Distance Goals vs. Steps Goals
Steps challenges provide a very clear daily movement target for people, and they work well to get people moving, and competing with each other. 👍 Sometimes, however, it's fun to create longer terms movement goals based on good old fashioned distances in miles or kilometers.
For example, you might want to challenge your people to cover the distance of a "marathon" over the course of a few days or a week; or you could ask your people to walk the Appalachian Trail, summit Kilimanjaro, or simply stroll from New York to Paris.
Good news: the Count.It app tracks “Walking + Running" distance as a core fitness metric, and this activity can be used to create any distance challenge you like!
PRO Tip: On Count.It we track our users daily distance using the "Walking + Running" activity. Apple Health uses the same name for this value, though other trackers, such as Fitbit, Garmin, and Google Fit, simply call it "Distance." In all cases, the value is calculated primarily from steps data, though it may also incorporate GPS data if that is available.
Creating a Distance Challenge
In a Distance Challenge, participants work toward reaching a set distance goal based on their “Walking + Running" distance. Challenge admins can select custom distances or choose from a number of iconic destination options. It’s up to the challenge creator to select the distance or destination, and to specify the time period for completion.
Tracking Distance: Once registered, participants’ daily “Walking + Running Distance” is automatically logged through the app’s connection to the user's fitness tracker. If Manual Entry has been turned on for the challenge, users can also log their distance directly via the Count.It app.
Points Conversion in Distance Challenges
In Distance Challenges, participants earn points based on the distance they log, motivating them to reach the challenge goal. Here’s how the point system works for any challenge you create:
1 meter = 1 point
1 kilometer = 1000 points
1 mile = approximately 1609 points
Points are automatically awarded based on distance, so your participants’ totals will increase each time they log their daily steps or GPS-tracked movement. On the virtual challenge path, participants will see progress markers indicating both actual distances and progress in points.
Crossing the Finish Line: When participants reach the distance goal within the timeframe set by the admin, they cross the finish line and may qualify for any rewards offered in the challenge. As in all other Count.It challenges, participants who cross the finish line will appear on a leaderboard in the finish area, and they will continue to earn points for all distances logged right up until the end of the challenge.