Automattic’s Worldwide WP 5k 2013
The Automattic Worldwide WP 5k is back again in 2013! Set your timers for September 29th!
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 internal blog dedicated to fitness.

Automatticians running a 5k in 2012
We had a great idea: Get all Automatticians from 120 cities & 24 countries 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. Two years later, and there are now 190 Automatticians who we hope will take part in the 5k in 2013.
This year we’ll be doing something a bit different – running together during our company meetup, but 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! 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!
A 5k is roughly equal to:
- 3.1 miles
- 12 laps around a track
- approximately 6000-7500 steps
- approximately 50-60 minutes of brisk walking
If you ran/walked last year’s Worldwide WP 5k, why not try to shave a few minutes off your time and set a personal record (PR)?
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, September 29th, but you can do your run/walk anytime from September 23rd-29th (you’ve got a week to fit it in).
WHO: Anyone who’s ever used or loved WordPress (and your families and friends, too). Heck, the entire Internet is invited!
HOW: Post about it on your site and tag the post “wwwp5k” so we can find you. 🙂 If you’re not on WordPress.com, link back to this announcement post so others can find it and participate, too.
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 mapmywalk.com or RunKeeper.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 on September 29th?
Wonderful idea 🙂
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Yes I will.
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I can only participate if I am allowed to walk one km a day.
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@ranu802 – Sounds good – make sure you blog about it! 🙂
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I’m in…I pressed it to my blog. Awesome idea…thank you
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Count me in!
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I will be joining!
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Wish I could take part but physically I am unable to run at all and not able to walk long distances but I will be with you in spirit and praying for a great turnout. I think it’s a wonderful idea–world wide 5K! Amazing!
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Reblogged this on Striding Towards Life and commented:
I really like seeing “running” talked about, shared, and enjoyed beyond the world of “running blogs” – and virtual races are FUN!!
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Yay! Sounds like a great thing to do! Thanks for the invite! 🙂
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I AM SO IN…
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I LOVE IT!!! I’m going to participate and tell the world…“wwwp5k”. You guys are awesome. Can’t wait to see the results of our 5K meet-up 🙂
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I’m confused, is it Sept 29th or April (past)? The link is giving me different information when clicked, please let me know as I am hoping to participate and would like to know how to sign up.
Thanks
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There’s a new event every year – this year’s date is in September! The links to past events are just to give you more background.
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This sounds exciting, I’m super tempted…even though I’m really not in shape…but that’s irrelevant, right? 🙂
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Exactly – completely irrelevant. That’s why you can run or walk!
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I’m sure all y’all amazing Automatticians have thought about how to include people with mobility issues ranging from arthritis to post-stroke to, well, you get the idea….people who don’t use wheelchairs yet have impaired mobility. How do WE get to go too???
PS–What a great idea, to get us computer geeks to go outside and play!!!! Love you, WP!
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@Laura – I’d love to hear your ideas – over the past few years we’ve had a lot of interesting participations, even some people who did a virtual 5k on Second Life! So I’m sure there are lots of ways they could participate. Also, spread over a week doing that many steps is probably a lot more doable for many.
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I love it
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Can we run on a treadmill in the gym?
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Absolutely! That’s how I participated the first two years 🙂
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Thank you, Sara.
I will participate.
I have waited for this post.
http://ensummerfield84.wordpress.com/tag/wwwp5k/
And, I am grad that I met you at Word Capmp Tokyo.
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Sound interesting … (:
What about launching Facebook event for it ?
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Sounds good. This Friday, September 20th, is National RUN@WORK day, which is sponsored by Road Runners Clubs of America (RRCA). I have a small group from my office going out for a 5K run.
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@imarunner2012 – sounds like a great event! I can run to work but since I work from home, not much of a challenge 🙂 I love that you’re doing it with your colleagues.
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Sara,
It’s Run at work day. So you can slip on your running shoes at lunch time and do a quick out and back loop. I’d love to run to work also, but the logistics are challenging. Someday.
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Run *at*, not to. Got it 🙂 I like that even more!
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Non so se posso parlarti in italiano, Sara, a giudicare dal nome dovresti conoscerlo… anyhow, yes, count me in. I’m gonna be in Spoleto (I live in Rome) on the 29th, and I am planning to run around the Spoleto’s Rock. It’s a “circuit” slightly longer than 1 km, so I should run for less than five times.
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Nice, I’ve been to Spoleto. And yes, I know Italian but speak English here on the blog 🙂
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Wonderful idea and I will follow.
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This sounds like fun!
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This is a fabulous idea. I will have to pass this on to my other hard-working friends 🙂
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Reblogged this on The Celiac Kitchen and commented:
I’ve got this 5k marked on my calendar! Looking forward to it! Anyone care to join me?
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Reblogged this on Running Into Life and commented:
What a fun and lovely idea! It combines running and blogging, two of my favorite things, along with the lovely idea of “together in community!”
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Sounds fun. I’m in!
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Sounds like a good doze of much needed healthy fun! Look forward to taking part in the project.
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Superbly can’t wait to participate, blog about this, and have my blog post to be freshly pressed (with high hopes indeed!) 😀 Will be participating from Malaysia! 😀
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Just came across this article. I’m in and I’ll be running 5K at the Beach (barefoot) tomorrow Morning in Jamaica where I currently spent some time. My normal Runs are in London UK. Quite exited about this.
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Excellent!
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Did my 5K this afternoon. 🙂
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I participated today, and was wondering if any of the runners I saw going around Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, MN, were out there for this event. I was tempted to remark, “Wordpress,” as we crossed paths. It made me think—t-shirts!
For the next one, maybe you could include a logo or event-design with the post. For myself, I would print it on a transfer and put it on a tee, or print it on paper or a sticker to wear as a runner’s bib. If others did that, too, we’d recognize each other, and it might also garner attention for the event going forward.
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so much awesomeness my day after the run… 🙂 WHOOP
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I managed to complete my walk and also additional pedalling on the stationary bike, to make up what I couldn’t do outside because of continuous rain.
Ranu
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Great!
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