Virtual racing has become the new normal in New York. Several organizers have been banking on such races, especially when running in groups is not encouraged and the runners need to cope some way or the other. Recently, The New York City Marathon, one of the biggest road races in the world also got cancelled. But avid runners like John O’Neill are going to run wherever and whenever they can. A couple of days ago, he participated in Take The Bridge Challenge. He took the challenge by taking a photo of his wristwatch over a checkpoint tagged on the East River pedestrian path. The course, just over 6 miles, would take him across the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn, where he would take a selfie before racing back over the Brooklyn Bridge for one final photo. Another runner James Nunciato took viewers by storm with his banana costume flashing the Crown Heights Running Club logo, along with a mask. The 34-year-old, who raced after a months-long break, has been proactively participating in virtual runs.
Virtual racing is trending at a lightning-fast speed and its popularity may redefine racing traditions in the future.
