Ahotu and the adidas Running app have launched the “10K WITH AHOTU” virtual race, giving runners around the world a shared distance challenge on Sunday 29 November 2026. Participants who record 10 kilometres in a single session can receive a virtual race badge and unlock a discount on eligible events, while qualifying entrants can opt into a prize draw for places at three marathons in 2027.
The initiative links the adidas Running app’s activity-tracking and training functions with Ahotu’s event listings, aiming to provide a route from a virtual challenge to a future in-person race. The 10K is open globally and is free to participate in, although the optional prize draw has geographical restrictions.
How the virtual 10K works
Runners must join the 10K WITH AHOTU challenge in the adidas Running app before 29 November, then record the full 10-kilometre distance in one session on 29 November 2026. Ahotu’s rules require the activity to be recorded and fully synchronised to the app during the race period; delayed or incomplete uploads may not qualify.
Completing the challenge earns a digital badge and provides access to a code for a 10% discount on eligible partner events that can be booked through Ahotu. The discount does not cover every event listed on the platform. According to the official conditions, the reward code must be claimed by 31 December 2026 at 23:59 UTC; the subsequent discount code is valid until 29 November 2027, subject to its one-use and other restrictions.
A chance to move from an online challenge to a marathon start line
Eligible participants can choose to enter an optional draw when claiming their reward. The listed prize events are the adidas Manchester Marathon in the United Kingdom on 18 April 2027, adidas Marathon Lima in Peru on 23 May, and the adidas Stockholm Marathon in Sweden on 29 May. Ahotu’s event page lists 10 entries for Manchester, four for Lima and 20 for Stockholm.
The draw is not automatically entered by finishing the virtual 10K. Runners must opt in during the reward-claim process, have a valid Ahotu account and select an eligible event. The conditions exclude residents of Brazil, China, India and Italy from the draw, although the virtual race itself is open worldwide. Winners are scheduled to be notified by 19 January 2027. Entrants should review the full rules before taking part rather than assuming a marathon place is guaranteed.
What the partnership means for the running industry
The campaign illustrates how digital running platforms and event marketplaces can create a connection between regular training and race participation. For Ahotu, a structured app-based challenge could encourage runners to discover a new event; for the adidas Running app, it supplies a defined goal and a possible progression to a traditional race.
It is important to distinguish the partners’ roles. World’s Sports Group AB, trading as Ahotu, is the organiser and prize provider of the promotion. adidas hosts the qualifying virtual race in its Running app, but is not the promoter or prize provider under the published terms. Neither organisation has disclosed participation numbers or commercial performance for this campaign.
For runners, the immediate proposition is straightforward: register for the app challenge, complete and synchronise one 10K on the specified date, then follow Ahotu’s code-claim process if eligible. For retailers and event organisers, the initiative is another example of how training technology, community engagement and race discovery are increasingly connected.
Read the official challenge page and the full participation and prize-draw rules.
Featured image: runners in the Great Grimsby 10K, England, photographed in 2021 by Chris Parker. This is an illustrative archival photograph of a 10K road race; it does not depict the adidas Running–Ahotu virtual challenge or its participants. Reproduced under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0, resized for web use.
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