Automattic’s Worldwide WP 5k
As Scott mentioned in his How is WordPress.com Made? post, at Automattic we work from all over the world, and we use internal blogs for socializing and exchanging non-work ideas in addition to making WordPress.com and our other products more awesome. One of the things we’re really concerned about is staying healthy – we even have an entire blog dedicated to fitness.
We had a great idea: Get all 80 Automatticians from 62 cities to run/walk a 5k on the same day! This way we can get some exercise together as a company even though we’re apart (though we won’t rule out a softball or Texas scramble at our next meetup).
We want to invite you to join us, WordPress.com users (and self-hosted WP users, too!), in the Worldwide WP 5k – the 5k blogged around the world! The date is approaching, so read on to find out how to participate.
WHAT IT IS: A 5k run/walk (approximately 3.1 miles). You can run, walk, or skip. It’s up to you. There’s no time limit and there’s just one requirement: that you participate! [Updated: You can do it inside or outside, on a treadmill or on a track, or even do a swim or a bike ride instead of running/walking – just get moving!]
It’s roughly equal to:
- 3.1 miles
- 12 laps around a track
- approximately 6000-7500 steps
- approximately 50-60 minutes of brisk walking
WHEN: We’re all busy, but we want you to participate, so we’re giving you some flexibility, too. The WWWP5k is set for Sunday, April 10th, but you can do your walk anytime from April 4th -10th (you’ve got a week to fit it in). Just post about it and use the tag “wwwp5k” so we can find you (and for a chance to be Freshly Pressed). 🙂
WHO: Anyone who’s ever used or loved WordPress (and your families and friends, too).
HOW: You’re welcome to blog your entire route and your preparation (videoblog, perhaps?) but above all we’d love to see where you are and how you’re completing your 5k. Give us a picture of you and what you see when you cross the finish line and tell us your location as you complete your 5k with the rest of the world.
Some tools & suggestions:
- Get a pedometer
- Use http://www.mapmywalk.com/ to chart your course
- Set your car’s odometer to 0, leave your house and drive along a safe course with sidewalks for walking/running, until you reach 1.55 miles (you can loop back the same way), or chart out a 3.1 mile course
If you’re not up to running this year, never fear, you can get started with the Couch to 5k method which several Automatticians like – 9 weeks from couch potato to running a 5k, and be ready to run for next year. But make sure to walk this year – no excuses!
Will you be joining us for the Automattic Worldwide WP 5k?
- March 29, 2011
- Automattic, Community
Will do it in Cambridge, running around green glens, beautiful fields and seriously stressed students. What a FUN idea!!!
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Great idea! I’m in! Terrific to see how WordPress can actually get people off their computer chair and out into the open spaces 🙂
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I’m in! Already planned my route.
Will do so on April 6th in the morning!
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AWESOME!!!!! this is so cool!! I’m in! ;D
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Runners need t-shirts! I would wear out an “Automattic Worldwide 5K” tee.
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Fun. I am going to do it with my 3 kids with special needs. We will have to walk it on 3 different days for a total of a 5K but that works for me. Great idea! susan
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I often walk 5 k……happy to do it with Automattics.
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I’m going to run at midnight on April 4th so I can say I finished first.
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I love this idea. I’ve been looking for an excuse to train for a 5k. I’m in! 😀
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Great idea. I’m definitely taking part. 5km is not a problem as that is my usual exercise rounds. xD
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Excellent idea. We will be in Cumbria on holiday, so likely to be walking anyway – but this is a great objective to make sure we don’t get to the pub too early! Our pub dog will be coming too – will post photos! Beer always tastes better after a walk! Cheers all.
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I’ll be joining you! I also posted about it on my fitness blog to invite my readers.
Kim
The Fitness Moms
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how cool is this!!……….great idea–I’m in……..hope we get lots of feedback from the “HOW” thing……m
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What a great way to motivate people to exercise by challenging everyone do it at once. I’m in, and I now have the perfect topic for my postaweek2011 entry .
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Yes! Great idea and I’ll be walking the Loop for Lupus in Tucson, Arizona. Not up to a run as I need to get in better condition for a run. Also back to the gym! Thanks for the group thing, great idea!
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I’m in, can I ride 100 km instead of running?
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@christianjug – definitely!
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I’ve got a 12K competitive run (my first time) on 10th April. Am hoping that I don’t come in last!
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It ‘s a great idea!
I promise that next April 10 I’ll move a lot: walking, swimming or cycling.
But how will you check!
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I’m in and I think I will try to get my husband to come along as well (he has a wp blog as well).
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I’m in. Just did one on Miami Beach on March 6th. My first; had a blast. For this one, I’ll walk/run around my neighborhood in Coral Springs, FL.
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Great idea! I’m heading to Ho Chi Minh City that weekend and will try to participate and blog about it.
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Count me in! I managed to ask one of my friends to join me walking around the city center of Jakarta, Indonesia. We just downloaded apps to our phones to track the km. We will take pictures for sure! Thanks for this! It’s a great motivation. 🙂
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Hah. My first thought was, “Wow, who’s the really hot author of this blog post?!”
I’ll try and make it with Mel. I’ve never done a walk/run before (beyond Bay to Breakers) and I’ve been running hardcore for years!
Thanks for the post Sara,
Keane
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Too bad I can’t be there with you guys! I expect a lot of blog posts! 🙂
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Count me in! And plenty of time to figure out where to do my 5k!
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I live in Vadodara, Gujarat India. I will be part of it. Love this great idea
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I love this idea 🙂
I will try to get my friends to do the 5k with me. That would be so much fun. But if I can’t get them to do the 5k, then I will just do it on my own, or maybe with my little brother 🙂
I don’t have a pedometer though, but I think can buy one.
I’m excited 🙂
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Great idea/challenge. I’ll be doing a walk/jog combo (I do 30-40 mins most days).
For those out there also in Melbourne Australia, once around the Tan (track around the Royal Botanic Gdns) is 3.8 kms and a great spot to go and do this! – Wikipedia:
The Tan
Royal Botanic Gardens: The National Herbarium of Victoria – founded in 1853There is a 3.8-km running track parallel to the perimeter fence of the Botanic Gardens. Officially termed The Tan Track as it has a surface of tan-coloured stone aggregate, it is more commonly and affectionately known as The Tan.
Miriam
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Great idea, I liked it very much…
I surely go for it along with my better half.
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Another runner who blogs – (running 15 to 25 mi per week since 1985, back when they used to call this “writing”)
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Great idea: Especially for the sedentarism due to the life in a chair (even if with rollers 5 hopefuly) and al those adjustments vertical, horizontal, and oblique. You guys are the best.
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April 10 is my birthday – yay! I’ll actually be in yoga on that day, but am confident I will get in my usual daily 3 miles of walking every day that week as well. Super-cool idea!
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I am planning to participate! I live in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I was injured playing football (soccer) 10 days ago. The doctor in the ER said my ankle was broken, so put a cast on it. Five days later in the OP dept. another Dr., looking at the original x-ray said it is not broke! Tomorrow I go in to have the plaster cast taken off, and checked to see if it is actually broke. The question of course is whether I will be doing the 5 k with or without crutches!
I think this is a great idea.
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Ooohh… will do it. Haha… now I have a reason to buy a pedometer again. 😀
Will probably walk around the city and explore the smaller routes I had never really gone to before 🙂
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I’m so down for this! I will rally the troops!
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Since treadmill counts, I’ll do the treadmill one… count me in…
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This is great. Just as I missed registering for a race on apr 17… looks like i’m going for one a week earlier… I’m in!
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I’m joining this world wide gang of runners, walkers etc. on April 10. Terrific idea to be part of!
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What a Great IDEA!!
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Last question- anyway I can share my RUNKeeper apps result in my blog? This works like a pedometer in my iphone which also tracks the location I want to.
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@pinoyleonardo – feel free to share whatever information you desire on your own blog 🙂
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I’ll be in this. Perth Western Australia needs to be represented. May I suggest a Twitter #WWWP5k so we can update as we go?
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@archie – Yes! Done! See you on, Twitter too – will you be live blogging it? 🙂
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Hi! Been struggling with my first 5 K for some time now…so this comes as a welcome opportunity…
Is there any place to register? or I just need to run and blog about it??
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@pradsword – Just run & blog! So easy 🙂
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i hope to see a bike day next time 🙂
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Nice idea! Will walk with my girlfriend from farmstead “Girele” to the Hill of Crosses in Siauliai, Lithuania and back 🙂 and it will be a good preparation for the walking tour on 30th of April – 1st of May 🙂
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YAY!!! One more who plans on doing this from China!!!! Reward will be…. Dairy Queen!!!! LOL!!!
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I’m in, but I’ll be on my bike. As I’ve been riding 6 miles most days, I’d like to challenge the regular bike riders to do 10k. How ’bout it bikers? Anyone else in Denton TX?
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Just fell and busted open my left knee yesterday…nice timing, huh? Should be better before the 10th. I will do my “Walk It Off!” on my Wii…that counts, right? Of course it does!
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@Louise – it counts, it counts! Get moving 🙂
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Great idea!
See you all at the end of the journey on 11th April!
Thanks WordPress!
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yes, I can run a 5k, this is a great idea! keep up the great work.
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Great idea! I’ll be making a post on April 10th from Zaragoza, Spain. My 5k will be a visit to a nature reserve protecting an ox-bow lake formed by the Ebro River – just in time to view the arrival of some of the world’s most beautiful migrating birds: the purple and grey herons. I also hope to see the returning swallows, alpine swifts, hoopoes, sandpipers, and martins. A full report to come!
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Hey, Automattic, I would like to suggest Endomondo.com instead of http://www.mapmywalk.com/ which requires users to purchase mobile apps. I have been using Endomondo for my runs/walks and I think its awesome!
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Gonna give it a shot!! Anyone in LA want to walk/jog with me?
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These sort of events make me feel so excited! 🙂 I run on a regular basis and I’ll be sure to take a video of one of my early morning jogs! 🙂
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Mountain biking!! or walk whatever I do will be worth its weight in gold!!
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Really cool idea! I’m running the Madrid Marathon on April 17th, so it will be part of my training the next Sunday. Count me in!
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Wow.. excellent idea. I have never walked so much so I may try this time! I will walk here in Ahmedabad, India! Great work…
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Anything that can motivate people to become better versions of themselves — and I’m in.
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Hi, I think this is a great idea, and I am going to join in. I also shared this on my running blog. I will post updates next week.
Andy
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Great idea lets do it!
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Awesome idea! I’ve done runs like this in the past and they’re always a good time. Hope to see lots of walkers and runners.
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Will definitely be doing it! (Plus a few miles…)
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I have supplemented my 5 ks on the exercise bike with periods of static ‘exercise’ on a machine called ‘Crazy Fit’ – the perfect end to a workout, that massages and really shakes you up . . . and it’s also supposed to remove excess flab!
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gonna roll my snooker ball for more than 5 miles! 😀
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Great idea. I am participating from Finland. I walked the first 5 km for WWWP5k yesterday, it was raining. Today the sun is shining, and I just got back from a second 5 km walk. I’ll try to walk some more later this week.
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Must we map our course on http://www.mapmywalk.com ?
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@Jennifer – absolutely not! Just a suggestion. Use whatever tool you want, run on a treadmill, use a track – whatever you prefer.
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Fantastic idea! Not planning on running it, but always looking for a reason to walk a new route up Table Mountain or the Boland and have been wanting to take some pictures for a while now. Great initiative!
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Grazie Sara! Bella iniziativa!
Ops..
Thanks Sara, great challenge!
I run 5k three times a week, so my friday run will be the WWWP5K!
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i’m in. i’m midway through c25k, and should be able to manage a run/walk. i’ll be spending the weekend on the beach in thailand, should make for a lovely finish line pic!
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I have done the run and I feel gooood! 😀 Ty for this idea!
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The baby and I did a 5K walk this evening. Quite enjoyable even with the rain that kept dumping.
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I did it!!!
See my walk on my blog.
Hope everyone enjoyed it as much as I did!
Up to the next time / ww wp walk 😉
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That’s a great idea. Caring about your employees says a lot about a company. Keep it up!
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I’m in! I’ll either do a 5k walk/jog/run or a 10k bike ride. Either way, as long as it isn’t raining, I’m so there!
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I’m in! Actually doing a 5k this weekend so I’ll blog about that. 🙂
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for those in the UK look at the free weekly saturday morning 5k runs at parkrun.com…nationwide and growing overseas…and free…no catches!
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Fab idea! I’m thinking of doing it with a camera in the style of Zooey Deschanel in Yes Man….
Might as well have fun with it eh? 🙂
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I’ll be doing my part here in Cincinnati, OH!!!
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Here at Granite State College in New Hampshire, we have just started a Healthy Walking contest. Since I am already using a pedometer and walking daily, I will be glad to participate.
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Letsee….
It’s about 85′ out to the mailbox, so a round trip is around 170′. A 5K is around 16,000′ and change, so if I make 96 trips to the mailbox in the coming days I got this covered!
I wonder how far it is to the fridge?
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AWESOME! I’m in! I actually have a 5k race benefiting a diabetes organization this Saturday, April 9th! Can’t wait to post about it!
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I will also run 5K for WordPress. It is going to rain for an entire week here in sunny Western Colorado, so I will do it on the treadmill at our brand new recreation center. Thanks for the encouragement to get moving.
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