@SL6827: you seem to continue to act as if Disney is the only outfit offering virtual races. As
@jmasgat mentioned above (as a first response to your inquiry), virtual races are everywhere and not just Disney. Disney did not create virtual races. However, they did see others having success with virtual races and decided to offer their own. As
@smctopia mentioned in her response above, there are some valid reasons why folks like the Disney-specific virtual races, especially if they are Disney fans and either (i) don't have the money to travel for an on-location runDisney event or (ii) might not be able to complete the run in the prescribed time. You may be taking the word "race" too seriously. For many folks, even on-location runDisney races are not about competing and trying to beat other folks... or even their own best effort. Oftentimes, folks just run the races for the fun of it. That fun may be meeting characters, running with friends, riding an attraction in the middle of a "race," drinking along the way, getting the cool medal at the end, and/or completing a distance they never have before. Each person has their own reasons for running, and that may or may not be replicable with a virtual race. From a true competition perspective, I agree that a virtual race may not make complete sense, but for most, that is not what it's about.
As far as "huge money grab," yes, this is Disney. They are a for-profit company, and their goal is to make money just like any for-profit company. There should be no shame in making money by providing a good or service that people want and are willing pay for. This is what companies do. There are probably other Disney as well as non-Disney offerings that you find ridiculous (as do we all), and that is okay, but some find this specific offering to be something they value.