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On September 23rd, 1806, Lewis & Clark and their Corps of Discovery returned to St. Louis via the Missouri River after completing a 2 year, 4 month, and 10 day trek to set the stage for westward expansion. Beginning on September 23rd, Run the Missouri: The Return Journey is a virtual running and walking challenge that follows their journey back across the state of Missouri.
Virtually traveling along the south bank of the Missouri River from Kansas City to the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, you'll traverse up to 318 miles of the Lewis & Clark National Historic Driving Route. To commemorate your personal expedition you'll receive by mail your choice of a baseball tee, long-sleeve vintage-style thermal tee, or a hooded sweatshirt (thermal and hooded sweatshirts have a small upgrade fee). Complete the entire journey by the end of January and you'll receive a custom finishers medal, too!
You don't have to be a tech wizard to participate; you'll receive instructions on how to log your miles and view your progress on the web or via the mobile app. Every time you log a journey into the Run the Missouri online system you will see your location along the virtual course (complete with street view images!) and your position on the mileage leaderboard.
Register now and join us for this unique and motivating virtual event! A portion of your registration will be donated to the Missouri History Museum.
Registration fees
Run the Missouri - The Return Journey Closed
Online registration closed-
A 318 mile virtual challenge from Kansas City to St. Louis running from September 23rd through January 31st. All registrants will receive a commemorative shirt, and a finishers medal upon completion. Instructions on how to log your miles will be sent out in the days prior to the challenge starting on September 23rd.
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$50.00Aug 5 – Sep 22
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$55.00Sep 23 – Oct 14
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$60.00Oct 15 – Nov 29
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FAQs
When does this challenge take place?
Run the Missouri officially kicks off on September 23rd to honor Lewis & Clark's return to St. Louis after their expedition out west. You have until January 31st to complete the 318 miles.
How does it work?
Log any miles you travel on foot (running, walking, hiking, etc) starting September 23rd and try and cover 318 miles before January 31st. Every time you log a run or walk, you'll be able to see where you would be along the virtual race course, including the ability to load the street view of your current location along the route, as well as a leaderboard so you can see your friends and rivals progress each day. All registrants will receive detailed instructions on how to log their miles and where to view the map with progress. There will even be a mobile app!
How many miles are needed per day to achieve this?
The course is 318 miles long over 130 days, which averages 2.45 miles per day, or approximately 17 miles per week.
What if I’m not done with the first Run the Missouri?
Any miles done September 23rd and on will count towards both journeys. You do not have to complete the first journey before starting the Return Journey.
How do I log my miles?
We are partnering with a program called My Virtual Mission, where you can either manually enter your mileage, or link to accounts like Strava, Runkeeper or MapMyRun, etc to automatically sync with the challenge. All registered participants will get an email with instructions on how to join the site, which will go out the week before the challenge begins on September 23rd. *Note for past Run the Missouri Participants - We will no longer sync Apple devices directly, and are no longer counting "steps". All activities must be a "purposeful" walk, run, hike, etc. We recommend Apple and Garmin users sync their devices with Strava, and then link their Strava account with My Virtual Mission.
Does this benefit a charity?
We have partnered with the Missouri Historical Society for this event, and a portion of every registration will be donated to MHS. This support enables MHS to provide world-class exhibits at the Missouri History Museum and Soldiers Memorial Military Museum, outstanding community and educational programs, and access to important research through the Library and Research Center - opportunities that are free of charge and open to all.
When will I receive my shirt?
We will order/ship shirts every 2 weeks, so you should receive your shirt within 3-4 weeks of your registration date. You will receive a shipping notification with tracking info once the shirt has been shipped. If more than 4 weeks have passed and you have not received your shirt, please email jake@fleetfeetstlouis.com.
Is there swag/awards?
All registrants will have their choice of a 3/4 baseball tee, or they can upgrade to a vintage long sleeve thermal, or a raglan hooded sweatshirt for an additional fee. All finishers will receive a custom finisher's medal commemorating your accomplishment. During registration, you can either choose to pick your medal up at a Fleet Feet St. Louis location, or pay $5 to have it shipped to you. We will start distributing medals in November to those who finish the challenge before then, and then each week we'll contact all finishers from the prior week to coordinate their medal pickup (we will also ship medals weekly). Bragging rights and respect will go to those who finish it the fastest.
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Special Gift for Returning Participants
For those who completed the original Run the Missouri Expedition AND complete the Return Journey, you will receive a custom map featuring both routes, to commemorate your accomplishment. Distribution details are TBD.
I have a question not covered here.
If you have additional questions about anything related to the event, please email jake@fleetfeetstlouis.com
Contact information
- Event contact
- Jake Goldsborough
- Phone
- 6366751546
