Here are some random facts we will try to stitch together for your entertainment. Lightning bolts can travel at approximately 200,000mph (321,869 kph). The fastest human on the planet is Usain 'Lightning' Bolt, who peaks at 27.8mph (44.74kph). The average 5K parkrun time in the UK is 28:52 (10.4kph). And the longest ever recorded lighting bolt struck over southern Brazil on 31 October 2018 and travelled for around 700kms (435mls)!

So how long would it take the average UK parkrunner to run as far as the longest lightning bolt ever recorded? OK, times up, the answer is...up to a year if you enter Race Pursuit's innovative 700K Lightning Ultimate Challenge in partnership with njuko, GivenGain and My Virtual Mission. 

The actual answer, just in case you were wondering, is 67 hours 21 minutes 20 seconds – did you manage to work that out without a calculator? Neither did our number-crunching correspondent! By comparison, Usain Bolt would take 15 hours 38 minutes 51 seconds, or less if wind-assisted!

So what on Earth is Race Pursuit's 700K Lightning Ultimate Challenge? Basically, it's a long-term virtual challenge designed to bridge the gap towards real-life events as they return. 

Matt Trevett, who launched Race Pursuit in 2016, said: “Virtuals are popping up everywhere now, which is great to get people active and earning awesome medals. But we wanted to go one step further, beyond lock-down and virus talk, and build ours towards the future. Our challenge invites athletes to set a realistic long-term fitness goal to change their lives, whilst also using our connections to help small event organising businesses around the UK attract new runners - we want to keep people moving, well after ‘normality' returns.”

Lightning Ultimate Challenge runners can choose between following the actual track of that record-breaking lightning bolt across Brazil or stay at home and take on a scenic UK route, starting at the Olympic Park and ending in the Brecon Beacons in Wales.

Just a £19 entry fee and the ability to average 2K per day for 365 days will earn you a quality technical running T-shirt; race number; personalised certificate and a really cool mega-medal. In addition, you will gain access to an interactive tracking app that integrates with all your recording devices or manual log, with virtual scenery to check out en-route to your 700K goal.

All entrants will also receive discounts to the 2021 London Lightning Run, sponsored by Toyota & Lexus Woodford, which takes place annually at London's Olympic Park. 

Full details and more inspiring photographs are on the Lightning Run website here