If there’s a bear in your life that you’d like to remember, it would be unbearable if you took a pass on this December challenge. Bears have been lumbering around the planet since before man evolved from lower species.

Visit the aptly-named “Bear With Us” website and you’ll discover that these creatures can be found on every continent, so a little respect, please! A visit to the Singapore Zoo's Sun Bears couldn't hurt if you're eager to get inspired for this online run.

Named for the 26th U.S. president Teddy Roosevelt, the stuffed variety is harmless—unless you can’t stop yourself from collecting them! But we’ve got a teddy bear for you that you don't have in your collection: Limited edition finisher medals featuring the cutest teddy bears you've ever seen. To snag one, all you have to do is sign up for the upcoming Teddy Bear Run Online Challenge that takes place from 15th to 23rd December. And, yes, your teddy bear can run with you!

About the Teddy Bear Run Online Challenge

If you were to run into a bear in the forest, your first reaction might be to sprint in the opposite direction! But by participating in the Teddy Bear Run Online Challenge 2018, you’ll be running to your goal, not away from it.

All you need do is reserve time between the aforementioned dates and then run, walk, hike or stair climb to see how much distance you can accrue. This isn’t a competition (you can compete with your own teddy bear if you like!), but that doesn’t mean it’s less important to make your goal.

Registration ends on 13 December (assuming all of the slots have not been grabbed up before that date), so if this sounds like fun and you’ve got a bear of an urge to be part of this event, head for Spacebib and sign up right away.

Your GPS-enabled running app or tracker does all of the work for you, capturing individual distances you undertake over the run period and then reporting your total to your Spacebib profile. Worried the technology you own isn't a viable match? Here are some of the ways you can collect, total and transmit your distances: Nike+ Run Club, Strava, MapMyRun, Runkeeper, Endomondo and Runtastic.

There are a couple of restrictions you need to know about. Pedometers aren't compatible and if you're considering using a bike to rack up your distance of choice, the bears say "No way." Your feet are the secret to completing your race.

Get one or all of the collectible Teddy Bear Run Online Challenge Finisher Medals

Hug your bear once you've honoured him

Once you complete your goal you can hibernate if you like, but why would you do that when a surprise awaits: check your mail after you finish this race and you'll find your limited collection teddy bear medal, one design each for the four distance options you're given: 3km, 5km, 10km and 21km.

Race organisers assure all entrants that those cute medals will be posted just as soon as results are validated, so patience please! If you get anxious, we're pretty sure cuddling with your teddy bear will get you through the short wait!

Why run this race alone? Bears love their buddies, so recruit your friends, cubs and anyone else who is passionate about online runs and bears to join you.