INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY VIRTUAL RACE 2026

Celebrate Cats, Complete Your Miles & Help Animals in Need

Calling all cat lovers!

Celebrate your favorite feline with the International Cat Day Virtual Race, a fun virtual running and walking challenge created for cat moms, cat dads, runners, walkers, animal lovers, rescue supporters, and anyone who knows that life is simply better with cats.

International Cat Day is August 8, and we're celebrating with our 9th Annual International Cat Day Virtual Race!

Choose a 1 Mile, 5K, 10K, Half Marathon, or Marathon, complete your miles anywhere you choose during 2026, and earn a colorful collectible International Cat Day finisher medal.

Your cat can join the adventure—or supervise from the couch. We know how cats work.

Your race. Your pace. Your favorite feline.

CHOOSE YOUR DISTANCE

1 Mile • 5K • 10K • Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) • Marathon (26.2 Miles)

🐱 Celebrate International Cat Day
🏅 Collectible International Cat Day finisher medal
🎽 Race bib included
🏃 Run, walk, jog, or hike
📍 Complete your virtual race anywhere
📅 Complete anytime during 2026
👟 Five distances for all fitness levels
❤️ At least 15% of every registration donated to Best Friends Animal Society
🌎 Join a community that has helped raise more than $1 million for charities and nonprofit organizations

A VIRTUAL RACE FOR CAT LOVERS

Cats have a special way of making life better.

They curl up beside us when we need comfort, make us laugh with their ridiculous personalities, claim every empty cardboard box as their own, and somehow always know exactly when we're trying to use the computer.

The International Cat Day Virtual Race gives you a fun way to celebrate the cat—or cats—who have made your life brighter.

Walk a mile in honor of your favorite feline.

Take on your first virtual 5K.

Challenge yourself to a 10K.

Or complete a half marathon or marathon for a cat who holds a special place in your heart.

Your cat doesn't actually have to participate.

Complete your miles in honor of your current cat, a rescue cat, a beloved pet you still carry in your heart, or simply because you're a proud cat lover.

Every mile is a reason to celebrate our feline friends.

EARN YOUR INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY FINISHER MEDAL

Complete your challenge and celebrate with your collectible International Cat Day Virtual Race finisher medal.

Your registration includes:

• International Cat Day finisher medal
• Race bib
• Your choice of five distances
• The opportunity to submit your race results
• A donation to Best Friends Animal Society

Medals and race bibs typically ship within 2–5 business days after registration.

Display your medal as a fun reminder of your accomplishment and the feline friend who inspired your miles.

HOW DOES THE INTERNATIONAL CAT DAY VIRTUAL RACE WORK?

1. CHOOSE YOUR DISTANCE

Select:

1 Mile | 5K | 10K | Half Marathon | Marathon

Choose the distance that's right for you.

2. COMPLETE YOUR MILES

Run, walk, jog, or hike anywhere you choose.

Complete your virtual race:

• Around your neighborhood
• At a local park
• On your favorite trail
• At the gym
• On a treadmill
• On a running track
• During another organized race

Complete your distance all at once or spread your miles over multiple days.

There is no required pace and no crowded starting line.

You choose the course. You choose the pace. You create the finish line.

3. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

Use your favorite running app, smartwatch, fitness tracker, treadmill, or another method to track your distance and time.

4. CELEBRATE YOUR FINISH

Submit your results and celebrate your accomplishment with your International Cat Day medal.

Your cat will probably remain unimpressed.

We won't.

RUN OR WALK TO HELP HOMELESS ANIMALS

Your miles can make a difference for animals in need.

At least 15% of every International Cat Day Virtual Race registration is donated to Best Friends Animal Society, helping support its work on behalf of homeless pets.

That means your virtual 5K, walking challenge, 10K, half marathon, or marathon can be about more than earning a medal.

You're celebrating the cats you love while helping support animals still waiting to find families of their own.

Celebrate your cat. Complete your miles. Help another animal find hope.

MORE THAN $1 MILLION RAISED FOR CHARITY

When you register for the International Cat Day Virtual Race, you're also becoming part of something much bigger.

Since 2013, the Virtual Run Events community has helped raise more than $1 million for charities and nonprofit organizations.

Every registration adds to that impact.

Every race gives us another opportunity to support a meaningful cause.

And every participant becomes part of a community using running, walking, and fitness challenges to do a little more good in the world.

Move your body. Celebrate something you love. Make your miles matter.

THE PURR-FECT GIFT FOR A CAT LOVER

Looking for a unique gift for someone whose camera roll is approximately 97% cat photos?

The International Cat Day Virtual Race makes a fun gift for:

• Cat moms
• Cat dads
• Runners and walkers
• Rescue cat families
• Animal lovers
• Veterinary professionals
• Animal shelter volunteers
• Anyone completely obsessed with their cat

Instead of another coffee mug, give them a fun challenge, an experience, and a medal they can proudly display.

WHAT IS A VIRTUAL RACE?

A virtual race is a running or walking challenge you complete on your own schedule from virtually anywhere.

There is no required starting line.

No crowded race morning.

No minimum pace.

Walk your neighborhood.

Run your favorite trail.

Use a treadmill.

Complete your miles alone or invite other cat lovers to participate with you.

Virtual races are perfect for beginners, walkers, experienced runners, busy schedules, and anyone who loves the motivation of completing a race without having to travel to an in-person event.

Your race. Your pace. Your finish line.

SAVE 30% AS A VIP MEMBER

Love virtual races and collecting finisher medals?

Become a Virtual Run Events VIP Member for just $5 per month and save 30% on all orders for as long as your membership remains active.

With new virtual races added regularly, VIP membership is a great way to save while taking on new challenges and adding more medals to your collection.

Become a VIP Member & Save 30% on Every Order

CELEBRATE YOUR FAVORITE FELINE

Your cat doesn't care whether you run a six-minute mile or walk the entire thing.

Honestly, your cat may not care that you're doing this race at all.

But that's part of why we love them.

Choose your challenge:

1 Mile. 5K. 10K. Half Marathon. Marathon.

Lace up your shoes.

Complete your miles.

Earn your medal.

Help animals in need.

And celebrate the cats who make our lives happier, funnier, and considerably more covered in fur.

Happy International Cat Day!