Special was that the athletes were able to run the 5km run in a time window of 24 hours at a place they chose. For the first time the mika:timing tracking & event app was provided for timekeeping. Here the time and distance are measured and evaluated with the help of the GPS signal. For Apple users the times were transmitted very reliably. Unfortunately, in some cases the experience was not as reliable as hoped for on Android devices. This was mainly due to the fact that hardware-specific settings of the mobile phone battery usage stopped the app in the middle of the race or the data was not transmitted properly anymore, so that the app stopped its services or could not be stopped. The Fiedler Concepts team received and responded directly to the corresponding feedback from all athletes, so that their times could be updated immediately. In total, 1,579 women from 24 countries participated in the first Challenge Women Virtual Run powered by GARMIN! A result that is definitely something to be proud of! The athletes rewarded the loving work of the Fiedler Concepts team!

Since the Challenge Women Virtual Run was the first joint virtual event, we were able to conduct the following interview with Monika on Wednesday after the event:

mika:timing: "You’ve had a crazy weekend. How do you feel today, three days later?"

Monika Fiedler: "If I may be honest: I underestimated the interaction with the participants. The virtual connection gave us the feeling of being in 24-hour active - on the mobile phone, laptop, Facebook and Instagram."

mika:timing: "Are you satisfied with the result of the virtual run?"

Monika Fiedler: "Yes. Very much - so many shared pictures, stories, positive impressions and emotions - it was a very special experience."

mika:timing: "What is the feedback from your athletes?"

Monika Fiedler: "The majority of the athletes were absolutely delighted with the attention to detail, the amount of postings and activities we offered around the event."

mika:timing: "What worked particularly well?"

Monika Fiedler: "The fast interaction with all the ladies, even if there were problems with the timing and/or the app."

mika:timing: "What would you do differently in the next virtual run if necessary?"

Monika Fiedler: "We have to offer the women even more support when it comes to using the app. And also show them the possibility of uploading their tracked data themselves via an online service. For some of them, the inhibition threshold against using an app was higher than expected."

mika:timing: "What other exciting projects will you be tackling this year?"

Monika Fiedler: "We are already planning a virtual Women Sport Weekend next weekend, where we will also offer some real courses. This is now allowed because of the loosened corona-restrictions. Here we have courses in many cities in Germany and also a side event in Switzerland and Austria, where the women can participate in hiking, trailrun courses and race bike and MTB rides". (You can find more information about this at www.sportingwomen-weekend.de)

mika:timing: "Would you organize a virtual run again?"

Monika Fiedler: "Yes, definitely. It is also a perfect addition for events where there are only limited starting places - such as Challenge Women Roth. And: we already have new ideas in our heads! But we won't reveal any more today."

mika:timing: "Thank you Monika for your time and for answering our questions. And especially good luck for the Sporting Women weekend!"

We from the mika:timing team are convinced that our joint events will inspire even more female athletes and we will do everything in our power to eliminate the sources of error. We are looking forward to the next joint events with you Monika!