Chocks away for the Virtual Spitfire 10K race!

Date:   29 August – 15 September 2020

Cost:   Standard entry - £22.50

Discounted entry - £20.50 (Armed Forces Community including Veterans, Personnel and Cadets)

Family Run entry - £10.00

(booking fee applies, additional fees apply for entries from abroad)

The popular Spitfire 10K held annually at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford and London is going virtual this year! 

The RAF Museum starts the Battle of Britain commemorations with the annual Spitfire 10K event, but in a slightly different format.  Ordinarily, the event would see runners racing across the airfield at Cosford and through the streets of north London, but with the health and wellbeing of participants in mind, organisers are making the 2020 Spitfire 10K event a virtual one and online applications are now open.

Participants of the Virtual Spitfire 10K are invited to join others in a virtual race across the country over the August bank holiday at 10.00am on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, the original race days, for the real race experience. Trophies and prizes are up for grabs, and runners who submit their times will appear on the leader board.  

Or, why not complete the 10K at a more leisurely pace and tailor the racing experience to fit your schedule and ability, by splitting the distance into a few runs or walks. The virtual race gives participants the opportunity to complete the 10K any time between the 29 August and 15 September, wherever and however they want – running, cycling, rowing, or even walking the dog!

The Virtual Spitfire 10K challenge will end on 15 September, the 80^th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.  Participants will then be rewarded with one of the highly sought after 2020 Spitfire 10K medals, an absolute must for any runner’s medal collection!

The Museum is delighted to announced that the “RAF Spitfires” (RAF Rugby 7s Team) will be taking part in the Spitfire 10K. The team members will be running the race, raising funds for the RAF Museum and will be sharing their tips and tricks on how to get ready for the race with other runners on social media.

Any families with younger children who would like to join in the fun can sign up for the Spitfire Family Run, a shorter 1km race suitable for all ages, and participants will be rewarded with a medal upon completion.

RAF Museum Public Events Manager, Ulrike Stuebner said:

“It’s great to see that more than 1,000 runners have decided to support the RAF Museum by transferring their entry from the physical race to the virtual challenge.  We’ve also had more than 500 new sign ups since tickets opened and there is still plenty of time for people to register.  The great thing about the virtual race is that it can be completed anywhere, and participants will each receive one of our spectacular bespoke medals, which are guaranteed to be popular.  Some exciting new additions for the virtual race include a Spitfire 10K Facebook community group, where you can read tips to motivate yourself to get moving, share photos, running routes, hikes and dog walks, it’s a great opportunity to talk to like-minded runners.  We also have a brand-new technical running t-shirt and vest again this year, and have created a running playlist to help keep you motivated when completing the 10K.”

The Spitfire 10K is held to commemorate the Battle of Britain and the Royal Air Force personnel who defended Britain’s skies during the summer of 1940.  Participants will each receive a roll of honour card with the name of a Battle of Britain Pilot to wear as they complete their 10K, sharing the story of those who served in this pivotal aerial campaign with a new generation.

Help us honour those who defended our skies during the Battle of Britain by fundraising for the RAF Museum and pledging to raise £80 for the 80th anniversary and receive your race day t-shirt for free. 

Spitfire technical t-shirts (£10.00), running vests (£12.00) and cotton family run t-shirts (£5.00) can be purchased when registering for the Virtual Spitfire 10K. If purchased before the 1 August, t-shirts will be posted with the race packs, all purchases after this date and overseas participants will receive their t-shirts with their medal.

All those who enter the virtual race will get a head start for the 2021 Spitfire 10K by receiving advanced notice of the race entry details at both museums. 

Register for the Spitfire 10K Virtual race online at rafmuseum.org.  Entry costs £22.50 per person (UK entries), a discounted rate of £20.50 is available for the Armed Forces Community.  A booking fee and additional fees for entries from abroad will apply.  All proceeds from the event will go towards the RAF Museum, registered charity number 244708.

The Museum is now open daily with a range of measures in place to ensure a safe and great day out for the whole family.  While still offering FREE entry to all, visitors are kindly asked to pre-book their arrival time online at rafmuseum.org.