Can you run 2.08 miles in 30 minutes? Seems pretty easy right? Then this virtual challenge is for you! The Beat the Clock Challenge is a way to get your feet wet in a shortened format and see how you stack up against the competition. If you can finish in 30 minutes, you have the option and opportunity to start the next 30 minutes. We will keep going until there is ONE runner left!
There is a catch though with this event though in that every 2 laps/1 hour we will be reducing the amount of time by 1 minute that you have to complete the loop. This will certainly push you to the edge of your endurance and speed as you will have to run faster as the event goes on. It's your choice on how long you can continue to "beat the clock"!
There will also be two different divisions: Outside and Indoor/Treadmill. This will give those of you that don't feel comfortable going outside at the current time because of COVID-19 or would rather run on the treadmill. There will also be some prize money to the winners of each division! (see details below)
In this type of race, there can only be ONE possible winner for each division. Everyone else is a DNF. In some cases, there might not be a winner if you are familiar with how the ending of these types of events go. Here are the awards that will be up for grabs:
1st place OVERALL winner in EACH division (Outside and Treadmill) for both male and female: 25% of the entry fees for that division as prize money plus a unique placque courtesy of Ragged Cuts.
2nd place OVERALL in EACH division (Outside and Treadmill) for both male and female: prizes from our sponsors TrailHeads, T8, or Athletic Brewing.
3rd place OVERALL in EACH division (Outside and Treadmill) for both male and female: prizes from our sponsors TrailHeads, T8, or Athletic Brewing.
BENEficiaRY
A portion of the proceeds will go to the First Responder's Children's Foundation
The First Responders Children’s Foundation provides financial support to both children who have lost a parent in the line of duty as well as families enduring significant financial hardships due to tragic circumstances. First Responders Children’s Foundation also supports, promotes, and facilitates educational activities and programs created and operated by law enforcement and firefighting organizations whose purpose is to benefit children or the community at large.
First Responders Children’s Foundation has also announced recently that the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund would award grants to first responders experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation will also fund temporary housing and need-based grants to first responders and public safety agencies across the country. College scholarships for children of first responders who have passed away as a result of COVID-19 are also available. To read more about it: https://1strcf.org/frcf-news/
EVENT RULES
The Beat the Clock Challenge will start at 8:00 a.m. EST on Saturday June 13, 2020. We will be using the time.gov website for the official time for the event.
EACH lap that you complete has to be a minimum of 2.0833 miles, NO EXCEPTIONS! It is recommended that you go to at least 2.10 miles just to be safe for every lap as when you sync with Strava it might not come out exactly. The course you choose might also not register the exact same distance each lap so be mindful of that when finishing each time.
EACH and every loop will START on the half hour (i.e. 8:00/8:30/9:00, etc.), but the time will decrease to FINISH the loop every hour or every two laps. Laps 1-2 will be 30 minutes to finish, Laps 3-4 you will have 29 minutes to finish, Laps 5-6 you will have 28 minutes to finish, etc. What this means is that after the first two laps, your time to finish is reduced, but your rest time is not. (i.e. If you finish lap 6 in say 24 minutes, you will still have 6 minutes to rest before the next lap starts). This will ensure everyone enough time to upload your lap to Strava, refuel, and even talk with the others in the Zoom room.
Before the start of each loop, the race director will go through the following protocol as such indicating time until the start. --2 minutes before the start (whistle will be blown 2 times) --1 minute before the start (whistle will be blown 1 time) --30 seconds will be announced before start --10 seconds will be counted down before the start --START (Cowbell will be rung)
If you DO NOT finish the lap in time, you are considered a DNF and cannot continue in the event.
If you DO finish within the allotted time for that specific lap, you may use the bathroom, eat, drink, sleep, ponder the next lap, etc., but you MUST be back in your designated start corral or you will be considered a DNF (NO EXCEPTIONS). You MUST start within 15 seconds (even if you are in bathroom). You cannot leave You may also choose not to continue though you will be considered a DNF. Please do not take advantage of this policy and wait more than that. This will keep the playing field level and not put me in a situation where I have to DQ you. That's certainly not fun for either party.
You cannot leave early to start your lap either. You must wait until the scheduled time for the next lap to start with everyone else still in the race.
Each runner will be required to have a video feed via Zoom going for the entirety of the event in your corral so that we can see when you leave and when you finish each lap. See the race day links at the bottom of the page for your special "zoom room" for the event.
To prevent technology glitches, use a separate stop watch or clock that is running all the time, so you can see when the next lap starts if your Zoom connection is lagging, preventing you from seeing the official time. We will have an official clock running online, but have a backup in case you have technological issues. Use the time.gov website for reference and syncing with your watch.
If you are one that needs more time in between loops, then run faster so you have more time, but you might burn more energy. You may also choose to run slower which will give you less time back at the start/finish area, but you will burn less energy. You have to choose which strategy works best for YOU.
Runners will continue until ONE runner completes a FINAL lap. (i.e. If there are two runners left and one does not complete the loop, then the one that completed the loop will be declared the winner). That runner will be considered the winner of the Beat the Clock Challenge! If you are in the Outside division and there is one male and one female left, we will continue until one person is left. Because there are only two right now in the treadmill division, you may continue as long as there are still runners in the outside division, but you will not be eligible for the 25% of the entry fees for the outside division.
If you have some distance/time goals, every 6 hours is equal to 25 miles, every 12 hours is equal to 50 miles, but try to push yourself a bit. Never quit sitting down!
Good Luck!
SOCIAL MEDIA
We want to hear about your run when you do it! Share your Beat the Clock Challenge experience with us by tagging @steependurance, or use the hashtags #beattheclockchallenge and #steependurance on Facebook/Instagram. We will highlight your experience and re-post for others to see too!