Spring Backyard Burn Virtual Challenge

Invite your friends and family to participate in the challenge and create a team!  Teams are limited to 10 people, and each team member is ideally (but is not required to be) in the same challenge.

How many miles can your team complete...100, 500, 1,000, 2,000...more?  Special prizes will be given to the teams in each challenge that complete the most miles.

Note:  team results are calculated within a challenge (e.g., running challenge).  If a team is made up of 7 running challenge participants and 3 walking/hiking challenge participants...then only the 7 running participants' distance will count towards the team results in the running challenge.  This is because RunSignUp aggregates results within each challenge.  If you would like all 10 teammates distances to "count," then all team members have to be in the same challenge.

See our FAQs for more info on teams.

Step 1:  Pick your challenge and sign up!

Step 2:  Invite your friends and family to join the challenge as well. 

Step 3:  Enter your personal goal distance (can be changed at any time).

Step 4:  Get out there and log your activities in RunSignUp!

From April 1st to April 30th, your goal is to complete as much distance as possible. After each activity (or at least weekly), submit your activity information (activity type and distance) in RunSignUp. Don't worry...it's easy and instructions are below.  You can also (optionally) add in the time and elevation gain of each activity as well as comments.  The more data you add, the more information you have at the end of the challenge.

Join the EX2 Facebook group to share your progress and support other participants!  You can also share pictures from your runs using #backyardburn. 

Weekly emails from the race director will include results updates, suggestions for places to explore in the DC area, and maybe even mini-challenges with special prizes!

During our normal Backyard Burn Trail Running Series each spring and fall (now in our 15th+ year), we host trail running races in TONS of great parks in Fairfax County, VA.  We've had several "running/walking only" challenges in the past year...and they were super fun...but for this one we really wanted to mix it up a bit for.  And since this is a virtual event...we don't have to limit things to just running...and we certainly don’t have to limit things to just Fairfax!!  So for this challenge, you can run, walk, bike, swim, or paddle anywhere in the world!  To keep the local connection, during the challenge we plan to highlight great places to run, ride, swim, and paddle all around the DC area.

During registration, you will have an opportunity to support a local (Falls Church, VA) non-profit Homestretch. The goal of the charity partnership is to first and foremost to raise awareness of the services Homestretch provides to families in our area.  In addition, we hope to raise funds that will directly support their efforts.  Please consider making a donation when you register.  In the past 12 months, EX2 events have raised nearly $25,000 for Homestretch.

All runners receive the sweet swag items listed below!

Swag #1 - High Quality Tri-blend T-Shirt or Tank

Swag #2 - AWESOME 3" Finisher Medal

Swag #3 - Custom Buff

Refer your friends and family using your referral link and earn the following rewards:

• Refer 5 people and receive a $25 refund!
• Refer 10 people and receive a $25 refund and a $50 gift card towards any future EX2 running race!

• Go to the Results page.
• Click Submit Virtual Results and then search for your registration.
• Click the Log Activities next to your name.
• If you aren't logged in, you can quickly verify yourself by phone number or email.
• Click Add an Activity and then enter the information requested. Some fields are optional. Entering the time will enable the system to calculate your average pace.  Entering elevation will enable the system to track you total elevation.  Pretty cool huh!!

Note: If you had multiple activities in a day, you can enter each new run by clicking "Add Another Activity" button or you can aggregate them together for the day.  Either works fine.  Don't forget to hit submit results when you are done!  You can edit your entries at any time.