FAQs
Q: Do I have to complete a certain number of miles each day, or can I break it up and run more on the weekends?
A: You can run, walk, bike or exercise as much or as little as you want on a given day. You'll have to finish your mileage before December 20, 2020. The results site will turn off on this date.
Q: Do I have to run the whole way?
A: No. You can run, jog, or walk on the road, on the trail, on the treadmill, at the gym or on the track. If you are cycling the challenge you can do your miles outside on your non-electric two-wheeled bicycle, or inside on your stationary bike, Peleton or elliptical machine (which counts as a bike for this challenge). You can even substitute 20 minutes of exercise for 1 mile. You get to complete your own race, at your own pace, and track it yourself. You can mix your miles between any of the activities. The activity type will show in the results.
Q: Do treadmill miles count? Do elliptical miles count? Stationary bike?
A: Yes for treadmills. For the purpose of The Challenge, elliptical machines and Pelotons are considered bicycles. And yes, all forms of inside biking count toward your mileage.
Q: How do I substitute exercise miles?
A: For the purpose of The Challenge, 20 minutes of exercise count as 1 mile on the course. Because of the late fall timeline, we thought it was appropriate to allow this type of substitutions in case the weather is poor. Things such as yoga, crossfit, aerobics, Zumba, Jazzercise, etc. can all count. You are on the honor system for substitutions. You will be required to submit the exercise time in the results page and can note they type of exercise in the NOTES if you wish.
Q: Do I need a GPS watch/tracker, or MapMyRun? Will I need to show my watch or device for proof of my distance?
A: You can use one if you wish. You are on the Honor System to track and record your miles. There are many apps on the market that will help you track your mileage including FitBit, Strava or even Google Maps. We suggest MapMyRun which is free and allows you to plot your course before or after your run/walk/bike and determine your mileage. It also has paid features where you can track your miles while you run and a Route Genius feature that will automatically plot a course from any start location based on the number of miles you want to do that day.
Q: What happens when I reach goal?
A: You can be done, or if you want to keep going, KEEP GOING! You can tally activities and miles past your goal. We will have milestone badges set up for your goal distance as well for those who are a bit more ambitious and do more. NOTE: We can upgrade (or downgrade) you to a new distance, however when we do so, the activities you have logged to date will be lost. Best bet is to keep going with the distance you selected and surpass the goal.
Q: What is My Trophy Case?
A: On your personal results page you will see a link to your Trophy Case. This is where your milestone badges will appear. You can earn badges for various things along your journey. Distance covered, activities completed, duration & consistency and other fun benchmarks along the way. See if you can earn them all!
Q: I'm participating in another race during the same period as The Race Through the Decades. Can I count those miles during toward my total?
A: Yes.
Q: When does the race start?
A: Registration Opens October 15. You can start logging miles on November 1. The Blog will start on November 1 and go until December 18. We will take a posting break the week of Thanksgiving. You however do not have to take a break if you do not want to.
Q: Can I register after November 1?
A: You can register anytime, even after November 1, but you'll still need to finish by December 20 at midnight.
Q: If I register after the race starts on November 1, can I include my back mileage to November 1?
A: No. If you register before or on November 1, your mileage begins on November 1. If you register after November 1, your mileage begins on the date you register. But there are 7 weeks where you are allowed to track mileage so there is some wiggle room if you don't start on time. Or you can just do more miles each week to catch up.
Q: How many weeks do I have to complete the mileage?
A: The rules state you have six weeks to complete your miles. However, in the virtual world, there is no one to enforce the rules, other than yourself. You can start entering results on November 1. You have until Dec 20 to submit your results. In a perfect world you would take 6 weeks (42 days) to complete your miles. However, the calendar gives you some flexibility with when you start and end your tracking. Think of it as a virtual pause button. If you need some extra time due to an injury or just want to take a break over Thanksgiving, that is up to you as the judge and jury in this challenge.
Q: Do you offer any discounts?
A: Yes, Social Teams with 10 or more members get $10 off their entry fee. Registrants 1-9 will receive a refund once their team grows to 10 members. Also, individual who donate $125 to our TOYS FOR TOTS charity through this site will receive a FREE Race Entry (automatically discounted when you checkout).
Q: How will I report my miles?
A: You can submit your results HERE. You can add multiple entries each day and make notes about that day's miles. You can also see your progress across the map on your personal results page. You can learn more about how to submit your mileage HERE.
Q: Do all my miles in a day count?
A: The Race Through the Decades is a personal quest-- you against the miles ahead of you. You are on the honor system to track and record your distance. Only miles accumulated from direct physical activity intended for the challenge should count. In other words, steps you earn in your daily activities should not count. Distance traveled via car to get to the trail you are walking on should not count. We all know some trackers tend to encompass additional motions throughout your day so use your best judgement when logging your Challenge miles. You can enter multiple entries in the same day.
Q: Can we have a relay team?
A: The event was set up as an Individual event. However we do have SOCIAL TEAMS which will allow you to compete against your team members. Social Teams of 10 or more save $10 off the registration fee. Learn more HERE.
Q: Are the shirts unisex or gender specific?
A: The shirts are unisex sized. We encourage you to consider this when making your selection. The hoodie is meant to be worn over another garment so take that into account as well.
Q: Do I get a medal?
A: Yes!. We will send the finisher's medal along with your race shirt near the end of the Challenge, in late December.
Q: What do the shirts and medals look like?
A: You can see an image of the initial design on the SWAG & PRIZES section of the website. Remember all hoodies are unisex sized and meant to be worn over something else. All finishers get the same medal.
Q: Where is my bib and how can I print it out?
A: See the race bib section here.
Q: Where can I access my finisher certificate?
A: Once you submit your full results, click on your name and then click on the CERTIFICATE button on the upper right hand side. You can print and/or share the image on your social media pages
Q: Can I change my zip, address, name, etc.
A: Yes, you can edit your registration information. Here is a guide on making these changes.
Q: I live outside of the USA, can I still participate?
A: Unfortunately, we are only able to shipping packages inside the continental USA
Q: How do I find out more about the Charity?
A: Click on the Donate button at the top of the page, and then on subsequent links.
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
