Race Against the Pros: Introducing NYRR's Virtual Racing Team

Ahead of Global Running Day, NYRR is excited to announce the first NYRR Virtual Racing Team!

This group of five accomplished professional athletes from around the world will be participating in a number of NYRR Virtual Races throughout the year, beginning with this week’s NYRR Virtual Global Running Day 1M. And you can join these top running stars—and race against them virtually—by signing up for some of our virtual races.

Introducing the full team:

Jenny Simpson

Since 2011, Jenny Simpson has competed annually in the thrilling New Balance 5th Avenue Mile, and is a seven-time winner of the event, having broken the tape in 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018.

She is also the Ambassador and Special Advisor to Rising New York Road Runners, the organization's free youth running program. The New Balance athlete also claimed bronze over 1500 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Sara Dossena

Former duathlon and triathlon champion turned marathoner, Sara Dossena finished sixth in her 26.2-mile debut at the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon in a time of 2:29:39.

After turning her attention full-time to running, she claimed gold in the half-marathon at the 2018 Mediterranean Games. Dossena also won three national championships at 10,000 meters, 10K, and cross country.

Callum Hawkins

Scotland’s Callum Hawkins is the all-time Great Britain number two at half-marathon distance. He is the 2016 winner, and course record holder, of the Great Scottish Run. 

In 2016, Hawkins ran a 2:10:52 at the London Marathon, which earned him a place at the 2016 Rio OIympics, where he finished ninth.

He set a new half-marathon for a Scottish runner in 2017 when he won the Kagawa Marugame Half-Marathon in 1:00:00. 

Stepping down a couple of distances and competing in the NYRR Global Running Day Virtual 1M from 1-9 June! If you want a race come at me Braaah https://t.co/s99TXSxe3R #NYRRVirtualRacing #GlobalRunningDay

— Callum Hawkins (@callhawk) May 31, 2019

Des Linden

In April 2018, Des Linden ran a 2:39:54 to become the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon open division in 33 years. 

Linden finally broke through after seven top-five finishes in Abbott World Marathon Majors. And she did it in terrible weather conditions that people still talk about today.

Most recently, Linden was one of four American women to finish in the top 10 at the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon, taking sixth place in 2:27:51.

In 2016, she served as a Grand Marshal of the TCS New York City Marathon as a member of the U.S. Olympic Marathon Team. In 2017, the day prior to the marathon, she set a personal best of 16:04 in Central Park at the Abbott Dash to the Finish Line 5K, which served as the USATF 5K Championships.

🚨BREAKING🚨

I’ll be dropping way down in distance and joining people from all over the world in running the #NYRRVirtualRacing #GlobalRunningDay 1M from June 1-9. Join me for free at https://t.co/OsR8UuPFWK#youvechanged

— des_linden (@des_linden) May 31, 2019

Scott Fauble

Scott Fauble made his TCS New York City Marathon in November debut to finish off what was a very successful 2018 campaign. He was the second top American men's finisher, taking seventh overall in 2:12:28.

And he continued his rich run of form in 2019, where he was the top American male in the Boston Marathon, running a personal best of 2:09:09, finishing seventh.

Fauble uploaded his race to Strava, which might just be the fastest marathon ever uploaded to the platform.

In 2018, Fauble also recorded a fifth-place finish at the United Airlines NYC Half before taking second at both the USATF 25K Championships and the Falmouth Road Race.