Hot Summer Challenge: Conquer 26.2 Miles with Fitbit and Strava

Whether you’ve been competing against family and friends in 2018 or just pushing yourself, your enthusiasm for tackling Fitbit challenges and earning achievement badges has been inspiring. To keep your momentum going strong, Fitbit has teamed up with Strava, the leading social network for athletes, to bring you The Fitbit Sprint into Summer Challenge, a mileage-powered Strava challenge.

Between Monday June 18 and Sunday June 24, lace up your sneakers, lather on some SPF, and run a total of 26.2 miles (42.2 km)—the same distance as a marathon. You decide how to tackle the mileage—break it up over the week or knock it out in one session. Thursday is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year, so you’ll have plenty of daylight available to make it happen.

Keep reading to learn how you can use your Fitbit data to participate in the The Fitbit Sprint into Summer Challenge on Strava and win two pretty awesome prizes.

Opt Into the Challenge

Visit The Fitbit Sprint into Summer Challenge page to join. If you don’t already have a Strava account, you’ll be taken to the app store (or Strava.com) where you can download the Strava app and sign up for free.

Next, link your Fitbit account to your Strava account (you can revoke access at any time in your settings). If you have problems, see “How do I connect my Fitbit account with another app?”

Rack Up Miles to Climb the Leaderboard

Now that your Fitbit and Strava accounts are talking, all mileage you accrue during logged runs will automatically be added to your Strava account (only runs with GPS data will be applied toward the challenge) when you sync your Fitbit device to the Fitbit mobile app or Fitbit web-based dashboard. The challenge starts and ends according to each participant’s local time zone.

If you’re using a Fitbit device with onboard or connected GPS, make sure it’s enabled for the most accurate results. Using GPS will also allow you to view a map of the runs you log, along with stats like average speed and pace. If you’re using a Fitbit Versa or Fitbit Ionic, you can view these right on your wrist using the Strava app, which comes preloaded on both devices.

To keep tabs on the competition, visit the The Fitbit Sprint into Summer Challenge page at anytime to see your stats, view the leaderboard, and chat with other participants. Invite your friends on Strava to participate as well. Every time a Strava athlete whom you follow joins, makes progress towards, or completes the challenge, you’ll get an update in your feed.

Take Home Two Prizes

Logging 26.2 miles in a week is a huge accomplishment. To ensure you get credit for it, don’t forget to sync your Fitbit device. All activities logged during the challenge period must be uploaded to Strava no later than three days after the challenge ends.

Upon completing the challenge, you’ll receive a digital finisher’s badge for your Strava Trophy Case on your Strava profile and a referral code good for a free month of Fitbit Coach so you can stay active and get stronger ahead of the next challenge you join. Terms and conditions apply.

The Fitbit Sprint into Summer Challenge starts Monday, June 18th, so join now, warm up this weekend, and get moving on Monday. Go get ‘em, future marathoner!

Stephanie Smith

Stephanie Smith is Fitbit’s Fitness editor. A New York City native and University of Missouri grad, Stephanie has written articles for a number of outlets, including Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Daily Burn, Active.com, EatThis, and BodyBuilding.com. She is excited to spread the health and fitness message—and the importance of getting in steps—to Fitbit users. When she’s not encouraging people to get moving, she enjoys indoor cycling, animal-shelter volunteering, and vegetarian meals.