MedalMad Virtual Run and Challenge Blog

 We are delighted to introduce Donna our first MedalMad champion of 2022.One of Donna's amazing accomplishments was running a mile every day in 2021. Since then Donna has gone on to complete a number of 10KM runs. Donna joined MedalMad in March 2021  with her first virtual challenge being the March Hare 3KM. She has then gone on to c...

​MedalMad has gone through so many changes since we began in 2015. In fact we have had three websites and now two apps.Our aim in each was to grow a community that supports each other to reach their running and fitness goals. We all know the medal is important, it is why we have our own designer, in house, working on concepts and so many ...

 ​For 2022 we wanted to create a new virtual challenge that would push people to work towards and achieve their fitness goals. We know that this is something that cannot be achieved overnight, or just in one month, and so we wanted this to be an ongoing challenge that would motivate people for the duration of 2022, not just January and Februar...

 Do you want to make running your new hobby? Running is a great way to improve your health, but it can be difficult if you don't know where to start. One of the best options for beginners that are looking for an achievable goal is virtual runs. Virtual runs or challenges allow participants to run in events without having to physically go anywh...

Couch to 5k is a running plan which normally takes 9 weeks to complete, with each run lasting between 20-30 minutes. Couch to 5k plans are designed for people who have never ran before, but want to start running. The 9 weeks of a couch to 5KM running plan are split into 3 running sessions, which gradually get longer. Couch to 5KM plans begin with a...

In 2022, the next Olympics will be held in Paris. This is a fantastic opportunity for runners who can't make it to the event! Virtual running has been around for a while now and is growing more popular each year. In this blog post, we'll cover what virtual running is, why you should try it out in 2022, and how to get started.What is virtual running...

I received my beautiful Remembrance Day medals with a lovely pin as an additional bonus with a colour picture of the left medal. Unfortunately, I subsequently lost said pin. I hope I find it soon! I was really glad that I was able to participate in these two events.

The problem with having the mindset of a collector is you want to collect things all the time and very quickly! I set myself the challenge of 60km to earn the gauntlet medal, as I enjoy comics and movies and this provided me a bit of both. And since I was already running 4km when I visited the gym and needed a drive to go more regularly this s...

So I have been on a fitness kick for the past 4 months I have lost just over a stone in weight and a load  of inches which is really exciting I am shredding for the wedding which is in 6 months time We're having an Alice in Wonderland themed wedding so I clearly had to have the Down The Rabbit Hole medal and the T Shirt Obv...

My wife and kids both started their journey with their medals a month ago, but with work being so busy I wasn’t sure I could commit to a challenge.But the more I thought about it the more I wanted to put that motivation in front of me, give me a reason to keep going down the gym and clocking the Kilometres on the treadmill. And when my son earned h...

 Our latest virtual challenge is one that will help you grow strong roots and foundations. Beautifully crafted this medal represents all the hard work you put into so that your achievement can blossom.This virtual challenge has 3 different distance options for you to chose from. You can choose a 5 mile, 10 mile or 25 mile option. Wha...

​Are you looking for your next virtual run or virtual challenge? Looking for that bit of magic to help you reach your running and fitness goals? Well if you love fairytales then these virtual 5K challenge medals, a total of 95Km, will help you reach that goal.These challenges provide a S.M.A.R.T goal to help you reach that next level. Virtual ...

The new medals for 2021 If you love fairytales then this is the fairytale challenge for you. Inspired by fairytales these beautiful medals can be earned, not just bought, by completing their virtual challenges. Motivation is not always easy, thinking about it is okay but actually starting and then finishing as well, not so easy....

The Nordbahntrasse is a hiking and biking way in Wuppertal that is around 22 km long and between 3,5 and 10 m wide.Its build on a former railroad line through Wuppertal. The northern end is connected with an other former railroad line that goes inside the Ruhrgebiet, the other end is near Train Station Vohwinkel in western Wuppertal and is connecte...

Today I want show you a little bit how it looks like around my Home.I live in the northern end of Wuppertal-Barmen the town northern of us is Sprockhövel, witch is part of the Ruhrgebiet. Some of you may know the Ruhrgebiet as area of coal and steel.The first picture shows the street where I live in, a lot green and some not that bad houses.The sec...

 We love seeing challengers from all around the world take part in our challenges. The team still get a buzz when we send a medal to a new city or town that we have never sent one to before.The United States (USA) is one of the biggest destinations for our medals outside of the UK. We see a lot of challengers from all over the US but one of th...

​Yesterday I started my first MedalMad challenge, the 80 km around the world challenge. May be 7,82 km doesnt look much for alot of you but what the pic or any informations I could get from the app dont tell you: My home is at 289m ASL the place in the town center Wuppertal-Barmen where I had to go, is at 160m ASL. So it wasnt only nearly 8 km...

So officially I first signed up for the Allons-y challenge, and then discovered that I walk a longer distance each day than I had expected. So having a kid that now goes to school means I either cycle or walk up and down there four times a day, nearly reaching that 10km mark within 24 hours. Whoops. I wanted to go for a higher challenge (and o...

Supposed i started running after my second child. Running for weight loss, running to regain focus, running to push myself see if I could do it. I run now as its my passion. Its a mental thing. It helps clear my mind and focus on something else which is positive and at the end of the run am proud. Im proud of myself because i have no one ...

Everyone knows the saying! A journey starts with a single step. Team Anglerfish have been walking together for a whole decade, since the kiddo first learned to toddle! But mama always thought herself too unfit to run.To take that first step, we started about a year ago with the Couch To 5k app. It didn't go well. Kiddo can *run and talk at the...

Just earned my bronze medal for completing 10 challenges...I can’t believe how much my life’s and attitude to life has changed since I joined medal mad...I’m going for gold 🙌🏻 

Afternoon ride for mental health month thanks to work for afternoon offJust finished the bee 🐝 medal after a nice 17.5 miles ride in the mud 

Can’t believe how nice the medals are. Just done the train together challenge and got it engraved, so so lovely 😊  Can’t believe how nice the medals are. Just done the train together challenge and got it engraved, so so lovely 😊  

Just had my first 10k medal, very fast to come so can't wait to do another, I think I'll go for. 20k this time and see how much I can push my self, 

Hi, I'm Leanne, also known as LippyArt! I thought my first blog post on here should include a little about me 😊...Using art, photography, and live demonstrations, my mission is to educate the world on the importance of both disability awareness and wildlife conservation. I endeavour to break stereotypes, challenge perceptions, push bounda...

 The importance of women feeling safe on our streets has been a hugely highlighted topic across the media recently.I don't for one minute presume that men are exempt from feelings of unease or fear while going about their daily routines, but this article is based upon my experiences as a woman, and is therefore dedicated to the ladies.Street h...

 DRUM ROLL PLEASE!!!!...... April's Member of the Month is..... Amy Clark! Amy is a regular contributor to this page so you probably are familiar with her already and I'm sure she needs little introduction! She joined MM in September last year driven by a desire to lose weight and also improve her mental health. Her story of being a busy ...

Enter text here "Good morning!" Called two jolly male joggers as they dashed past.It wasn't a rhetorical question. It wasn't even a question."No," I replied, more to myself then to my fellow runners. No, it was currently not a good morning.Unsurprisingly, my bizarre response acquired puzzled looks.Wait – were they men jogging, or were they two gino...

When I signed up to run a 5K back in December 2019 I never imagined I would run a half marathon. Here I am just over a year since I started running and I've just completed my second half marathon. Six weeks ago I saw a message on our work's internal social media saying they had just been offered some last minute charity places for the (virtual) Roy...

As we approach our 5th birthday we decided to have a make over. We wanted to make a simpler logo that was more modern and able to sit alongside our amazing medals without clashing or distracting. It has been quite a long process but we finally decided on a design a colour palette that works for all aspects of MedalMad. Our main logo is in this...

My 2 year old loves Paddington and today the 2 of us finished the 10k virtual Peru to London challenge. I can’t wait to receive the Paddington suitcase medal to give to him. He will be so happy. 

We are delighted to release a new feature on the MedalMad website, you can now use your points to save £££ on your next challenge. You can save up the points you receive for completing a challenge then use them to save on that medal you have had your eye on.You can find how many and when you earned them from you My Rewards points page, fo...

So...i finally decided to get off my arse and start losing weight and gaining better overall fitness. I have tried the gym but got bored as I never really went anywhere. I tried plain walking around but would lose enthusiasm. I saw Medal Mad on facebook today and thought it would be a good thing to have a go at. After all I remember ...

What a year it's been?! This last year has probably been one of the hardest I've known, but equally I'm so glad that it seems to have zoomed by. Things here in the UK are pretty much just as they were back in March/April last year. We're in a full lockdown, although cases are coming down so hopefully we'll start to have some more "normality" a...

Enter text here After one week into my new running journey, today was HARD!! The air seemed colder, heavier and lessmanageable. Especially in my legs actually I’d say from the top of my legs to the tips of my toes. Managed one mile no stopping. Gain some rhythm in my arms and pacedmyself although I’m sure I s...

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is staying well. I can't quite believe that we're into 2021 now! Let's hope this year is better than 2020! One of the things I've always been very aware of since becoming a runner is my safety, so today I thought I'd share with you some of my tips for staying safe, especially since the mornings/evenings are dark...

Meet December's Member of the Month Claire Walters!! Claire joined MedalMad in November this year after losing an amazing 115lbs! Well done Claire! Claire is a Type 2 Diabetic and after losing weight she joined MedalMad to help her maintain a healthy and active lifestyle. Since then she has completed a fantastic 10 challenges with us and has s...

BLACK FRIDAY OFFERLast day for our black Friday offer of 20% off all challenges. Plus our £5 lucky dips. Ends at midnight tonight.Use code BFMM20 for 20% offLUCKY DIPHere are a list of some of the medals in their distance categories that could be arriving at your door. Remember this is a sale item so no refunds, returns or exchanges. It' ...

Start Black Friday early and finish 2020 strong with 30% off 2020 virtual challenges. Offer excludes sets, multi-part challenges and Holidays Are Coming medal. Offer is not valid on the shop section only challenges section of the website.  Use the code below at checkout. If on mobile scroll right to see the subtotal after discou...

Sunday 13th September 2020. A date that had been engraved in my mind since the start of the year. A date I was aiming for, the biggest event of my running "career" to date. 15th June 2020. The day I found out that the Great North Run had been cancelled, but also the date I made a commitment. I was still going to go out there and give that half mara...

Looking to keep the kids active this half term?Then why not join our half terms 5KM challenge? Download the free colouring tracker sheet and over the half term complete 5KM of running, walking, swimming, cycling, scooting or a combination of all of these activities. Colour in the tracker they cover the distance following the instructions on th...

Use code SEPT20 at checkout across the whole site. Set up a great Autumn of challenges or get your hands on a new medal hanger, kids activity pack or top.Ends midnight on Wednesday the 9th of September.

Hello everyone, I hope everyone is staying well. I can't quite believe that this is my 6th blog post as a MedalMad Ambassador! This last month seems to have flown by for me since being back at work. What I also can't believe is that I've now hit 7 months of being a "runner"! Before Christmas I would never have even considered running but now here I...

Enter text here New goals means new shoes right!? ​​​So after being injured last year a couple times (stress fracture,heel problem and arm) my running wasn't what it used to be. I actually got scared of picking up the pace again..not that it was something I knew instantly,I just realized it after moths. I knew I wasn't running as much and my endura...

Hello everyone! How are we all? How is everyone starting to adjust to life in a "new normal"? The last couple of weeks have been pretty hectic for me, having spent 3 months off work on furlough leave I was finally called back to work! I was so glad to be able to get out of the house again and get back to the place I love, but along with that came a...

It is our 4th birthday, and what a crazy 4 years. Thank you for all your support this year. It has been amazing and we have big plans for the year ahead. Use code MMBD20 for 20% off your next challenge or challenges 

We love a medal delivery as much as you. Deliveries that contain samples are just the best. This weeks delivery was amazing and check out the real medals for many challenges for the first time below. Click on the images to find out more about each challenge.So whether you are a virtual runner, walker, cyclist, swimmer or use the gym you c...

​Being there have been a lot of new runners join Medalmad recently I thought I'd put a few tips together for anyone who might be completely new to running.REMEMBER IT'S A MARATHONEven if you're not planning to run a marathon, you should take the slow and steady approach to your running activities. When you try to increase your mileage or speed up y...

Disappointing runs: we all have them at some point!Whether it's a nasty stitch that forces you to pull over, or simply an early onset of shin splints half a kilometre in, admitting temporary defeat in something you actively want to do is hard.A few weeks ago, I set out for my usual 5k. It's a distance I am well practised in, and it was an easy, fla...

We are looking for new part time member to join our small MedalMad team. MedalMad is part of the Active Connections Group of brands. MedalMad helps people reach their running and fitness goals via an online platform. So an interest in health, fitness and or running would be useful but not essential. We are a fast growing brand and need help to meet...

 Hello everyone! I hope everyone is staying safe and well, and a big welcome to all the new challengers who have joined MedalMad in recent weeks.Has anyone else taken up running in recent weeks/months? Can't help but feel like you've started running at the wrong time? Yep… that's me too… When I started running back in January I never for a sin...

The morning sun peered through the overhead canopy of trees, gently stroking my face with its soft rays. All around me, birds tweeted, darting across my path in an array of vibrant colours. The path through the woods was all but empty, aside a few fellow early morning joggers in the distance.The world felt like mine, and mine alone. It was the esca...

You may have noticed an increase in the number of sell out challenges over the last couple of weeks, and the occasional slow down of our website as the number of members on MedalMad has surged to 30,000 active members. Due to may requests we have added in a number of challenges again later on in the year for 2020. We have listed below som...

You can take on any challenge on a treadmill or any other piece of gym equipment that shows distance. So you can take on a virtual race or virtual challenge from home or even in the gym. If you wish to use a treadmill it can have a range of benefit over running outside.Whilst you can't totally replicate outside running inside, setting the...

Hello everyone! I hope you're all staying safe and well in these strange times. And welcome to all of our new challengers! It has been so great to see so many people earning their medals in this time. Also a massive thank you to the MedalMad staff for continuing to post out the medals for us at this time! Since completing Couch to 5K around a ...

So first things first…How amazing are the MedalMad team and their NHS Medal! As an NHS Key worker, I cannot express enough gratitude for the part the Medal Mad team are playing. I certainly speak for myself (and I'm sure many other key workers) when I say how grateful we all are for all the donations, be it money, time, toiletries no matter ho...

We are delighted to show the samples for the upcoming virtual challenges in July 2020. They all look amazing and we are really happy with how they all look. Have you signed up to one yet? Reserve you place soon as we are experiencing a huge increase in sign ups and challenges are selling out very quickly. Click on the image to find o...

Once upon a time there was a company called MedalMad who loved to inspire and motivate people to be active. They did this by creating amazing virtual challenges and awesome medals for people to earn…. Like this official Peter Rabbit medal!Sign up now and complete the Run Rabbit 5k virtual challenge by walking, running, cycling, swimming or using gy...

​Welcome to MedalMad. We have a range of amazing virtual challenges and races that you can take on each month and over the year. Track your virtual challenges and progress on the website of our free app. You can take on our distance challenges running, walking, swimming, cycling or using gym equipment. Kids can even scoot.&...

Cara Jasmine BradleyHaving previously suffered from an eating disorder, maintaining a healthy relationship with exercise is an imperative ingredient in my ongoing recovery. I have previously blogged about my past struggles with anorexia, whereby I described that any enjoyment found in exercise had been replaced by dread, as I started...

'The brightest rainbows come from the darkest of storms', pretty apt right?!We are all looking forward to that extra bright rainbow right now and somewhere over the rainbow you might find this beauty of a medal!​We will be donating £2.50 of each entry fee to the Rainbow Trust. Please click HERE for details about the trust.All of us at MedalMad and ...

 Smashed It! Activity Challenge 2020This one is a bit of motivation for all the mini superheroes and superheroines out there! We love nothing more than seeing the younger generation enjoying physical activity, in any form, so we have designed a new MedalKids virtual challenge with a bit of a twist….To earn this awesome medal our mini challenge...

Hello to all of the Medal Mad Family,I just wanted to reach out to all of you in these uncertain times to tell you, as an Ambassador, that you are all amazing continuing to earn your challenge medals in this difficult climate.It is people like yiu who are the inspirations to the running community because you're still pushing yourselves and I'm amaz...

'All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them?' said a wise man once, the inspiration behind this medal design.Through all the adversity in our lives, all the trouble and obstacles, you should always continue to pursue your dreams. Have the courage and the strength to move forward, push through the hard times to achieve someth...

Due to the popularity of our Gauntlet 60k and numerous requests for a shorter distance version, also suitable for older children, so we have created The Gauntlet 20k virtual challenge!Use the power of the Gauntlet to motivate you to run further than you have before, starting with your 2k infinity stone and slowly building up your distances tic...

Do you often feel like you're in a world of your own? Do you dream of going on an Adventure in Wonderland? Well now you can!.... kind of…..with this 13.1 mile virtual challenge! Use this medal as motivation and take on a half marathon (after-all we're all mad here at MedalMad!).Now don't be late, you have until en...

How to Stay Motivated and Keep Going.I had a couple of topics in mind for my next blog entry, but I felt that given the current global situation I thought I'd talk a bit about how I keep myself going and get my challenges done.Now given everything that's going on with the UK and many other countries on lockdown it and all the news being bad can be ...

 If someone said to me 4 months ago I'd now be excited to get out for a run and that I can now run 5K I'd have laughed at you. This week I completed my Couch to 5K journey so today I thought I'd share with you some of the thoughts and feelings I had while working through Couch to 5K, as well as some tips I've learnt along the way. Please remem...

Support our NHS and sign up to our Heroes of the NHS 5km challenge!About this medalThis medal was first designed by our team in 2016 for Valentines day! The medal itself is a photo frame that you can use to insert any picture you like inside. We have chosen to re-release this medal for our NHS Heroes this time with a new blue ribbon instead of...

Everyone's favourite MI6 agent is back and it's Time to Run!Your mission is to complete 007 miles by the 30th June, anytime, anywhere. Your mission won't be easy and you will need to use your super intelligence, wit and charm to get you through but at the end reward yourself with a martini (shaken not stirred of course) and this awesome medal!Compl...

This quote feels so apt right now. Life feels so uncertain in this current climate with many of us feeling worried about what the future holds for ourselves and for loved ones. So look for the good spots in life! This medal was designed by our very own MedalEmma and we are all so pleased with how this one turned out. We always come up with the conc...

Working with SchoolsOver the last few weeks (prior to school closures) MedalMad have been working closely with a small local primary school to help get more children running!By supplying medals and resources to the school for each participating child we have motivated 50 children to take part in the school morning running club. The children va...

My children have been off school for over a week already due to showing mild symptoms and as a household we are now all in self isolation. We are usually a very active family, my husband owns a martial arts gym and myself and the children bother train their most days, so having to get used to staying home has been frustrating.A few days in and I de...

You know what you gotta do when life gets you down?Just keep goingJust keep goingJust keep going, going, goingWhat do we do we walk, jog, runOH HO HO How I love to runWhen you WAAAAAANNTTT to run you want to run….And this virtual challenge is designed to do just that, to keep you going through these current difficult times. To keep going walking, r...

So I'm a couple of weeks into my Ambassadorship for MedalMad and I am absolutely loving it!! Seeing the love and support for everyone is amazing and I am so proud and so lucky to be part of such a fantastic group of like-minded people ❤As an Ambassador, I'm really enjoying interacting with all of our fabulous members. Seeing all your achieveme...

​Since times began I have always struggled with my fitness and how I feel about myself. But...Don't we all??What better way but to take you through my journey on how I got here?!Grab a cuppa, blanket and let me take you through my last few years. 10 years ago I started with horrific back pain, not a "oooooo that hurt" as you bend over to ...

​If you told a much younger me that one day, I would not only be a regularly active person who hates being stuck inside but also be an ambassador to a virtual race company then I probably wouldn't have believed you.As a child it's no secret that I wasn't the most active. PE was something that had to be done because I was told to and not e...

First of many blogs to come... Today I'm channelling my inner Carrie Bradshaw (except less alcohol, no where near such fab shoes but still the big curly hair!) and writing my first blog as a Medal Mad Ambassador! *screams*I'm watching 100 Kilo Kids: Obesity SOS (Channel 4) and it's giving me some interesting food for thought... pun intended.Ex...

 Running was never something I enjoyed at school. I used to loathe sports day, I used to loathe when our PE teachers made us run around the whole school playing field... twice! But right now I'm training for a half marathon!I started running last year, but it only lasted around 3 months, when work got busy for me I stopped. I'm determined this...

"Live every week like it is shark week".Be determined, be hungry and make the most of your opportunities. Cover 10KM to earn this amazing medal. You can do the challenge in parts or as a whole 10KM. Enter your time as you submit your evidence to be displayed on the Race Results.Challenge starts on the 1st of August 2020, evidence can be submitted e...

We are delighted to have Runderwear partner with us to off the MedalMad community a chance to save 20% on their amazing range of active underwear. To claim you reward just head to our new rewards page and use your MedalMad points to claim your voucher. Points are earned when you complete a MedalMad challenge. Terms and conditions app...

We are delighted to release the fifth and final design of our Postage Collection Set. The design this year is in honour of all the animals that serve and have given their lives in the defence of us all. We felt this was a fitting design to finish this collection on. We hope you will take on the virtual race and set your own targ...

We have added some great new features for 2020.Rewards Points - Use your reward points to save on products and vouchers. More info HERE.MedalMad Personalised Member Medals - You can now claim your member medals with your MedalMad points. Starting from the 1st of February for all new levels reached from this date onwards. New Marketplace - Wher...

 Check out this latest challenge!! Do you dare to dream to run, walk, swim, cycle or use the gym to cover the 13.1 miles to earn this amazing medal? Take on this virtual challenge from anywhere in the world and join 10'000s reaching their running and fitness goals. It may be a virtual challenge but this amazing medal is real, an...

​Take a peak at our newest samples to arrive at MedalMad HQ, for April 2020.Ranging from 5k up to 10 miles, maybe you could attempt all three? Put a spring in your step and start April as you mean to go on!  Rise Above 10 Miles  Moving Mountains 10KM  New Beginning 5KM 

​Happy New Year!!!!!!​We hope you had an amazing 2019 and even more we wish you a fantastic 2020. 2019 at MedalMad was an amazing year with over 20,000 live members now part of MedalMad from across the world. We also moved into our own office and warehouse space to allow us to meet the demand for our challenges. Will we be slowing down in 2020...

Well MedalMadders another year draws to a close. We hope you have had a great 2019 and that you will have a great time this Christmas. 2019 saw a fair few changes for MedalMad. A new home in our own warehouse was the biggest change, one that has allowed us to grow this year.So what is new for 2020, well a lot, so much in fact we are ...

As 2019 is coming to an end here at MedalMad we are looking forward to an exciting start to 2020 with the National Running Show 2020 in Birmingham!The 2019 show was a big success and we loved meeting and chatting to many of you on our stand. If you are attending the 2020 show on January 25th or 26th 2020 then please visit us on stand D62! The compl...

Looking to get 2020 off to a great start? Need that extra bit of motivation, other than our amazing medals? Well why not join either the Run Every Day virtual team or the Walk Every Day virtual team and see if your steps or strides can help the team to top the leaderboard. Join teammates from all around the world. We are having a bit of f...

 The Christmas break is fast approaching and many of us will be looking forward to celebrating with friends and family, drinking and eating all of our favourite things, snuggling up on the sofa and watching festive films that take us back to the days of our childhood. But how many of us keep up with our regular running / fitness regime over th...

 Welcome to our Black Friday Sale for 2019. One of our biggest sales of the year, designed to help you finish 2019 strong and set up a great start to 2020. We have some many new features to MedalMad which will make taking your virtual challenges with us the number 1 choice. Apart from the already amazing medals, excellent speedy serv...

Possibly the most eventful run I've ever had. Eventful 10 miles. Started off fine, legs were aching a bit but I was ignoring that. First incident: Garmin didn't pick up GPS until I'd done my first ½k. This I didn't realise until I'd finished. Second incident: crossing the road, no cars so I didn't press the button. 2 steps into the r...

Are you stumped as to what to get for the runner in your life this Christmas? Well look no further! Here is our Top 10 gifts for runners this Christmas, to suit all budgets (or maybe add these ideas to your Christmas wish list?!) . SOCKS – runners always need socks (well who doesn't?! where the flip do they go?!). There are many running socks on th...

Amelia and Jesse are so happy that they have their new medals from MedalMad they absolutely love them.Amelia had to run 3k to earn her medal and certificate. She really loves her Mad as a March Hare 3k medal. Jesse had to run 5k to earn his medal and certificate, he absolutely loves his You got a friend 5k medal.We love MedalMad ...

Why is stretching good for Runners?We all know that we should stretch after exercise, that it's good for us, but we are also all guilty of going for a long run and then 'not having time' or 'forgetting' to do our stretches afterwards. So just how important is stretching for runners and how often should we stretch? Stretching is good for everyone, b...

​'Workout completed. Distance: 21.1 kilometres. Time: 2 hours, 16 minutes, and 21 seconds.'Slowing my pace, I beamed, ending the workout on my phone. The feeling of accomplishment was unrivalled. My legs felt somewhat disconnected from my body, and I had a piercing stitch that I had talked myself into believing was an appendicitis for the past hour...

​I first rode a horse at the age of 4, and fell in love with them. 26 years later that love has only strengthened. Aside from their beauty and elegance, it's the freedom of galloping with the wind in your hair, the closest to flying you can feel on terra firma. This is why I love running. Besides the health benefits, I love the freedom you feel out...

​Baby its cold outside -who wants to go out running?!Are the shorter days and the cold, wet weather making you ditch your trainers and instead snuggle up on the sofa in your pj's with a nice mug of steaming hot chocolate and binge watch that latest hit TV series? Who could blame you?! It's that time of year that we all start to feel like hibernatin...

How many MedalMad challenges do you take on at a time? We have so many amazing medals, choosing a race or one of our anytime challenges can be really tricky!  If you purchase more than one of the same medal in an order, by changing the quantity - only one challenge will show on your account - but the evidence you submit will rel...

We hope you all had a great October of being active. Whether you ran, walked, cycled, used the gym or swam we hope your challenge kept you motivated.  See below the top of the running race results for Wings of Transformation, Scream if You Want to Run Faster, The Strength of the Wolf and So Serious.Check out the app for more res...

​Can you believe that it is November already!?! One big clue is that is colder and so much darker. Finding the motivation to get out and reach your running and fitness goals can be challenging. So this may be the time to find that extra bit of motivation. This month we have some amazing challenges with awesome medals. Check out which one may g...

Autumn is now upon on us and we will soon be in the grips of winter. With the days becoming shorter and the nights becoming longer many of us will soon be struggling to fit in our miles during daylight hours. When out in the dark we all need to take more care to ensure that we stay safe whilst walking, running and cycling. Read on for the MedalMad ...

​So back in September I spent my birthday in hospital. I been admitted and diagnosed with asthma. While nobody mentioned my weight I knew they were thinking if I lost weight it would help. So after recovering I decided that enough was enough and I needed to lose this weight. My husband, my kids and my dad needed me. I knew before being admitte...

 We have launched two new virtual races for May and One for June 2020. Early bird £10 for the first 50 challengers.You can take on these challenges as virtual runners, walkers, cyclists, swimmers and even in the gym. You can of course take on these virtual races in parts and work your way up.So take a look at these new design an...

Here are our suggestions on how to use our Shelf to 5k medal challenge with your Elf on the Shelf;​Decide when you would like to complete the challenge with your child and if this will be done in parts or in one go. It might be a good idea to check the weather forecast in advance!Print off our LETTER FROM ELF and ELF COLOURING TRACKER sheet from th...

So here are a few of my medals, most are from MedalMad! And a few from the great north run and other achievements - 13.1 miles is a long way all in one go!I put my trainers on for the 1st time January 2018, the whole new year new me bull we tell ourselves, haha!I signed up for a challenge where I pledge to do so many miles that month...

Strength training is important to help improve your running ability; it helps improve your power, flexibility and stability whilst also helping to prevent injury.The deadlift strengthens the glutes and hamstrings whilst also strengthening the posteria chain – great for runner's stability, overall strength and injury prevention – creating an upright...

 We have launched three new virtual races for April 2020. You can take on these challenges as virtual runners, walkers, cyclists, swimmers and even in the gym. We have tried to cover a wide range of virtual race distances including a 5KM, 10KM and a bit longer 10 mile race. You can of course take on these virtual races in parts and w...

​Here at MedalMad we have challenges ranging from 5K all the way up to 1000 miles, now unless you are superhuman, 1000 miles in one go is a bit of an ask...!We allow challengers to submit evidence in parts for all of our challenges - whether it is a 5k, Marathon or 1000 miles, challenges can be done at your pace and split in to as ma...

 Set up 2020 for your best year of running and fitness.Join us on our monthly target challenges and earn your FREE, BRONZE, SILVER and GOLD personalised medals, perhaps even more. You can also earn you member stars from doing any of our challenges.Select your distance for each month by using the dropdown below. Select first 6 (Jan to June) for...

 Looking for a new running watch to set you up for 2020?Then why not enter our competition to be in with a chance of winning a Garmin Forerunner 235 and £60 of MedalMad vouchers.To enter simply vlog or blog (with pictures) a MedalMad challenge, from start to finish. It can be any challenge that you are doing. We would like you to be as cr...

Check out two of September's virtual race results. You can find the further results and other races from September and now October in the app under Race Results.Well done to everyone who completed the races and an extra well done to those who managed to get to the top of the table.  October Races

 As the month draws to an end we hope you have reached your goals this month. Se below for what virtual races and challenges are coming up next month, what is closing on Monday and what is selling quick. We have some great challenges for you!Closing Soon   Starting Soon Selling Quick

Well done to everyone who signed up for our September HIT MY TARGET challenge and completed their chosen miles! We hope you enjoyed this new type of challenge and love your engraved medal as much as Zoe in our office does! Zoe set herself the target of running 50 miles in the month of September and we are very pleased to say that she HIT her TARGET...

Getting started can be the first hurdle and where do you start? Running can be a great way to start your new fitness regime. You can start slow, walking, and build up. But here are some basic tips to get you started. Remember virtual running is only that name. Virtual running gives you the freedom to take part in challenges anywhere and anytime, bu...

 The MedalMad Movement of the Month (MOM)This month we are focusing on Lunges.Regular strength training exercises can help with endurance, speed and injury prevention. Lunges help to strengthen key running muscles, the hamstrings, quadriceps and glutes, whilst stretching others such as hip flexors. This will help to lengthen your stride and im...

We have made some changes to the website over the last few weeks. So we wanted to explain the difference between a virtual race and a virtual challenge. We now have over 50 races and challenges you can take part in on MedalMad. Some are in the various virtual anytime challenges dropdown sections and others are in the virtual rac...

Corona Virus Update We have not been advised of any issues with any deliveries around the world. However we do ask that at this time people allow a few more days for their medal to arrive. This is normally down to local delivery issues.We are checking daily Royals Mails guidance on their delivery status for each country we ship too. If yo...

Well done to everyone who took on a virtual race in August. We do hope you love your medal. Below you will find the results for the August racesIf you want to know where you finished please go to the app and click on Race Results. August challenge results will be available till the end of September on the app.The results be...

We are delighted to release our 2019 12 Weeks till Christmas challenge. Set yourself a target of how many miles you want to cover between the 30th of September and the 22nd of December, then use our free downloadable sheet to record your weekly miles. You can run, walk, cycle, swim, gym or a bit of everything. Just add your target in...

​September has arrived and the evenings are already getting darker. ( how did that happen? ) Motivation around this time of year - as the days start to get colder and darker - can be hard to keep.We have found an article on the top 10 motivational books to have a read of, we would like to think our challenges...

Roald Dahl was born in September, this year we celebrate all things Roald Dahl on the 13th September. If he were alive today, he'd be 102 years old!We have a number of book inspired virtual challenges to keep you active - but a couple inspired by the main man himself. The Fantastic 5K is one of them, and is now live for September - w...

 The Fastest and The Furthest!At the start of every month we will be showing you the Top 5 MedalMadder's who ran the fastest 5k challenge and the Top 5 who covered the furthest distance – Just for fun!!Data is collated for the previous month, for all challenges submitted through the app only. Here are the results for August! Were you The Faste...

 I was always the girl who hated to exercise, hated to walk never mind run! I had put on a lot of weight and was extremely unhappy with myself.I started a weight loss program in August 2018 and just focused on my food intake. I had secretly always wanted to be able to run long distances, come Christmas 2018 I'd lost 2stone in weight ...

That's right September is here already!!! So if you have signed up for one of the September virtual races it is time to start clocking up those miles. Do not forget that the races have till the end of the month to complete. But with all out virtual races you can do it anytime and anywhere in the month of the race. You can of course take o...

Who remembers the feeling of getting a gold star at school?? Well we have the next best thing, a gold star for being an amazing virtual runner, virtual walker, swimmer, cyclist or a bit of everything. As our community has grown to over 17,000 members so have the number of amazing challengers who have achieved the Gold Star in the MedalMad...

The new version of The Lion King has become the tenth highest-grossing film of all time. Released a month ago, Disney's film is a remake of its own 1994 animated film. If you've been Lion around...and you missed our Roarsome 'Hakuna Matata' 5k challenge, have no fear this challenge is now available ...

 Do you have a favourite running place?Earlier this week the MedalMad CEO Mike Squire posted a picture of himself after a run in Bergerac, France, and asked you all if you had a favourite place to run?Mike has been on a family holiday in Bergerac but couldn't resist lacing up his running shoes for an early morning run in the beautiful scenic l...

Hey there fellow runners! I'm Pete, I'm 36 and I've been running for 4 years now, ironically I became a runner through drinking our favourite beverage... alcohol haha!A half marathon was my first official race, I threw myself into the lions den, finished my first half with virtually zero training plus being a chunky monkey in 2hrs 45mins. Roll...

More Anytime challenge are now available on our website and app!!! Yey!Virtual Running and Fitness Challenges are about motivating people to be active and stay active – anywhere, anytime anyplace! We also wanted to offer you more variety and more exciting challenges than any other virtual running site. So we thought, why limit you lovely ...

Take a look at September's issue of Runners World! An interesting article about virtual running – quoting MedalMad's very own CEO Mike Squire! Nice to read the positive comments about MedalMad. We love what we do here and will keep inspiring and motivating you all to achieve you fitness goals by bringing you amazing bling and exciting challeng...