# Virtual Running Programs Nike's Fearless Virtual Race Uplifts & Creates a Sense of Community By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2021-04-13 | Marketing Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/fearless-virtual-race References: [designtaxi](https://designtaxi.com/news/413656/These-Diamonds-Are-Anyone-s-Best-Friend-They-re-The-First-To-Be-Carbon-Negative/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+designtaxi_news+%28TAXI+Daily+News%29) & [nike](https://www.nike.com/#/) Nike and R/GA London launched the Fearless Virtual Race, a virtual running program that helps to create a sense of togetherness and keep runners' spirits high during difficult times. Over the last year, countless sporting events have been postponed or canceled and Nike is helping to keep runners engaged with its first virtual race hosted on the Nike Running Club app. Created to coincide with the Berlin Half, Milan Marathon and Paris Marathons, the program helps to inspire runners to keep moving. The agency created a Run Club City video series to tell the stories of run club members, and keep app users motivated with pre-race packs, curated playlists, printable race numbers and more. R/GA London also collected resources on nutrition, sleep and recovery to support runners holistically. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.9/10 - Popularity: 25% | Activity: 83% | Freshness: 10% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Marketing](https://www.trendhunter.com/marketing) > [Interactive](https://www.trendhunter.com/interactive) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Virtual Running Communities:** Virtual running programs like Nike's Fearless Virtual Race are creating a sense of community among runners during difficult times. - **Holistic Runner Support:** Virtual running programs are offering resources on nutrition, sleep, and recovery to support runners' overall health and wellness. - **Gamification of Running:** Virtual running programs are incorporating game-like elements to motivate and engage runners. ### Who This Affects Most - **Fitness:** Virtual running programs are disrupting the fitness industry by offering alternative ways for people to stay active and engaged. - **Technology:** The development of virtual running programs is an opportunity for the technology industry to create innovative and immersive running experiences. - **Marketing:** The success of virtual running programs like Nike's Fearless Virtual Race is offering new marketing opportunities for sports brands to engage with their audience. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Multi-Faceted Virtual Competitions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/online-10k-challenge.md) - [Immersive Virtual Marathons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/virtual-marathon.md) - [Dynamic Running-Focused Retail Concepts](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-running-the-corner.md) - [Running-Inspired Global Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/run-as-one.md) - [Community-Focused Hybrid Running Events](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/runningman.md) - [Vibrant Runner-Targeted Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/puma-southeast-asia.md) - [Gamified Fitness Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/urace.md) - [Running-Centric Brand Activations](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-hackney-half.md) - [Running Lifestyle Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/run-city.md)