0.0-Mile Instant Gratification Run to Debut in Philly Next Year

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I honestly thought I’d seen it all. Then I received a tweet on Friday afternoon inviting me to check out a new race coming to Philly in February called the Instant Gratification Run. It has all the elements of a traditional road race—a start and finish line, entry bibs, awards for top finishers, commemorative t-shirts—except, er, the mileage. Participants in the Instant Gratification Run will cover exactly 0.0 miles.

Huh?

“The Philly 0.0 was started as a way to bring runners and non-runners together in the middle of winter to enjoy the best part of any running event – THE POST-RACE FESTIVITIES,” the website reads. Co-founder Kathleen Titus explains further: “This is a neat way to sit back and hang out,” she says. “A lot of running events have great post-race activities that non-runners often can’t participate in. This is a great way to blend runners and non-runners, and just have a good time with it.”

The event will begin with the “run” outside of XFinity Live, in which participants will line up behind a starting line, then proceed to step over the finish line. Race: complete. You’ll get an email with your finish time (I know what you’re thinking, and I asked: They won’t actually use chip-timers for the race, but they will have co-founder Todd Strauss’s race-timing company, Mid-Atlantic Timing, send everyone emails congratulating them on their 0:01 finish time), and awards will be handed out for the top male and female finishers. (Again, I know what you’re thinking: These “winners” will be selected at random, so everyone has an equal shot at a prize.)

After the race, the fun gets started inside Xfinity Live, where runners will be treated to a free beer and food, a DJ and live bands. And of course, your entry also comes with the aforementioned custom race bib and long-sleeve t-shirt.

The Philly 0.0 Instant Gratification Run will take place on Friday, February 6th, with the pre-party beginning at 5:30, the simultaneous start/finish at 7:30 and the after party to follow. Entry to the event costs $35, although they’re selling the first 100 tickets for $20. A TBA charity partner will also receive a portion of the proceeds. You can sign up or get more information here.

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