With the UK still on lockdown, it’s more important than ever to be looking after both your physical and mental health – and regular exercise is one way to do this!

With this in mind, we’ve rounded up 5 virtual races to help you stay active this Easter Bank Holiday…

The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Virtual Easter Run

This Virtual Easter Run is in aid of the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping those affected by lung cancer. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, lung cancer patients are being faced with some impossible decisions right now. Many are choosing to postpone life-saving treatment, due to the risk of catching COVID_19 in hospitals.

Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is determined to raise more money to provide extra support to all patients during this time. Their Virtual Easter Run costs £6 to enter. Runners can pick a distance that best suits their ability and run any day until the end of May to get an exclusive Easter medal and Roy Castle running buff!

Click here to register for the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation Virtual Easter Run.

Plas y Brenin #StaircaseSnowdon

National Outdoor Centre Plas y Brenin is launching a new social challenge #StaircaseSnowdon in a bid to get the nation moving indoors over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The Easter Weekend usually sees tens of thousands of visitors at Snowdon and Snowdonia National Park. Instead, why not stay at home and try the #StaircaseSnowdon?

The challenge invites you to walk the equivalent of a hike up Snowdon from your home (assuming you have stairs!). A total of 4,610 steps is needed to complete the challenge. It’s up to you whether these are done individually or as part of a team – you could get the whole family involved!

Once you have completed the challenge, share your experience on social media with the hashtag #StaircaseSnowdon. Don’t forget to also tag in @plasybreninofficial for the chance to win a real outdoor adventure weekend at Plas y Brenin!

The Ultra X 14.1

The Ultra X 14.1 challenges solo runners to take on a 14.1km (⅓ of a marathon) race from their doorstep at 1pm tomorrow (Saturday 11 April 2020).

More than 300 people have signed up from all over the world to take part. All runners need is a GPS watch or Strava to record their time!

The event is free and a limited edition Ultra X 14.1 commemorative medal is available to purchase upon registration. Ultra will announce the results on Monday 13 April.

Click here to register for the Ultra X 14.1.

British Heart Foundation MyMarathon

Challenge yourself to cover 26.2 miles in the month of April. You can walk, jog or run, going at your own pace, in a safe space. As long as you cover the miles, you’ll be a BHF MyMarathon champion!

Click here to find out more and sign up.

parkrun – Virtual 5km

Part of article by College of Naturopathic Medicine

parkrun is a free, local 5km run that takes place every Saturday at 9am in 1,049 different locations across the UK. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, parkrun has had to suspend all of its events.

However, many local parkruns have organised virtual runs, where you can walk, jog or run the 5km on your own on Saturday morning, before uploading your own time. Click here to find your local parkrun, and see whether they are holding a virtual parkrun this weekend. Be sure to also follow parkrun on Facebook to stay up-to-date with their news and events!