At Stridekick, we know everyone moves a little differently. Some people love to compete. Others just want a reason to get off the couch. And some folks? They’re just here for the community.

That’s why our challenges aren’t one-size-fits-all. Whether you’re planning a steps showdown, a virtual race around the world, or a habit streak with your friends, we’ve got a mode that’ll fit your group’s style.

Here’s your guide to all the challenge types you can run in Stridekick, plus how to pick the ones that are right for you.

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Individual Challenge Modes 

These are great when you want participants to focus on their own personal goals. Each person tracks their own progress, either competing for the top spot or simply trying to hit their goal.

Leaderboard 🥇

Participants compete to log the most steps, distance, or active minutes. Best for small groups who love friendly competition. For larger or mixed-fitness level groups, we recommend skipping this one—it’s fun for the top few but can leave others feeling left out.

Target 🎯

Target is great for personal goal setting without the pressure of competition. Each participant sets out to hit a big total goal by the end of the challenge, like 100,000 steps in a month. Progress is tracked daily, and everyone moves at their own pace. Target challenges also allow you to offer personalized goals for your participants (learn more about that here).

Virtual Race 🗺️

A race with a visual twist. Participants “move” along one of 20+ interactive maps, unlocking fun milestones and surprises along the way. You’ll see who’s ahead of you, who’s right behind, and where you stand on the course—perfect for keeping the energy up without making it all about competition. There’s also a leaderboard for anyone who likes to peek at the rankings, but the real fun is watching your group progress across the map together.

Streak 🔥

Streak is all about consistency. Participants try to meet their daily steps, distance, or minutes goal every single day of the challenge. The longer the streak, the better! Just be sure to set goals that are doable—this is about building habits, not burning out. You can also choose to have personalized goals for your participants (learn more about that here).

Stick To It ✅

Stick To It offers a more flexible way to build healthy routines. Instead of going for a daily hot streak, participants aim to meet their daily goal a certain number of times over the course of the challenge. For example, “Hit 30 minutes of activity at least 20 times this month.” It’s okay to miss a day here or there—this mode is about progress, not perfection. Stick To It also offers a personalized goals option for your participants (learn more about that here).

Daily Habit (Custom Activity) 🧘‍♂️

Want to track wellness habits beyond steps? Use Daily Habit mode to log actions like drinking water, meditating, or sleeping eight hours. Participants manually log their own daily actions, so this is perfect for all-around wellness, not just movement (learn more about how to get started here).

Team Challenge Modes 

When you want to build camaraderie, spark some friendly rivalries, or get different groups working together, team modes are the way to go.

Team Leaderboard 🏆

Teams compete to see who can rack up the most activity. Rankings are based on the team’s average total steps, distance, or minutes, so everyone contributes, and teams of different sizes can compete fairly. This mode is perfect for group competitions, showdowns, or team bonding.

Team Virtual Race 🚩

Team Virtual Race combines teamwork with a fun race map. Teams work together to cross the finish line together. Choose from any of our 20+ maps, like Summer Olympics or Haunted Halloween. The team score is based on the team’s average total distance, so it stays fair and fun for teams of all sizes.

Group Challenge Modes 

Group challenges are all about collaboration, not competition. Everyone’s activity counts toward a single, shared goal, making this perfect for large or mixed-fitness level groups.

Group Target 👣

Group Target combines everyone’s steps, distance, or minutes to reach one big goal together. Think “Let’s walk 10 million steps as a group this month” or “Let’s move enough to circle the globe.”

Group Virtual Race 🌍

Group Virtual Race works the same way but adds a visual component. The entire group moves along a shared virtual path, unlocking milestones as you go. It’s great for keeping people engaged and celebrating progress in real time.

Group Target Fundraiser 💖

Want to move for a cause? Group Target Fundraiser adds a charitable twist. Your group pledges to donate to a cause once the activity goal is reached. It’s a great way to inspire movement and give back.

How to Choose the Right Challenge 🧐

Here’s a quick gut check:

• Want to fuel friendly competition? Try Team Leaderboard or, for smaller groups, Individual Leaderboard.
  
• Looking to build consistent daily habits? Go with Streak or Stick To It.
  
• Prefer personal progress at your own pace? Target is your friend.
  
• Want to gamify movement with a fun map? Pick Virtual Race or Team Virtual Race.
  
• Running a challenge that’s not just about steps? Use Daily Habit (Custom Activity).
  
• Hoping to unite a group without competing? Choose Group Target or Group Virtual Race.
  
• Want to support a cause while you move? Go with Group Target Fundraiser.
  

Challenge Best Practices 💡

Set realistic goals.
Aim for goals that motivate but don’t overwhelm. Challenges should make people feel good, not stressed out.

Switch it up.
Mix and match different challenge types throughout the year to keep things fresh. A spring streak, a summer race, a fall fundraiser… You get the idea. Need inspiration? Check out our Annual Challenge Calendar

Stack them up.Can’t decide on just one? Good news. You can run up to three different challenge types at once. Go ahead and mix a Virtual Race with a Streak and a Group Target. It’s like a wellness smoothie.

Celebrate more than just the top finishers.
Shout out most improved, most consistent, top team players, or anyone who encouraged others along the way.

Keep communication flowing.
Announce the challenge clearly, explain how it works, and send fun updates during the event to keep everyone engaged.

Ready to Get Moving? 🚀

Whether you’re here to spark some friendly competition, build better habits, or just get your crew moving a little more, Stridekick has a challenge mode for that.

So pick your favorite, rally your group, and let’s make moving more fun.