Turn your sun-drenched, humid miles into one collective 5-million-mile goal. We crushed it last year, and we can do it again.
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Published June 21, 2026 03:00AM
If you haven’t noticed already, it’s hot. Like devil’s armpit hot. While I love summer, running in the heat is not particularly my favorite. I do it anyway because running is, to me, sanity. I’m always happy when I finish, and I know that science says adapting to the heat will make me stronger come fall, when I can actually enjoy all my miles again.
Happily, I have more motivation than just my stupid mental health and the promise of cooler temps because this year, I’m joining the MapMyRun Million Mile Summer.
It’s exactly the right way to kick off warm-weather running, and it starts today, June, 21, 2026. The mission is simple. Together, we log 5 million miles. Run, walk, hike, crawl—whatever. It’s a surefire way to stay accountable and join one of the biggest running challenges out there. And get this: all you have to do is log a total of 30 miles by September 22, 2026.
Why a Collective Goal Can Improve Your Running
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 examined whether social support improved running performance. It measured speed, rate of perceived exertion (RPE), and enjoyment among runners training together. It found that speed was unaffected, but running together increased enjoyment levels and reduced RPE.
This 2022 study examined something similar—essentially pairing runners up and ensuring they had a sports partner, or co-runner, to motivate them to train. Call it an accountability buddy, but that reliance on the other runner made it more likely that runners made it to the start line.
Of course, we’re not all meeting in real life to run (wouldn’t that be awesome?), but there is a special kind of human connection built into this challenge. We’re relying on each other to hit a target. We’re all lining up on our individual start lines each day. And instead of anxiety-provoking leaderboards, this is just about runners logging individual miles, however they want.
Last year, participants collectively crushed the goal, logging a solid 8.5 million miles. Maybe this year we’ll get to 10 million miles. That’s how big running is right now—even on just one platform and one challenge, we have the potential to run around the Earth roughly 400 times.
So that’s it. No purchases required. Just you, your miles, and a community of people who are all moving toward the same number.
Make Your Miles Count: Training Plans for the Summer
If you’re going to run this summer anyway, why not work toward a big race goal? This is the perfect opportunity to choose a distance to conquer, and we’ve got the plans to get you there.
Whether you’re running a speedy 10K, gearing up 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’ve already got plans but want to shake up your routine, we’ve got you covered there, too.
All summer, we’ll be dropping new workouts every week. Here’s what to look for:
- June: Five elite track workouts adapted for real-world runners, written by elite runner and coach Linsday Flannagan. Check them out here.
- July: Five classic track workouts from Hiruni Wijayaratne of My Olympic Coach.
- In August, we’ll release cross-country-inspired workouts to make you feel like a kid again.
