Living and racing virtually

From quizzes to church services to exercise classes to families and friends staying in touch, the community is adapting to lockdown.

The world of sport is innovating too as virtual racing is the go-to in order to comply with social distancing requirements.

Cyclists are hooking their smart trainers up to compete on digital routes in Zwift, rowers are posting times using their Concept 2 machines, runners are signing up to complete individual time trails on the same couple of days that are then ranked.

There are many ways that people are trying to stay motivated, stay fit and importantly keep club and team spirit alive. It is more important than ever to stay active – both for your physical but also for your mental health.

What sports governing bodies around the world are grappling with now is how to bring back their events safely and with it help provide some more welcome distraction.

It appears we will all have to get familiar with behind closed doors professional motor racing, cricket and football, but fans will be eager to get their fix – there are only so many reruns of great games from the past that you can watch without craving the drama and story lines that only live entertainment can bring.

Governments are tiptoeing out of lockdown conditions and there are competing interests for where they turn their attention to.

Quite rightly kick-starting the economy is seen as the priority, but that needs to be balanced with finding ways of bringing back everyday life in its broader sense where it is safe to do so.

The community is showing great patience in battling Covid-19 and largely complying with the stay at home message, creatively finding ways to stay entertained – we have all accepted this is a marathon and not a sprint.

This, though, is a marathon where no one has released the route and you have to make your best guess at the right way forward, accepting that you may need to backtrack and try again.