"Run Around Minnesota"

A Facebook friend alerted me to this: it's called the Run Around Minnesota.

Since races are (at best) up in the air with many canceled for 2020, why not just commit to doing something more "virtual?" The Run Around Minnesota is just that: an attempt to run the distance of the border of MN in a year, which is 1783 miles. It's currently in progress, as it's going from Father's Day 2020 to Father's Day 2021. Here's part of what their website says:

All intentional miles count: walk, run, hike. No counting steps counted throughout a normal workday, shopping, around the house, etc. Please abide by this rule. The honor system. This race can be completed with an average of just under 5 miles per day, 4.88 to be exact.

It’s you and the course, it’s just yours. Do it how you do it.

They "started" from near here in St. Paul and are traveling north. An updated posted 2 weeks ago noted that "many runners are still joining and others have actually broken 100 miles covered already." And he shared where you'd be in MN through the first 390 miles:

20.5 miles gets you to Stillwater. 49.5 gets you to Taylor's Falls. 390.8 gets you as far north as Duluth.

If I weren't coming back from an injury, it could be fun! (My biggest running years have barely topped 1,000 miles, and I MIGHT be able to get to 1,783 miles counting hikes/walks/trips to the park with my boys.)

So check it out if you're interested. It's $30, and that gets you a shirt, a medal, a bib, and a place to log your miles.