, solo runner raising money)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As the coronavirus pandemic grows stronger and wider, Central Oregon races on the calendar through May are making changes to keep the running community safe.
Last week, the Bend Marathon and Half 2020 announced that despite canceling the physical race, it will hold a 'virtual race,' so people could still participate while also meeting social-distancing standards.
"It's sad for everybody and very disappointing, but we really don't have an option right now," said Max King, co-race director for the Bend Marathon and Half 2020.
Now, the biggest running race in Bend is going virtual.
"Anywhere that they are from they can participate in this race, send us their results, and still kind of be part of that race atmosphere," King said.
That's one of three options for people who signed up to race. If you do the virtual race, you can record your route between Apr. 12 and May 31. You'll get a 20% race credit toward next year.
You can also defer to 2021, which gives you a 50% race credit toward next year. Or you can choose the partial refund, which puts 25% of your entry fee back into your pocket, plus a race credit for next year.
"We would love to be able to give everyone all of their money back. Unfortunately, I mean, we've been working on this race for an entire year. There's a ton of sunk cost to it, as far as what we've paid for, as far as vendors go and swag and everything else," King said. "It's just not reasonable, in order to still have this race around, for it to be something next year."
The Peterson Ridge Rumble, originally set for Apr. 26 in Sisters, also has been canceled, but 'virtual' plans are in place.
Instead of giving up on training, one local man, Mark Stockamp, is committing to running the 40-mile trail through Deschutes River Woods and the Deschutes National Forest as a fundraiser for NeighborImpact.
"I was a little depressed for a couple days after (the cancellation) because I poured a lot of hours into training," Stockamp told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday. "I was on a run about a week ago now, where I had this idea that I still want to run my own race and I want to do it for a good cause. I thought running for NeighborImpact would be great."
"But with something like this, raising money for such a great cause, it really gives me my purpose for training and just a reason to be out there.”
Mark Stockamp
Stockamp, a 25-year-old who moved to Bend almost two years ago from Seattle, is no stranger to helping out in the community. He also volunteers at the Humane Society of Central Oregon every week and mentors other runners.
Stockamp's original goal was to raise $1,000 in one month for NeighborImpact, but thanks to the Central Oregon community, he almost surpassed that in a single day. Then, an anonymous donor reached out to pledge a donation match for up to $5,000 raised. So Stockamp's new goal is to raise $10,000 by the day of the race.
“It’s going to take 5 to 6, probably closer to 6 hours to do this," Stockamp said. "If you’re just running out there and kind of just wandering aimlessly, it’s going to be pretty hard. But with something like this, raising money for such a great cause, it really gives me my purpose for training and just a reason to be out there.”
Stockamp will be running alongside his friend, 26-year-old Garrick Kalmeta, who plans on mountain biking the route at a safe social distance. They will embark on the same weekend the Peterson Ridge Rumble would've been in late April.
As for the other people who signed up to run, here are the options as forwarded to NewsChannel 21 by Race Director Sean Meissner on Wednesday:
- Virtual Option, where you run the distance you registered for anytime between April 19 and May 3 (a week before and a week after the original race date), send me proof of your run, your name and result will be added to this year's results page, and I will send you a finisher's award. Also, I realize that most runners likely have a way to track their run for verification, but if you're old-school like me and don't have that capability but want this option, just time yourself via your normal running watch and let me know your time.
- Roll over 75% of your registration fee to next year's Peterson Ridge Rumble (date April 11, 2021) - Refund of 50% of your registration fee
- Donate your registration fee to the event's recipient, Sisters High Cross Country Team
Officials with the Mt. Bachelor Sports Education Foundation told NewsChannel 21 Wednesday they will make an announcement regarding the 2020 Selco Pole Pedal Paddle race on Friday afternoon.
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Here's the full press release regarding the Bend Marathon and Half 2020:
It is with heavy hearts that we're sending this out to you. It has become clear that due to the COVID-19 developments and updated CDC guidelines, it is in the best interest of our running community to cancel the upcoming Bend Marathon on April 19. It was our dream to provide you with an amazing event that we've been working on since July, and provide you with an experience that you wouldn't soon forget. It was going to be awesome!
We know how important this race was for many of you, whether it was traveling to Bend from around the country to experience all it has to offer, or you were coming from across town for your very first half marathon. You are all an important and critical part of making this a great event and we thank you for choosing us.
Up until late yesterday we were working on creative ways to still hold the races while adhering to social distancing mandates. We believed that we could modified our course, allowed "rolling" starts to keep everyone safe, and provide a virtual option for those that opted not to travel. The new guidelines will not even allow this level of distancing with an event of our size, and we do not want to compromise the health of our participants, volunteers, vendors and others who help make this event possible.
However, while the physical event must be cancelled, we are going to try and turn the 2020 Bend Marathon into the most fun virtual event you've ever been a part of. Keep reading:
OPTIONS - Please visit your RunSignUp account to select an option below.
Moving forward, you have several options regarding your existing registration:
Option 1) Virtual Race:
To choose this option, you won’t have to do anything right now other than select this option on the RunSignUp site. We’ll automatically transfer the events to virtual events and you’ll be entered in the virtual event. Then get ready for a fun virtual race on April 19, 2020. (This is our recommended option because it's still going to be more fun than doing nothing! See below for more information.) You will also receive a 20% race credit toward any race of your choice next year.
Option 2) Deferral to 2021:
You may defer your entry to the 2021 race with a 50% credit. When you register next year, you'll receive the 50% credit to the race of your choice. To take this option, you need to log into your RunSignUp account, go to "manage registration", and select the option to defer your registration to next year.
Option 3) Partial Refund:
A refund of 25% will be credited back to you if you don't want to do the virtual race or deferral option if you select this option on the RunSignUp page. You will also receive a 20% race credit toward any race of your choice next year.
BE A PART OF OUR FUN VIRTUAL EVENT ON SUNDAY, APRIL 19, 2020
We're super bummed because we know how much you were looking forward to running an amazing race in Bend, Oregon. We want to make sure you still feel a sense of accomplishment and take part in a fun community event, while still receiving your swag. We’re just trying to turn lemons into lemonade, so-to-speak.
So, here's how to participate in a virtual run (which is almost as much fun as the real thing):
1) Go out and run the distance you signed up for on your own or get a couple of your friends together (keeping the appropriate social distancing, of course) and run with them. You can do this any time between April 12 to May 31st, but since your training has been geared toward April 19, that would be the best day to do it (see below for more details). You can do it over any route of your choice, including the original Bend route if you're in town (please be cautious of traffic). You’ll likely see a few others out there running on the course as well.
2) Think positive. This pandemic isn't fun for anyone, but we can make the most of a terrible situation by celebrating our health that we have. We never expected this to happen, so let's be optimistic and make some special memories.
3) Build a virtual community.* I know you're all great on social media, which makes it easy for us to connect (even from across the country). Take photos and videos on your virtual run and post them to Instagram or Facebook. Tagging Bend Marathon while you're out on your route using the following: #BendMarathon
*On April 19, we'll be on site at the Old Mill District with a live Facebook feed to get our virtual community run kicked off during the scheduled start times for each race. We'll post course photos leading up to the race so you can picture yourself running through the best parts of Bend. The last thing we want is to leave you all hanging with no connection to the Bend Marathon when April 19 arrives.
4) Post your virtual results. There are several ways to do this, but to be listed in the official results you must post your time on RunSignup. We’ll let you know how to do this in a separate email.
Strava Community Challenge: We've also created a Strava Challenge for each Bend Marathon Race so you can upload your data to Strava and see how you stack up against others and track your effort.
5) You still need your SWAG! After your run, we'll ship you a swag package that will include all the cool stuff you were expecting when you signed up for the race. We're working with our sponsors to do even more, but at a minimum you'll receive your one of a kind “Socially Distanced Edition” bib number, Bend Marathon t-shirt, unique handcrafted race medal, coupons from our awesome sponsors, a HydroFlask Pint (Half and Full Marathon only), and a special Bend Marathon “Socially Distanced Edition” sticker so you can remember this monumental year. You won’t HAVE to post results to get your swag but hey, it would be more fun that way.
REFUNDS
We recognize that the COVID-19 crisis will create significant financial challenges for some of our participants. If you feel you are in this category and are experiencing an undue financial burden on you and your family, we understand and ask that you please contact us so that we can help with some form of refund. We will work something out.
We need you to all please also understand that we are a small business comprised of two people who have families with our own expenses, and we worked all year long to provide a great event for you on April 19. The reality is that almost all of the work has been done, the service providers paid and swag (medals, t-shirts, etc.) has been purchased. We also intend to honor commitments to our volunteer groups that will be desperately in need of funds after this is over. Some larger races are able to support broader refunds and still remain sustainable. Unfortunately we are not in that financial situation, and ask for your understanding as we instead work to provide you with a great virtual race experience and/or options to participate in next year's race.
Here is a link to an article with more info regarding running races and our current state of crisis. Advice for RRCA Members
Thank you for understanding. We are grateful to have a running community that is supportive and resilient and that we know will make the most of this difficult time, and for the kindness already extended by so many of you. We also ask that you please be patient with us during this time of transition, as this is all new territory. We will have more details about the "best virtual race experience ever" coming soon! We look forward to staying connected.
We wish you and your loved ones all the best. Please be safe and stay well.
Thank you,
Max and Kari
