Got big plans for New Year’s Eve? You’ll have twice as much to celebrate if you end the year on a running note by taking our Last Run Online Challenge, culminating on 31st December, and then virtually start another run the following morning when The First Online Challenge 2019 kicks in on New Year’s Day.

Confused? You don’t have to be if you adopt this philosophy: “Race Ends. Running Doesn’t”! These two concurrent online challenges give you opportunities to accrue as much distance as you can over a period of four weeks. In the end, you qualify for 2 elegant finisher medals to commission into a single medallion that represents both! Talk about economy of time. You’ll start the new year with a bang.

About the Last Run

The days are ticking down to a precious few, so make signing up for this online run a priority. Head for Spacebib to grab a slot and then block out the dates between 17th December and 31st December 2018. Walk, run, sprint up sets of stairs—do anything that allows you to track distances using a GPS device—and power through to make your mark.

When registering, pick any of these four categories: Basic 10km; 21.1km; 42.195km Run & Walk, or the Classic 42.195km Run & Walk. Put forth your best effort to meet your goal and you get an E-cert, event t-shirt and finisher medal. These are no ordinary medals: they’re 3D, laser-metal engraved designs that are 76mm wide and 3.5mm thick. Complete the full marathon to earn gold; the half for silver or the 10km for brass. But you’re not done…

Tackle the First Run next

Sign up for the second leg of this series at Spacebib and keep on running. First Run is also an online challenge that spans the first two weeks of 2019, from 1st January to 14th January.

The same rules and regulations apply: You accrue as much distance as you can between these dates, recording your activity on your tracker and uploading your numbers to your Spacebib account. If you’re brave enough to double down on both 42.195kms, repeat your half marathon or 10km Last Run numbers—you will impress a lot of people.

Benefits you receive for participating in this second event are equally worth the effort: in addition to your E-Cert and commemorative t-shirt, there’s another gold, silver or brass medal waiting to be claimed.

Remember that you can specify a medal that artfully combines the Last Run finisher medal with the First Run medal, so if you go the full distances, you could become a legend in the eyes of friends and fellow runners by laying claim to having participated in two full marathons within the same 24 hours.

What you should know right now

• Sign-up for the December online event has been going on for a while, so check things out immediately because when all of the slots are gone for the Last Run, you lose out on your chance to earn that double medal.
• There’s still time to snag an early bird rate for the First Run of 2019.
• Deadlines for both events are sacrosanct if you hope to collect two medals.
• Acquire both t-shirts. These moisture-wicking, dri-fit, antibacterial shirts may become your favourites, not just because they represent your double effort but because they’re of such high-quality, they’ll stick around a long time.
• Memorialise your participation in one or both events by sharing and posting snaps attached to #hashtags. And once you receive your medal(s), broadcast photos of yourself wearing them to your social media pals. Don't be shy. You earned this moment of fame!

Will it be double or nothing? Will you end and begin your year in the fast lane, doing what you love? Your call!