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After so many years of wanting to run this race, when I signed up back in February, it was going to be part of my comeback from foot surgery. Little did I know that 2020 had other plans for us this year! While I wish I was able to run this race in Des Moines to get the true IMT Des Moines experience (and pairing it with the I-345 Challenge with the Kansas City Marathon), I was able to experience the Virtual race while running on vacation at our cottage in Michigan!

When the race decided that they needed to go virtual, an email was sent out to all registered runners giving them the opportunity to defer to 2021, or run the event virtually. No matter which option you chose, it was a simple process to make the changes. I opted to switch over to the virtual event for a few reasons... 1. I don't know if my schedule will allow me to make the trip in 2021 and 2. As much as I miss in person racing, we don't know when things will get back to racing as we know it and I needed to have a few things to keep me going!

The race did a great job of keeping everyone up to date, sharing information and keeping you motivated! With the virtual event, you had a 2 week window in which to complete your race. I decided to run my virtual event when I was on vacation in Michigan at out cottage. I wasn't shooting for any time and just wanted to get out and enjoy the day and enjoy the miles. I walked, I ran, I saw deer and eagles and enjoyed my day! The race also had an app to download for your phone. It gave you the opportunity to take selfies or get Motigo cheers. While I did not use this feature (limited cell coverage "up North" made this a little difficult, this is a fun way to engage participants.

The race kept everyone accountable by requiring you to upload proof of your "race". I entered my results easily on the link provided. I was also able to enter my stats for the I-35 challenge.

I rated the swag a 3 for this race at this time, because I have not yet received it. Swag was not being shipped out until after the window to report your results, so I'm eagerly waiting for it to arrive!

I hope that one day, I will be able to run this race in person! After seeing how they dealt with the craziness of 2020 and having a virtual race, I am definitely keeping this race on my radar to run in the future!