Turn your sun-soaked, humid miles into a collective 5 million-mile goal. We crushed it last year, and we can do it again.
(Photo: Pixdeluxe/Getty)
Published on June 21, 2026 03:00 am
If you haven’t already noticed, it’s hot. Hot as the devil’s armpit. Although I love summer, running in the heat isn’t particularly my favorite. I do it anyway because running is sanity for me. I’m always happy when I’m done and I know it Science says I’ll get stronger as I adapt to the heat Come fall, that’s when I can really enjoy all my miles again.
Happily, I have more motivation than my stupid mental health and cold temperature promises because this year, I’m indulging in mapmyran million mile summer.
It’s the perfect way to start the warm-weather race, and it starts today, June 21, 2026. The mission is simple. Together, we cover 5 million miles. Running, walking, climbing, crawling – whatever. This is a surefire way to stay accountable and join in on one of the biggest running challenges. And get this: All you have to do is cover a total of 30 miles by September 22, 2026.
Why a collective goal can improve your race?
For many of us, challenges are a great way to stay accountable and enjoy running, but this one is particularly effective, and there’s research to prove it.
A 2016 study Investigated whether social support improved running performance. It measured speed, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and enjoyment of runners training together. It found that speed was unaffected, but running together increased pleasure levels and reduced RPE.
it 2022 study Something similar was tested – essentially pairing runners up and making sure they had a sports partner or co-runner to motivate them to train. Call it an accountability buddy, but reliance on another runner made it more likely that runner would make it to the start line.
Of course, we’re not all getting to go racing in real life (wouldn’t that be wonderful?), but there’s a special kind of human connection built into this challenge. We are counting on each other to hit a target. We are all lining up at our respective starting lines each day. and instead anxiety-provoking leaderboard, It’s simply about runners covering the individual miles they want.
Last year, participants met the goal by collectively driving 8.5 million miles. Maybe this year we’ll reach 10 million miles. A great race like this is going on right now—even on Just a platform and a challengeWe have the potential to run around the Earth about 400 times.
So this is it. No purchase necessary. Just you, your miles, and a community of people who are all moving toward the same number.
Count Your Miles: Training Plans for Summer
If you’re going to run this summer anyway, why not work toward a bigger running goal? This is the perfect opportunity to choose the distance to conquer and we have plans to get you there.
Whether you’re running a fast 10km, preparing for your first 13.1, or chasing a sub-2:00 half, there’s a plan for you:
New workouts all summer long
Not training for a race? No problem. If you already have plans but want to change up your routine, we’ve got you covered too.
Throughout the summer, we’ll continue with new workouts every week. Here’s what to look for:
- june: Five specific track workouts adapted for real-world runners, written by elite runner and coach Linsday Flanagan. check them out here.
- july: Hiruni Vijayaratne’s five classic track workouts my olympic coach.
- In august, We’ll be releasing cross-country-inspired workouts to make you feel like a kid again.
