Yes, you can organize a fitness challenge for your friends without it turning into a second job. Most of the work happens on the first day. You pick a few people and set a goal that the least active person can reach. Then you send each of them a personal invitation. After that you log your own miles and check in with the group now and then.
The steps below follow the order you will do them in. Setting up the event itself takes about ten minutes.
How many people should you invite?
Four or five is a good number to start with. That is few enough that you can ask each person yourself and notice when someone goes quiet, and enough that the challenge still feels like a group.
A longer list means more messages to write and more people to keep up with, and that is the kind of work that starts to feel like a second job. If only two or three friends say yes, run it with them. A small group that logs its miles makes a good challenge, and you can start another one later and invite more people.
How long should a fitness challenge run?
About a month is a good length for a first challenge. It is long enough for the miles to add up and short enough that everyone can see the finish line from the start.
If your friends are unsure, a trial of two weeks works too. Set the start date a few days after you send the invitations, so people have time to join before day one. When the challenge ends, you can start another one with the same group if everyone enjoyed it.
What should the goal be?
Set the goal so that the least active person in your group can reach it. On Miles With Friends the goal is a number of miles for each person, and everyone who reaches it earns a virtual medal in the app. Your most active friends will pass it and keep going, and nobody takes a medal away from anyone else.
For example, say one friend already walks about 40 miles in a month and another is getting back into it and might manage 15. A goal of 15 gives the second friend a number they can reach, and the first friend gets there early. A goal of 40 would be out of reach for the second friend.
Choosing a Miles Goal Your Group Will Actually Hit shows a simple way to work out the number. Miles from any activity count, so friends who walk, run or ride can share one goal.
How do you invite friends to a fitness challenge?
Send each person their own message and say why you thought of them. A personal message is easy to answer, and a post in a big group chat lets everyone assume somebody else will reply first.
Here is a message you can copy and change:
Mention the goal and the lack of a pace in the message. Friends who are less sure about their fitness can say yes more easily when they know that up front.
If someone has not answered after two or three days, send one short follow-up with some news in it, such as how many miles you have logged so far. One follow-up is enough. How to Get Friends to Actually Join Your Challenge has more message templates, including one for a friend who says they are not fit enough.
This step is worth the care. About 6 in 10 of the challenges completed on Miles With Friends ended with only their creator as a member. Some of those were personal trackers on purpose, and others were meant for friends but the invitations never went out. Roughly 3 in 4 of the people who joined a friend's challenge went on to log miles to it. Both figures come from our own records of completed challenges.
What should you do on the first day?
A good first day looks like this:
- Create the event and send the invitations in the same sitting, one person at a time.
- Log your own first mile, so friends who open your link can see the challenge has started.
- Make a note to follow up once, two or three days later, with anyone who has not answered.
After that your part is small. Log your own miles, and post in the group chat when there is something to share, such as a friend passing the goal or the group reaching a round number. You do not need to run the challenge day by day, because each person logs their own miles. If you want to give people a nudge, ask when they usually walk or run, such as after dinner or on a lunch break.
What if people drop off?
Send a short, friendly message and leave the door open. For example:
If several people go quiet around the same time, look at the goal. A number that is too high for most of the group is easy to fix, because you can edit the event and change the goal at any time. Tell the group when you do, so everyone knows it was a decision you made on purpose.
The challenge carries on for everyone else, since each person is aiming at their own goal.
Frequently asked questions
What if no one joins?
Start anyway and log your own miles for a few days. A challenge with some miles already on the board is easier to join than an empty one. Then message two or three of your closest friends one at a time and tell them how it is going.
What if I only know a few people who would be interested?
Start with them. Two or three friends who log their miles make a good challenge, and you can run another one later with more people.
Can I run a challenge with coworkers?
Yes. The steps are the same. Start with the few coworkers most likely to say yes and message each of them yourself instead of sending an all-staff email.
What if I am not fit myself?
You do not need to be the fittest person in the group. Set the goal at a number you can reach too. Your job is to send the invitations and post updates, and you can do that at any fitness level.
Do I need an app, or can I use a group chat?
A group chat can work for a month if everyone posts their numbers, though someone has to add them up, and it can easily be you. An app that keeps the totals for you removes that job. Miles With Friends does this and is free to use.
Is it free for my friends?
Yes. Creating an account, joining a challenge and logging miles on Miles With Friends are all free.
How do you set up a challenge in Miles With Friends?
Open MY EVENTS and click CREATE A NEW EVENT. Enter a name and start and end dates, and add a goal in miles. You are in the challenge automatically as the organizer. Then open the Invite tab on your event to find your join link. Friends who tap it make a free account, and their invitation code is already filled in.
Your First Challenge walks through each screen with pictures.