Virtual sporting company Raramuri is hosting the world’s first-ever marathon in the metaverse, where participants can earn digital rewards for running in real life (IRL). The event will take place on June 2, with this year’s annual Global Running Day to be built on the KardiaChain blockchain in what the company is calling its first “run-to-earn event”.
The in-browser event will host 500 registered participants who will run 26.2 miles (42km) IRL and will be traced using their mobile phones or watches. The race data will correspond to an avatar progressing through Raramuri’s virtual course.
According to Raramuri’s website:
The Metaverse Marathon, the first hybrid race of its kind, allows you to focus on what you love and do best in the physical world: RUNNING, while greatly enhancing your experience with the shared metaverse.
The company added that physical marathons hold so many logistical boxes to check that they are currently not accessible to a lot of people. The aim of this race is to bring people from around the world together to run in their home towns, all connected by their course.
The race will be coordinated in such a way that spectators can line the virtual course’s track and support their favourite runners by emoting a thumbs up or sending NFTs (non-fungible tokens) to their wallets as they run by in a watch-to-earn incentive model. Whenever a runner passes a competitor, their phone will buzz. Participants are also encouraged to dress their avatars in costumes showcasing their style, cause or inspiration to make the race more theatrical and interesting.
The metaverse has opened up a world of opportunities, but one Twitter user questioned why participating in a marathon would be the first thing to do:
You can do anything in the metaverse and you choose a run
— Crypto Predictor (@Predictioncrypt) January 31, 2022
KardiaChain Set to Run Backend Operations
The project’s backend is built on the KardiaChain blockchain. Runners who complete the marathon will be rewarded with a digital asset – an NFT to commemorate their experience, which will feature their race times and grant them early access to future marathon registrations. Participants will own their NFTs and have their race information permanently recorded on the blockchain.
To sign up, visit the Raramuri website for further details.
As the metaverse continues to expand and more companies move into the space, various projects have embraced the innovative platform as a means of hosting. A new project called Animal Concerts is building a virtual touring company to host virtual live music events in the metaverse.
While the everyday person becomes accustomed to the idea of the metaverse, tech companies are accelerating their moves into the space. Microsoft, for example, is set on acquiring gaming giant Activision Blizzard for a whopping US$69 billion as part of its plan.
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