Plainfield Coronavirus Update: 'Run For The Brave' Goes Virtual

PLAINFIELD, IL — In addition to the Plainfield Police announcing Tuesday evening that there were 66 total cases of coronavirus reported in the village as of Monday, another local change has been wrought by the ongoing crisis: The 'Run for the Brave' 5K run planned for May 23 has gone virtual.

"Run for the Brave 5k Run, Walk, Ruck will be changed to a Virtual Event. All participants will still receive an event shirt and finishing medal," an April 15 news release on the change said.

Event organizers explained that the decision to alter the format of the run was made after numerous other spring and summer events around the Chicagoland area were cancelled. Anticipation that the governor's current stay-at-home mandate may be extended through May was also a factor.

"...foreseeing that an extended mandate may be coming, we have been working proactively over recent days for a resolution. Unfortunately, with so many events already planned Statewide we are unable to reschedule/postpone in 2020," the news release said. "Run for the Brave 5k Run, Walk, Ruck will be changed to a Virtual Event."

So the run is now virtual. But what exactly is a virtual run?

"A virtual race is a race that can be run, walked, or rucked from any safe location you choose," event staff explained in the news release. "You can run, jog, ruck or walk on the road, on the trail, on the treadmill, or on the track. You get to run your own race, at your own pace, and time it yourself."

Event participants will still conduct their walks or runs any time on May 23, and all taking part are invited to an opening ceremony on Facebook at 7:30 a.m. that day. The Facebook ceremony will consist of group singing of the national anthem and bagpipers playing God Bless America. The event Facebook page will then be updated with photos and information throughout the day.

Participants are asked to include the hashtags #runforthebrave5k or #operationwelcomeyouhome in any social media posts they make about the virtual run.

Those interested in participating in the run who have not signed up yet can do so at the Run for the Brave website. Online registration is $35 plus a $3 sign-up fee per person, except for children under 11 and those running in memory of someone deceased. For both these groups, the cost of registration is $25 per person. Registered participants are asked to honestly record their own run times and submit them online by midnight on May 23.

Those who do not wish to participate in a virtual run can request a refund of their registration fee at this email. Refund requests must be submitted by May 1. Those no longer participating can also choose to donate their registration fee to Operation Welcome You Home, the veteran aid non-profit group which is organizing the Run for the Brave event. Such a donation is considered tax-deductible, and can be arranged via this email.

For more information on changes to the Run for the Brave event or the Operation Welcome You Home nonprofit, visit the group's website or contact the race coordinators Judi Stapleton and Donna Morsovillo.

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