Due to COVID-19 many races are having to cancel, postpone, or convert to virtual runs. 

We have been receiving messages from runners with questions about how coronavirus is affecting running races across North America and have created this short FAQ to answer things like:

- What's happening with races? Are they all cancelled?

- Why hasn't my race made a decision on cancelling yet?

- Why did my race decided to cancel/postpone/not offer a refund etc.?

- Is the RunGuides calendar up to date?

- When do you expect things will be back to normal?

We hope you find this useful in getting some perspective on what's currently happening in the running industry.

P.S. We also wasted...errr we mean constructively spent 3 hours of our work day photoshopping running shoes onto photos of cute baby animals. You'll find those at the bottom of the FAQ. 

What's Happening With Races? Are They All Cancelled?

Due to COVID-19, many races directors are unable to host their events. Additionally, a large number of runs are currently in limbo (usually runs that are about 4 - 12 weeks out), waiting on more information to determine if their event will happen. 

If a race director is unable to host their event they are typically faced with three options:

- Postpone the race to a later date in 2020

- Cancel the race

- Cancel the race and offer a virtual run

There are many factors at play when considering how to proceed, and often the only option available is to cancel until next year. More on that below.
 

Why Hasn't My Race Made a Decision Yet?

or, why did my race decide to cancel/postpone/not offer a refund etc.

At the best of times throwing a race is kind of like trying to keep your kitchen spotless while feeding an angry toddler spaghetti for the first time.

Here's an article that offers a bit more perspective into the world of race directors, and how they make their decisions:

An open letter to my run community from the (home) desk of a runner and race director

Is the RunGuides Calendar Up To Date?

As up to date as possible! Things are changing really quickly, and we always recommend checking the official race website/social channels to get their most current information. 

Our goal at RunGuides is to help you find runs. We are doing a couple things to keep our calendar up to date. 

More Calendar Reviews

We're constantly reviewing every single run listed on www.runguides.com happening over the next 12 weeks and checking for COVID-19 related updates.

New Virtual Run Tag & Virtual Races Calendar

We added a new virtual run tag. If you see a yellow Virtual tag on a race it means that the run has cancelled but is now offering a virtual option due to COVID-19.

We have also created a virtual run calendar which lists all races that are virtual due to COVID-19, and all pure virtual runs. You can pull up virtual races at https://www.runguides.com/north-america/runs/virtual, or by changing the Course filter on RunGuides to Virtual

When Will Things Be Back to Normal? 

Honestly, we're not sure :( Our priority for now is to keep the RunGuides calendar up to date, so that when things do return to normal www.runguides.com will be ready to help you find a race, and make a glorious return to the sport that we all love!

Now, as Promised... Baby Animals in Running Shoes

These cute baby animals are ready to go break 2 in their shiny Vaporflys! Go get em' little guys!

Goose Fact: Baby geese are called goslings, which means that referring to actor Ryan Gosling as Ryan Baby Goose would technically be correct.

Hippo Fact: Did you know that baby hippos can suckle underwater but they can't swim?! Nature is weird.

Penguin Fact: A group of penguins in the water is called a raft. A group of penguins on land is called a waddle. A group of penguins hanging out on the street corner is called a bunch of loiterers. 

Chinchilla Fact: The top three baby chinchilla names are Button, Nibbles, and Chilla.