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VIRTUAL RUNNING CHALLENGE - START ANY TIME
OPEN UNTIL THE END OF 2026
CATHERINE OF ARAGON
99 MILES OF DISMISSAL
Follow in Catherine of Aragon's footsteps, on the route that she took after she was dismissed as queen. This epic virtual running and walking challenge will take you on a 99 mile odyssey, through the last, turbulent years of her life.
Every time you complete a walking or running activity, you'll advance along the virtual map between More and Kimbolton Castle, unlocking podcasts and postcards from Catherine at milestones along the route.
Earn beautiful bling, stay focused and make your miles more fun. Run or walk the 99 miles, choose to complete it in 2, 4, 6 or 8 weeks and sign up today.
EARN BEAUTIFUL BLING
Celebrate your achievement with a beautiful limited edition Catherine of Aragon medal. Exclusively designed for this event, with lots of special touches for history-lovers.
Medals will be sent to you after you've completed the event and are bound to stand out in your collection.
GET THE WHOLE SET
Catherine of Aragon's 99 Miles of Dismissal is the first in a series of 6 events dedicated to Henry VIII's Wives.
All the medals fit together beautifully to form a set. Do you have what it takes to do them all and earn all 6 plus the Finisher's Coin?
UNRAVEL FASCINATING HISTORY AS YOU GO
This challenge tells the story of Catherine of Aragon after her 24-year marriage to Henry.
History tells us a lot about Catherine's time as Queen, and the overlap with Anne Boleyn. But then the narrative tends to follow Henry and Anne, leaving the last years of Catherine less well known.
Over the 99 miles you'll learn about how this courageous woman held her head high as she was banished from castle to castle, starting with More, stopping at Hatfield, Enfield, Ampthill, Buckden and ending at Kimbolton where she died.
For those who have already signed up
HOW DOES IT WORK?
We've partnered up with My Virtual Mission for this event so your whole journey is managed through their amazing tech platform - available through their website and in an easy-to-use app.
RUN OR WALK
Wherever you are in the world, complete a running or walking activity - whatever distance you like. Measure it using a GPS tracking device or take a photo of your treadmill screen. Lots of people have fancy GPS watches but there are plenty of free apps (e.g. Strava) that you can download on your phone that work just as well.
LOG YOUR ACTIVITY AND MOVE ALONG THE VIRTUAL MAP
Once this activity is logged in the My Virtual Mission app, you'll see your figure move along the virtual map. You can set it to automatically sync to some apps, or manually upload a photo of your GPS evidence in seconds. This journey tracks the movements of Catherine of Aragon in the last years of her life. We pick up her movements at The More in 1531 which is the start of the virtual map and then follow her to each place that she stayed (Hatfield, Enfield, Ampthill, Buckden) until her death at Kimbolton.
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UNLOCK PODCASTS AND POSTCARDS
When you reach certain places along the map, you'll unlock a postcard or podcast to tell you more about her time there. For example, Hatfield is the first stop along the route, so after you've logged 18 miles, you'll get a postcard. This will appear in the My Virtual Mission app/website and you'll also receive it by email. Along the 99 miles, you'll unlock 3 podcasts and 5 postcads.
SEE YOU ON STREET VIEW
At any time in your journey, you'll be able to check out your virtual surroundings on street view. You might even bump into someone with a matching Tudor hood! We've created Tudor hoods so that you can change your profile pic and channel your inner Catherine - just for fun!
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH OUR AMAZING COMMUNITY
The Secret London Runs Connect Facebook group is full of like-minded walkers and runners. Come join us and share the fun.
EARN YOUR MEDAL
Once you go over the finish-line we'll send you your medal in the post to celebrate your 99 mile journey. This is the first of a 6-medal set, each dedicated to a different Tudor queen. Collect them all and earn a beautiful finisher's centrepiece too.
PRICING
£24.95 or £28.95 with a buff
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Motivation and accountability for 99 miles
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Unique medals with original illustrations
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Unlock loads of history along the route via postcards and podcasts
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Access to the "My Virtual Mission" platform for race mapping, tracking and street view, and synced activity uploads.
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Choose your timeframe - set a how for how long you want to take to complete the challenge.
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Take part anywhere in the world and join our amazing community in the Secret London Runs Connect Facebook group.
SEASON PASSES
Sign up Queen by Queen or get a great deal when you sign up for all your challenges together. The 5 Queen option is for those who have already completed the Catherine of Aragon Challenge.
THANK YOU
FOR THE AMAZING FEEDBACK SO FAR
"I am really enjoying Catherine of Aragon and cannot wait for the rest of the queen challenges. I've done quite a few virtual runs now, but this is the first one I've done where I feel like I'm not doing it completely on my own."
ALISON DRANSFIELD
"Really enjoying the Catherine of Aragon challenge. The perfect combination of two of my favourite things; history and running. History has so often been written by men, about men, so it’s great to find out more about the women behind Henry VIII and their journeys. Looking forward to discovering lots of fun facts about the other 5 Queens too over the course of the year!"
JOANNA CRAIG
"The Catherine of Aragon / Six Wives Challenge transcends all virtual runs - as does the stunning medal. From day one I learnt so much as it's a fascinating history lesson on the hoof. A lot of it took place around an area I'd lived in for years, and I had no idea about a fraction of the information which I unlocked en-route via the postcards and podcasts. I can't wait to run with the other 5 wives and the lovely Secret London Runs community of runners."
HELEN MAZA
"The podcasts are amazing!!!"
RUTH PATEL
"I loved the Catherine of Aragon challenge. Learning more about this amazing Queen and what she went through while virtually walking in her shoes was really inspiring and it’s got me looking forward to the next challenge. The podcasts and postcards which accompanied the route were also a delight."
VICKY HALLAM
Well, I’m 64, I’m overweight and unfit, and I’ve been out walking every day since the challenge started come sun, rain, wind and snow. I gave myself 8 weeks to complete 99 Miles of Dismissal and it looks as if I may do it in exactly half that time. I am so thrilled! I simply could not, and would not, have been able to achieve this without the support from this lovely group"
SHEILA DONNELAN JONES
Podcasts and postcards are unlocked as you move through certain places along the virtual map (triggered by your mileage total). You'll receive a pop up in the My Virtual Mission app/website and an email to celebrate too.
The journey starts at the More. The first time you register an activity (however long or short), you'll get the first podcast. But we also send this to you in the confirmation email when you sign up, in case you're too excited to wait.
Then you unlock postcards at Hatfield (after 15.7 miles) and Enfield (27.4 miles) and then your next podcast at Ampthill (67.2 miles).
Then at 89.8 miles you'll get your final podcast to tell the end of the story and keep you company on the final 10 miles of the journey. Meanwhile, you'll get a postcard at Buckden (93.4 miles) and a final poscard at the end of yours (and Catherine's) journey at 99.8 miles.
THE JOURNEY EXPLAINED
Scroll up from the bottom to see the route
We've teamed up with Voicemap to give you a state of the art, GPS triggered audio tour. Once you've signed up, you'll receive a code that will enable you to access the tour. As soon as you're on the route, the audio guide will direct you through the route with plenty of commentary along the way about the places of interest (big sights and hidden gems) that you see along the way. Take part on a date and time of your choice.
We've teamed up with Voicemap to give you a state of the art, GPS triggered audio tour. Once you've signed up, you'll receive a code that will enable you to access the tour. As soon as you're on the route, the audio guide will direct you through the route with plenty of commentary along the way about the places of interest (big sights and hidden gems) that you see along the way. Take part on a date and time of your choice.
We will ask you to submit your evidence and any pictures that you have taken from your run. You will then have the chance to appear in the Hall of Fame on our website. Of course we also love it when you share pictures to our Instagram and the Secret London Runs Connect Facebook group.
Please don't do this.
You won't have a positive experience - you'll be plugged into the audio (which has lots of commentary about the things you see along the way, as well as the directions) whilst the rest of your group wouldn't. This would be very difficult to manage.
You'll damage our small, family-run business. We have spent a considerable amount of time and money on creating this tour from scratch. The fees for individual entry are fair and help support our operations.
Please don't do this.
You won't have a positive experience - you'll be plugged into the audio (which has lots of commentary about the things you see along the way, as well as the directions) whilst the rest of your group wouldn't. This would be very difficult to manage.
You'll damage our small, family-run business. We have spent a considerable amount of time and money on creating this tour from scratch. The fees for individual entry are fair and help support our operations.
If you sign up before the tour goes live, you'll get the code the day before.
If you sign up afterwards, you'll get the code within 24 hours of signing up.
Please email hello@secretlondonruns.com with any queries on this.
If you sign up before the tour goes live, you'll get the code the day before.
If you sign up afterwards, you'll get the code within 24 hours of signing up.
Please email hello@secretlondonruns.com with any queries on this.
Walking yes, cycling no.
Walking - you will find longer gaps between the commentary, but that will be the only difference.
Cycling - the route is designed to be completed on foot - we reference pavements and road crossings which aren't suitable for cycling. It's also not safe to be plugged into our audio whilst cycling. Plus - it won't properly as you'll travel too quickly, causing the audio to overlap.
Walking yes, cycling no.
Walking - you will find longer gaps between the commentary, but that will be the only difference.
Cycling - the route is designed to be completed on foot - we reference pavements and road crossings which aren't suitable for cycling. It's also not safe to be plugged into our audio whilst cycling. Plus - it won't properly as you'll travel too quickly, causing the audio to overlap.
All fitness levels are welcome. Each tour has a guide pace to keep you in your comfort zone. We operate on a "no one gets left behind basis" which means that we'll always run at the pace of the gentlest person in our lovely group. So please don't be nervous about joining us. But also, don't be afraid of signing up for a merrily medium or festively fast pace and the gentle jingle is often very gentle. There are also walking tours available of the 5k Christmas lights tour.
Unfortunately we do not have a bag drop, especially with the tour starting and ending in different parts of London. Our tours are not races - so we advice packing light and bringing a running backpack for your essentials. If you need to store any items, we recommend using Luggage Hero before you come to your tour.
Your ticket on your phone (we don't need a paper copy), water if you usually run with it. Wear warmer clothes than you usually would for a run of the length of your tour - we will be stopping around the run to for twinkly lights and festive history. Of course, we highly recommend all the Christmas fancy dress.
Yes - children are welcome, as long as they're accompanied by an adult who takes full responsibility for their safety whilst on the tour. Accompanied children are welcome at all our tours, as long as they're comfortable with the guide pace, but we do have 2 Family Special dates for the 5k Christmas lights tour, so you can bring little ones and know there are plenty of others there too.
No! In fact, we created this challenge with the aim of keeping you connected to those you can't be physically with at this time. You could have 5 team mates all based in different continents if you can manage the time difference. We recommend having a WhatsApp group to communicate during the challenge.
You can have teams of 2, 3, 4 or 5 searchers on your team. We'll be giving prizes for each of those categories on the day. Please don't sneak extra people onto your team - we will have ways of detecting this! The price is £19.50 per team, so if you have more people, please just enter another team.
Some treasure hunters prefer not to separate. If that's the case please just count 'searching parties' as players and ensure that all members of each searching party are in each photo.
You'll receive instructions in your confirmation email on how to download our brand new Dash app. In the run up to your Dash, your team captain will receive a unique join code via email to circulate amongst your team mates.
Inputting this join code grants you access to the Dash. You'll be able to have a quick practice before the clock starts.
On the mission your team will take photos of each of the things on the list. And to make sure that you don't sneak extra players in, we'll ask for those photos to include a member of the team (i.e. a selfie).
After 90 minutes, your mission will end and you'll no longer be able to add photos into the app. That's it - your pics will automatically be saved in our system.
Yes - it's £19.50 per team and only the team captain needs to sign up. We know that things can change (especially in times as uncertain as these), so you don't need commitment from your teammates until the day of the event. Your team can consist of 2, 3, 4 or 5 members, so no pressure to fill it up. There are prizes for each of those categories as well. As the team captain, you will be responsible for circulating information to the rest of your teammates. So do make sure you have the right contact details for each of them.
No! In fact, we created this challenge with the aim of keeping you connected to those you can't be physically with at this time. You could have 10 team mates all based in different towns, cities, countries or even continents (if you can manage the time difference).
We recommend having a WhatsApp or text message group to communicate during the challenge and organise which team mates are looking for which items.
On the 23rd October, the Friday before your challenge starts, you will be emailed a private link to your own personal Google Sheet with your mission. This is a super easy way to complete your mission on the go, as well as share it with the other members of your team.
We'll also send you a link to a video telling you more about the Evil Wizard and how you can stop him.
We'll email you a link to your Team Sheet. This is in Google Sheets - so all team members will need to have the free Google Sheets app downloaded. We recommend that you nominate a Team Captain, and ask them to create a WhatsApp group, they add your Team Sheet to the Description in the WhatsApp group - so it's easily accessible for all players.
During the week, you and your team will take photos of each of the items on the list.
Your team will add their photos to the Team Sheet as you go. When the clock stops, at the end of the week (Sunday 1st November at 7pm) you'll no longer be able to add photos to your sheet, and that's it - it will be automatically saved in our system.
Yes - it's £19 per team and only the team captain needs to sign up. We know that things can change (especially in times as uncertain as these), so you don't need commitment from your teammates until the day of the event. As the team captain, you will be responsible for circulating information to the rest of your teammates. So do make sure you have the right contact details for each of them.
Each team member needs a phone with a camera and 4G.
We recommend having a WhatsApp group to share pictures and your progress in the Team Sheet.
Your Team Sheet will be emailed to you on Friday 23rd October. It's how your team will plan their mission and track progress. Here's an example Team Sheet for you to practice with your team around your homes. Please download the free Google Sheets app on your phone to use it - all team members.
Please note that this practice Team Sheet is shared with others - on the day you'll receive one just for your team. If you'd like your own one to practice on, feel free to save a copy or request one from hello@secretlondonruns.com.
No! In fact, we created this challenge with the aim of keeping you connected to those you can't be physically with at this time. You could have 10 team mates all based in different towns, cities, countries or even continents (if you can manage the time difference).
We recommend having a WhatsApp or text message group to communicate during the challenge and organise which team mates are looking for which items.
On the 30th November, the night before your challenge starts, you will be emailed a private link to your own personal Google Sheet with your mission. This is a super easy way to complete your mission on the go, as well as share it with the other members of your team.
We'll also send you a link to a video telling you more about the naughty Christmas Imp and his tricks and - most importantly - how you can save Christmas!
We'll email you a link to your Team Sheet. This is in Google Sheets - so all team members will need to have the free Google Sheets app downloaded. We recommend that you nominate a Team Captain, and ask them to create a WhatsApp group, they add your Team Sheet to the Description in the WhatsApp group - so it's easily accessible for all players.
Throughout December until Christmas Eve, you and your team will take photos of each of the items on the list.
Your team will add their photos to the Team Sheet as you go. When the clock stops, at midnight on Christmas Eve, you'll no longer be able to add photos to your sheet, and that's it - it will be automatically saved in our system.
Yes - it's £21 per team (Earlybird prices) and only the team captain needs to sign up. We know that things can change (especially in times as uncertain as these), so you don't need commitment from your teammates until the day of the event. As the team captain, you will be responsible for circulating information to the rest of your teammates. So do make sure you have the right contact details for each of them.
Each team member needs a phone with a camera and 4G.
We recommend having a WhatsApp group to share pictures and your progress in the Team Sheet.
Your Team Sheet will be emailed to you on Monday 30th November. It's how your team will plan their mission and track progress. Here's an example Team Sheet for you to practice with your team around your homes. Please download the free Google Sheets app on your phone to use it - all team members.
Please note that this practice Team Sheet is shared with others - on the day you'll receive one just for your team. If you'd like your own one to practice on, feel free to save a copy or request one from hello@secretlondonruns.com.
No! In fact, we created this challenge with the aim of keeping you connected to those you can't be physically with at this time. You could have 5 team mates all based in different continents if you can manage the time difference. We recommend having a WhatsApp group to communicate during the challenge.
You can have teams of 2, 3, 4 or 5 people participate. We'll be giving prizes for each of those categories on the day. Please don't sneak extra people onto your team - we will have ways of detecting this! The price is an accessible £14 per team, so if you have more people, please just enter another team.
Before the event, you'll get an email with a link to a video conference (we use Google Meet) - your task master will tell you more about the rules of the game and give you your list of 60 items to find out on the streets between your team. At the end of the briefing, you'll receive that list via email too along with your Team Sheet.
At the end of the briefing, we'll email your team captain a link to your Team Sheet. This is in Google Sheets - so all team members will need to have the free Google Sheets app downloaded. We recommend that the Team Captain adds their Team Sheet to the Description in the WhatsApp group - so it's easily accessible for all players.
On the mission your team will take photos of each of the 60 things on the list. And to make sure that you don't sneak extra players in, we'll ask for those photos to include a member of the team (i.e. a selfie). Your team will add their photos to the Team Sheet as you go. When the clock stops, you'll no longer be able to add photos to your sheet, and that's it - it will be automatically saved in our system.
Yes - it's £19 per team and only the team captain needs to sign up. We know that things can change (especially in times as uncertain as these), so you don't need commitment from your teammates until the day of the event. Your team can consist of 2, 3, 4 or 5 members, so no pressure to fill it up. There are prizes for each of those categories as well. As the team captain, you will be responsible for circulating information to the rest of your teammates. So do make sure you have the right contact details for each of them.
Each team member needs a phone with a camera and 4G.
We recommend having a WhatsApp group to share pictures and progress on the day and the Team Sheet.
Your Team Sheet will be emailed to you at the end of the briefing. It's how your team will plan their mission, track progress and it's how we'll mark your mission. Here's an example Team Sheet for you to practice with your team around your homes. Please download the free Google Sheets app on your phone to use it - all team members. It's really important that all members of your team are comfortable with this on the day.
Please note that this practice Team Sheet is shared with others - on the day you'll receive one just for your team. If you'd like your own one to practice on, feel free to save a copy request one from hello@secretlondonruns.com.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine of Aragon would have taken on her journey of dismissal. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge when you register. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year. So if you fall behind, don't worry!
Our tech partners, My Virtual Mission have recently introduced a feature where you sign up for a timeframe when you join the mission in the app. This allows you to have a goal marker to keep you on track. Unfortunately, if you don't complete the challenge in time for this, they do shut you out. But all you need to do (on a desktop device) is find the mission and then select 'Mission Control' and 'Set Timeframe' and then extend. Or email support@myvirtualmission.com and ask them to extend the timeframe.
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options to challenge yourself to complete the challenge in 1, 2, 4 or 6 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this ultra distance. Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business. There is an option to sign up and for 5 or 6 queens and get your Finisher's Coin for free.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine of Aragon would have taken on her journey of dismissal. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge in. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year, and you won't get shut off at any point. So if you fall behind, don't worry! The goal is really just for you!
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options from 2 weeks to 8 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this ultra distance. Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. Of course once you’ve created a My Virtual Mission account however, you just need to ‘join the mission’ for each queen as they open. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
We're aiming to release one queen every 2 months this year (but hopefully more regularly)! Each journey takes a lot of research, so we hope you understand. Anne Boelyn will be in March. Each journey is a different distance - and some of the longer ones will incorporate cycling and crosstraining miles.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine of Aragon would have taken on her journey of dismissal. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge in. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year, and you won't get shut off at any point. So if you fall behind, don't worry! The goal is really just for you!
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options from 2 weeks to 8 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this ultra distance. Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. Of course once you’ve created a My Virtual Mission account however, you just need to ‘join the mission’ for each queen as they open. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
We're aiming to release one queen every 2 months this year (but hopefully more regularly)! Each journey takes a lot of research, so we hope you understand. Anne Boelyn will be in March. Each journey is a different distance - and some of the longer ones will incorporate cycling and crosstraining miles.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine of Aragon would have taken on her journey of dismissal. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
What happens if I want to change the time frame I do the challenge in?
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge when you register. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year. So if you fall behind, don't worry!
Our tech partners, My Virtual Mission have recently introduced a feature where you sign up for a timeframe when you join the mission in the app. This allows you to have a goal marker to keep you on track. Unfortunately, if you don't complete the challenge in time for this, they do shut you out. But all you need to do (on a desktop device) is find the mission and then select 'Mission Control' and 'Set Timeframe' and then extend. Or email support@myvirtualmission.com and ask them to extend the timeframe.
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options to challenge yourself to complete the challenge in 2, 4, 6, 8, 16 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this ultra distance. Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business. There is an option to sign up and for 5 or 6 queens and get your Finisher's Coin for free.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Anne of Cleves would have taken on her journey of dismissal. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Anne's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge when you register. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year. So if you fall behind, don't worry!
Our tech partners, My Virtual Mission have recently introduced a feature where you sign up for a timeframe when you join the mission in the app. This allows you to have a goal marker to keep you on track. Unfortunately, if you don't complete the challenge in time for this, they do shut you out. But all you need to do (on a desktop device) is find the mission and then select 'Mission Control' and 'Set Timeframe' and then extend. Or email support@myvirtualmission.com and ask them to extend the timeframe.
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options to challenge yourself to complete the challenge in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 months. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this ultra distance.
Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking, and you can also include cycling, swimming and cross-training activities, and complete the challenge as part of a team of 2 or 3.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business. There is an option to sign up for 4, 5 or 6 queens and get your Finisher's Coin for free.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
You'll be able to team up with one or two other participants to create a team and share the distance (363 miles). Just sign up like normal. If you sign up for your challenges through the registration form in Njuko then there'll be an option to add a team name there. Then our tech partners will create a team for you and your teammates will be able to join in My Virtual Mission. Alternatively, if you're a season pass holder, just email thomas@zentoevent.com and let us know your team name and the names/emails of the other members of your team. If your team name is not on the dropdown list when you go into My Virtual Mission, do not fear. We'll add you through the back-end - just email team@zento.ws.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend. There will be no cut off of pace for the walking options - we'll all finish together regardless of how quickly you're able to walk.
In terms of running tours, Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Tickets are fully refundable until 30th January 2022 - we know how tricky it is to plan things right now.
From February onwards, tickets will not be refundable but you can give/sell them to somebody else.
If we have to cancel the event due to COVID restrictions or a positive COVID result, you are guaranteed a full refund.
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team.
2. Party/Drinks on Friday and Saturday Night
We'll let you know more about this once we know how many people are coming to the festival.
3. Closing Ceremony
More details tbc.
Most of our events are all taking part in the Westminster area to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend.
Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
When sorting out the schedules based on your preferences, we will take a look at your pace and make sure that you're not wildly different to the rest of the pack for your own comfort. This is why we will be asking participants to give us a first and second choice for each session when they book their activities (see question 2 for more information on this).
We hope you understand that, as this is our first festival, we need a little bit of data from those people who sign up to help us firm up the schedule, enabling you to book your activities. For example, we have no idea how many people will want to walk the festival.
We've provided a schedule so you can book your ticket now. This is subject to change based on logistics, but we hope there won't be too many alterations needed to this schedule.
On the 4th July, we'll email everyone who has booked a ticket with a form to book in their activities for each session. When you fill in this form, we'll ask you to give a first and second choice activity for each session. At the end of July, we'll confirm your activities along with a full programme with all the details you'll need for each event on the schedule. And although we hope to give you your first choice, we may revert to your second choice if some tours/paces are over/undersubscribed, or for pacing reasons.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
The majority of events at the festival are in the City of London. This part of London is always like a ghost town (or a big playground!) at the weekends. And it's still very quiet in the week with most people still remote-working.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location
We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team. The location for this event is in the City of London - which is very quiet on Saturday afternoons.
2. The Big Party on Saturday Night
We've hired one venue for private hire for all participants at the festival. Rudds bar is a large venue, with a capacity much bigger than our estimated number of attendees. So we won't all be crammed in. By this time, we hope there will be no restrictions on socialising, but we'll adapt to whatever they throw at us!
3. Gin-ishing Ceremony at the City of London Distillery (Sunday)
This is an inside venue - one of our favourite venues in London, where you can drink with a view of the copper stills. Again, it's a large venue with a bigger capacity than what we expect to fill on the day. If restrictions change, we'll switch to an outdoor venue.
Our events are all taking part in central London to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend.
Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
When sorting out the schedules based on your preferences, we will take a look at your pace and make sure that you're not wildly different to the rest of the pack for your own comfort. This is why we will be asking participants to give us a first and second choice for each session when they book their activities (see question 2 for more information on this).
We hope you understand that, as this is our first festival, we need a little bit of data from those people who sign up to help us firm up the schedule, enabling you to book your activities. For example, we have no idea how many people will want to walk the festival.
We've provided a schedule so you can book your ticket now. This is subject to change based on logistics, but we hope there won't be too many alterations needed to this schedule.
On the 4th July, we'll email everyone who has booked a ticket with a form to book in their activities for each session. When you fill in this form, we'll ask you to give a first and second choice activity for each session. At the end of July, we'll confirm your activities along with a full programme with all the details you'll need for each event on the schedule. And although we hope to give you your first choice, we may revert to your second choice if some tours/paces are over/undersubscribed, or for pacing reasons.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
The majority of events at the festival are in the City of London. This part of London is always like a ghost town (or a big playground!) at the weekends. And it's still very quiet in the week with most people still remote-working.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location
We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team. The location for this event is in the City of London - which is very quiet on Saturday afternoons.
2. The Big Party on Saturday Night
We've hired one venue for private hire for all participants at the festival. Rudds bar is a large venue, with a capacity much bigger than our estimated number of attendees. So we won't all be crammed in. By this time, we hope there will be no restrictions on socialising, but we'll adapt to whatever they throw at us!
3. Gin-ishing Ceremony at the City of London Distillery (Sunday)
This is an inside venue - one of our favourite venues in London, where you can drink with a view of the copper stills. Again, it's a large venue with a bigger capacity than what we expect to fill on the day. If restrictions change, we'll switch to an outdoor venue.
Our events are all taking part in central London to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine Howard would have taken on her journey to her execution. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge when you register. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year. So if you fall behind, don't worry!
Our tech partners, My Virtual Mission have recently introduced a feature where you sign up for a timeframe when you join the mission in the app. This allows you to have a goal marker to keep you on track. Unfortunately, if you don't complete the challenge in time for this, they do shut you out. But all you need to do (on a desktop device) is find the mission and then select 'Mission Control' and 'Set Timeframe' and then extend. Or email support@myvirtualmission.com and ask them to extend the timeframe.
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options to challenge yourself to complete the challenge in 1 or 2 days, or 1, 2 or 3 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this distance.
Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking activities.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business. There is an option to sign up for 4, 5 or 6 queens and get your Finisher's Coin for free.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine of Aragon would have taken on her journey of dismissal. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge when you register. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year. So if you fall behind, don't worry!
Our tech partners, My Virtual Mission have recently introduced a feature where you sign up for a timeframe when you join the mission in the app. This allows you to have a goal marker to keep you on track. Unfortunately, if you don't complete the challenge in time for this, they do shut you out. But all you need to do (on a desktop device) is find the mission and then select 'Mission Control' and 'Set Timeframe' and then extend. Or email support@myvirtualmission.com and ask them to extend the timeframe.
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options from 2 weeks to 8 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this ultra distance. Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. Of course once you’ve created a My Virtual Mission account however, you just need to ‘join the mission’ for each queen as they open. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
We're aiming to release one queen every 2 months this year (but hopefully more regularly)! Each journey takes a lot of research, so we hope you understand. Anne Boelyn will be in March. Each journey is a different distance - and some of the longer ones will incorporate cycling and crosstraining miles.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
You mean could you go to your happy place (that happens to be full of culture) via a new route, on your lunchbreak wearing all the colours of the rainbow?!
No! Each activity needs to be completed in isolation - although we're happy for you to do them back-to-back... e.g. Run a new route and then hold a 2 minute plank.
No. We planned to launch with £5 per ticket but our customers kept asking us to add higher donation amount options. We want this to be accessible to everyone - but we also want you to be able to donate more if you'd like to do that. Every donation is welcome - £5 will do so much good - so please don't be put off by the higher ticket prices.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend. There will be no cut off of pace for the walking options - we'll all finish together regardless of how quickly you're able to walk.
In terms of running tours, Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Tickets are fully refundable until 30th January 2022 - we know how tricky it is to plan things right now.
From February onwards, tickets will not be refundable but you can give/sell them to somebody else.
If we have to cancel the event due to COVID restrictions or a positive COVID result, you are guaranteed a full refund.
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team.
2. Party/Drinks on Friday and Saturday Night
We'll let you know more about this once we know how many people are coming to the festival.
3. Closing Ceremony
More details tbc.
Most of our events are all taking part in the Westminster area to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend. There will be no cut off of pace for the walking options - we'll all finish together regardless of how quickly you're able to walk.
In terms of running tours, Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Tickets are fully refundable until 30th January 2022 - we know how tricky it is to plan things right now.
From February onwards, tickets will not be refundable but you can give/sell them to somebody else.
If we have to cancel the event due to COVID restrictions or a positive COVID result, you are guaranteed a full refund.
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team.
2. Party/Drinks on Friday and Saturday Night
We'll let you know more about this once we know how many people are coming to the festival.
3. Closing Ceremony
More details tbc.
Most of our events are all taking part in the Westminster area to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend. There will be no cut off of pace for the walking options - we'll all finish together regardless of how quickly you're able to walk.
In terms of running tours, Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Tickets are fully refundable until 30th January 2022 - we know how tricky it is to plan things right now.
From February onwards, tickets will not be refundable but you can give/sell them to somebody else.
If we have to cancel the event due to COVID restrictions or a positive COVID result, you are guaranteed a full refund.
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team.
2. Party/Drinks on Friday and Saturday Night
We'll let you know more about this once we know how many people are coming to the festival.
3. Closing Ceremony
More details tbc.
Most of our events are all taking part in the Westminster area to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
At every event time-slot there's a walking option. So you can come and walk for the whole weekend. There will be no cut off of pace for the walking options - we'll all finish together regardless of how quickly you're able to walk.
In terms of running tours, Secret London Runs is not about pace and PBs. We're about exploring London together. We always move at the pace of the gentlest person in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind. But we do find that runners are more comfortable if they are in groups with others of a similar pace. So we will be providing approximate paced groups so that you can join one in your comfort zone.
If there are 2 paces of running group available, we expect there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes)
b) Gentler than 11 minute mile pace (Gentler than 34 minutes for a 5k)
If there are 3 paces of running group available, we expecct there to be:
a) A Sub 11 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in under 34 minutes) b) 11-13 minute mile pace (You're comfortable running 5k in 34-38 minutes)
c) Gentler than 13 minute mile pace (38 minutes for a 5k +)
Other tours are for 'all paces of runner' - if you join one of these paces and you're a confident runner, please expect to run gentler than your usual running pace.
We always run at the pace of the gentlest runner in the group - and we don't leave anyone behind.
I'm afraid that the festival is too sprawled over London for us to provide a bag drop.
We recommend packing light and bringing a small backpack. We do, however, recommend Luggage Heroes, a luggage storage service with locations offered across London.
If you're only coming for the day, but want to shower between the running events and evening social, take a look at RunFriendly - they have a network of showers in London!
Tickets are fully refundable until 30th January 2022 - we know how tricky it is to plan things right now.
From February onwards, tickets will not be refundable but you can give/sell them to somebody else.
If we have to cancel the event due to COVID restrictions or a positive COVID result, you are guaranteed a full refund.
Although we have 150 spaces available at the Secret London Runs festival, each tour is a small event with 10-20 people attending. So it's a series of mini-events, meaning that you won't be in a big group of people whilst you're running.
There are three events where the above does not apply:
1. The 90 Minute Dash On-Location We plan to do the briefing for this team treasure hunt with all teams in the same place. But, if the R rate goes up, or you're uncomfortable, we'll provide a link for you to join virtually. Then each member of each team will be working separately to find as many of the items on the list as they can for their team.
2. Party/Drinks on Friday and Saturday Night
We'll let you know more about this once we know how many people are coming to the festival.
3. Closing Ceremony
More details tbc.
Most of our events are all taking part in the Westminster area to minimise the need for use of public transport.
Your safety is the most important thing for us. Everything that we do will be in line with England Athletics and government guidelines. Please get in touch with vanessa@secretlondonruns.com if you have any concerns.
To run this event we have teamed up with My Virtual Mission to allow you to 'virtually' see the route that Catherine Parr would have taken on her journey in 1547. Once you have created an account and joined the mission you will be able to sync your activity app e.g Strava or Garmin to the platform so it automatically uploads your activities. You will also be able to see yourself moving along the map, and when you reach key milestones on Catherine's journey this will trigger postcards and podcasts so you can learn more about the history of this Tudor Queen.
We want you to do what you feel comfortable with so please choose a realistic time frame to complete your challenge when you register. But we understand that things get in the way. The challenge is actually open all year. So if you fall behind, don't worry!
Our tech partners, My Virtual Mission have recently introduced a feature where you sign up for a timeframe when you join the mission in the app. This allows you to have a goal marker to keep you on track. Unfortunately, if you don't complete the challenge in time for this, they do shut you out. But all you need to do (on a desktop device) is find the mission and then select 'Mission Control' and 'Set Timeframe' and then extend. Or email support@myvirtualmission.com and ask them to extend the timeframe.
Yes of course. When you sign up you can choose how long you think you’ll need to complete the distance. There are options to challenge yourself to complete the challenge in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 weeks. You can do it all in one go if you want to, although we strongly advise against this if you are not well trained to take on this distance.
Most people will break it down into lots of smaller distances and use it to help them keep fit or train for another event. Lots of participants will do a mixture of running and walking activities.
No. Each event is separate and you will need to sign up to each one individually. The entry fee goes towards our tech fees for My Virtual Mission, your unique medal (it included illustration fee because we got the images created especially) and all the historical research and content. We really couldn't price the event any lower and stay in business. There is an option to sign up for 4, 5 or 6 queens and get your Finisher's Coin for free.
You don’t have to sign up for my virtual mission, and you'll still recieve your medal if you decide not to. However the price of your sign up covers the cost of operating all the cool technology which you’ll benefit from as part of this challenge. Tech like being able to see how far along each queen’s journey you are, comparing how you are doing to other participants, receiving the postcards at key milestones, and access to our podcast. Plus we're using My Virtual Mission for evidence uploads. So really, we think it makes sense to sign up so you don’t miss out on the full challenge experience.
In a word...no! Lots of the roads are different now to the 16th century. And although we know details of all the journies we're following, history often doesn't tell us the exact route taken. The important milestones that we highlight on the route are perfectly true to history and we give you as much information as we can about those places.
For this mission you can use any app or watch that records distance - or photos of your treadmill screen. The My Virtual Mission platform - who we are partnering up with for this event - allows automatic syncing for the following apps: Apple Health, Strava, Fitbit, Under Armour, Runkeeper and Garmin. But activity from any other apps (or photos from treadmills) can be added manually in a few seconds.
We've teamed up with VoiceMap to give you a state of the art, GPS triggered audio tour. Once you've signed up, you'll receive a code that will enable you to access the tour. As soon as you're on the route, our fantastic audio guide will direct you through our carefully planned 13.1 mile route, adding snippets of history, information and commentary as you progress. Take part on a date and time of your choice!
A half marathon is a very long distance to run in a guided group. We were concerned that offering guided tours would lead to disparate paces within groups, and while this is something that we may explore in future years, this time we decided to keep it simple and stick with the GPS option. The technology is excellent, and the narration is akin to having a guide, with narration all the way round as well as the festive tunes that you are used to from the Christmas Lights tour. And if you are really desperate to share your experience with others, you are welcome to run the half marathon in a group, as long as you have all purchased your own access.
You can complete the half marathon at a time of your choosing, from Sunday 26th November onwards. Although the time of day that you complete it on is completely up to you, some lights are only switched on from 3-4pm when it is dark outside. We would also strongly advise avoiding the first two Saturdays in December if you can, as the route gets extremely busy on these days.
Although there is some overlap between the half marathon and our Classic Christmas Lights tour, our brand new Christmas in the City tour is completely distinct, and can be completed alongside the half marathon without any overlap. Find out more about this year's guided Christmas Lights tours here.
We will ask you to submit your evidence and any pictures that you have taken from your run. You will then have the chance to appear in the Hall of Fame on our website! Of course we also love it when you share pictures to our Instagram and Secret London Runs Connect Facebook Group.
You absolutely can! You will however need to make sure that you have all purchased your own individual access to the tour using VoiceMap, so you can all use the technology. This experience will be similar to a silent disco on the run, as you will all be listening to the same audio and music at the same time.
Although there is nothing stopping you, we would ask that you please do not do this. You will also not have a very positive experience if you attempt to lead the tour in this way. It will be very difficult to manage as your ‘guide’ will need to be plugged into the audio continually while delivering the tour.
We are also a small family run business and have spent a considerable amount of time and money on creating this tour from scratch this year. We are reliant on proceeds from the half marathon to ensure that we are able to fund future Secret London Runs tours and experiences.
You will get access as soon as the half marathon launches on the 26th November 2023. If you need anything, or have any questions in the meantime you can contact us on hello@secretlondonruns.com.
You can certainly walk the route, although it will take quite a long time! You may not cycle the route though - it is designed to be done on foot and it is not safe to be plugged into our audio while cycling. The audio tour will also not work properly if you are cycling as you may travel too quickly and cause overlap with the audio.
Simply follow the instructions on the below link:
https://www.secretlondonruns.com/product-page/christmas-lights-half-marathon
If you are having any problems with entering, please contact us on hello@secretlondonruns.com .
We've teamed up with Voicemap to give you a GPS triggered audio tour. Once you've signed up, you'll receive a code that will enable you to access the tour on Voicemap. As soon as you're on the route, our audio guide will direct you through the route, adding plenty of history along the way. Take part on a date of your choice, between the dates advertised on your tour.