Family and team virtual challenges: how to do one together

There is usually no team entry. Each person signs up for the same challenge, covers the distance where they live, and gets their own medal. What makes it a group effort is a shared start date, a shared goal and someone who keeps everyone talking.

On X Challenge each person needs their own purchase, their own iPhone with the free app, and an account under the email used at checkout. Accounts and purchases are for adults 18 and over. The window starts when each person taps Start, so agree a day and tap it together.

The trick is to choose by daily average, not by total distance. A long window lets the walker in the group keep up with the runner without anyone feeling held back.

The CDC recommends that children and teens aged 6 to 17 get 60 minutes or more of activity a day. A family challenge is one easy way to put some of that on the calendar.

• The parent signs up and records the distance on their phone. Kids come along on foot, on a bike or on a scooter.
• Let the kids choose the route. A loop past the playground gets more buy-in than a straight line.
• Keep sessions short and stop while it is still fun.
• Put a chart on the fridge and let the kids color in every half mile.
• When the medal arrives, let them open the box.

Distance stops mattering when everyone covers their own. Pick a challenge, start on the same day, and share a photo from every session in a group chat. A weekly video call on Sunday to compare totals keeps it going.

Medal collectors also share progress in the Medal Hunters group, and running with friends has more on running together at different paces.

1. Pick one challenge for everyone, with a window that avoids the busiest weeks of your year.
2. Kick off on a Monday, with a lunch walk for anyone who wants it.
3. Post a weekly check-in where people share how far they got, if they want to.
4. Make finishing the goal, not winning. Ranking people by distance rewards the people who already run and puts off everyone else.
5. Celebrate together when the medals arrive.

Keep it voluntary and keep health details private. Some people will walk, some will ride an indoor bike, and that is fine.

Here is one way a family of four might cover Loki in a week, with one parent recording.

• Monday: walk to school and back, about 1.5 km.
• Wednesday: a bike ride around the park after dinner, the kids on bikes, the parent walking fast, about 1.5 km.
• Saturday: a family walk to the farmers market or the library, about 2 km.
• Sunday: a short walk to finish, and a photo at the front door.

Each parent who wants a medal needs their own challenge and records their own distance. If only one does, the other can still come on every walk.

A group with a marathoner and a beginner works when the goal is the same and the method is free. Let the runner run and the walker walk. If you do any group sessions, set them at the pace of the slowest person and let faster people add a loop afterwards. Avoid comparing daily totals, which only tells the beginner they are behind. Compare finish lines instead: everyone who reaches the distance before the window ends has done the same thing.

One person can organize the purchase, but each challenge has to reach the right person. Use each participant’s own email address at checkout, because the challenge appears in the app for whoever signs up with that address. Check that everyone has an iPhone before you buy. Each finisher’s medal ships to them 5–10 business days after the app records their finish.

• Walk in daylight where you can, and put lights or reflective strips on kids and bikes after dark.
• Pick routes with sidewalks or paths, and hold hands or stop together at every crossing.
• Bring water, especially on warm days. Kids often do not say they are thirsty until late.
• Helmets on bikes and scooters, every time.
• Stop when someone is tired. A short walk everyone enjoys beats a long one that ends in tears.

Plan the finish line before you start. A family might walk the last half mile together to a favorite ice cream shop. A work team might meet for lunch when the medals arrive. Friends far apart can open their boxes on a video call. Put the medals on display together for a photo, and if you liked it, pick the next challenge while everyone is still keen. See medal display ideas.

• One person owns the reminders. Groups without a captain fade by week two.
• Have a fixed group session each week, in person or at the same time in different places.
• Notice the quiet ones. A short message to someone who has fallen behind does more than a leaderboard.
• Plan a finish: a meal, a photo with all the medals, or a group walk for the last mile.

• Can two people share one challenge? No. Each finisher needs their own challenge and their own app account.
• Can my teenager sign up? Accounts are for adults 18 and over, so a teen can join a parent’s walks instead.
• Do we need the same phone? Recording is on iPhone for now, since the Android app is still in development.
• What if one person falls behind? Walk with them for a session or two. Finishing together is the point.

If you have a health condition, are pregnant, or have not exercised in a long time, check with a doctor before you start.

• Child Activity: An Overview, CDC: children and teens aged 6 to 17 need 60 minutes or more of activity a day.
• Adult Activity: An Overview, CDC: 150 minutes of moderate activity such as brisk walking a week, which can be split into shorter chunks.