Virtual · anywhere
Quick answer: Running Mad has free digital virtual challenges and paid challenges with a real medal. The free version gives you the same distance target, the same logging and leaderboard and a digital medal. The paid version adds a chunky metal medal posted to your door. Start free if you want to try the format; go for the physical medal if you want something to hang up.
What a free digital challenge includes
Our digital virtual challenges cost nothing. You choose a distance and a design, log your miles on the site exactly as you would for a paid challenge, appear on the leaderboard, and earn a digital medal on completion. The themed series are available in digital form, so you are not limited to a plain design. There is no catch and no subscription. It is the best way to find out whether a distance target actually gets you moving before you spend anything.
What a paid challenge adds
The paid version of a challenge is the same challenge with a real medal. It is a metal medal with a ribbon, made for that specific design, posted within 3 to 5 working days of your order. For a lot of people that physical object is the whole point: it goes on the wall, it goes in the kids’ school bag for show and tell, it is the thing you were working towards. If you have never done a virtual challenge before and are not sure the format will suit you, do a free one first and upgrade to a medal on the next one.
Is a free challenge actually free?
Yes. There is no postage because nothing is posted, and there is no account fee. If you later want the physical medal for a challenge you completed digitally, order the medal version of that challenge from the store.
Which one should you pick?
Pick free if you are testing the format, doing a quick challenge with a group where nobody needs a medal, or you simply prefer a digital badge. Pick the medal version if you want a keepsake, you are doing it for a charity or a milestone, or you are buying for someone else as a gift. Either way the distance, the logging and the leaderboard work identically.
Browse both
See the free digital challenges or the full range of virtual challenges with medals.
Next step: Try one free: see our free digital virtual challenges, or go for a real medal with a virtual running challenge.
Frequently asked questions
Are there free virtual challenges?
Yes. Running Mad digital virtual challenges cost nothing: you get the same distance target, logging and leaderboard, and a digital medal on completion.
What does a paid virtual challenge add?
A real metal medal with a ribbon, made for that design, posted within 3 to 5 working days of your order.
Is there a subscription?
No. Free digital challenges have no fee and paid challenges are a one-off purchase.
Can I get the physical medal after completing a free challenge?
Yes. Order the medal version of that challenge from the store.