Organizer guide
How to run a step challenge at work.
Eight steps, from choosing the goal to reporting results. Use this plan with any tool, and see where eFit takes the manual work off your plate.
The eight-step plan
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Pick a goal and a length
Four weeks is a good first challenge; six to eight weeks builds more of a habit. Pick one goal everyone understands, such as 7,000 steps or 30 active minutes a day. On eFit, the Activity Score treats reaching 70% of the goal as success, so people who start slowly still finish in good standing.
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Decide the format
Individual challenges are simple to run. Team challenges produce more conversation and keep less active people involved, because teammates notice when someone goes quiet. Mix fitness levels on each team, and put people from different departments together if connection is a goal. For large or multi-site organizations, create a group per location or division.
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Write fair, inclusive rules
Most complaints about workplace challenges come from rules that feel unfair. Settle these before launch:
- How cycling, swimming, yoga and wheelchair activity count (active minutes are the simplest answer).
- Whether the leaderboard is public, and that joining it is optional.
- What happens when someone is sick, injured or on vacation.
- That participation is voluntary, with no penalty for sitting out.
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Choose low-cost prizes
Large prizes for the top step count reward the people who were already active. Spread rewards across the whole group: a raffle among everyone who reached the goal, a most-improved award, recognition in the company newsletter, or a charity donation chosen by the winning team.
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Set up tracking before launch
Manual tracking is the biggest time cost for organizers. With eFit, participants connect Google Health once and steps and active minutes sync every day from their phone or tracker app. Run through the Challenge Readiness checklist a week before launch so invitations, dates and scoring are ready.
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Launch with a clear invitation
Send a single, friendly invitation one week before the start. Include the dates, the goal, a join link, a note on privacy and one sentence on why the organization is doing this. A senior leader who joins and says so publicly does more for sign-ups than any prize.
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Keep momentum mid-challenge
Week two is where most challenges lose people. Share team standings, a short story or photo, and a shout-out to people who reached the goal that week. On eFit, badges, the Walking Journey map and accountability pods give participants reasons to open the app between your messages.
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Wrap up and report
Close with the Final Fitness Check so each person sees their own change. Recognize every finisher alongside the winners; eFit issues a completion certificate to participants who reach the goal. Share participation, goal completion and before-and-after results with leadership, and send a three-question survey to plan the next season.
Week-by-week timeline for a six-week challenge
| When | Organizer task | Message to send |
|---|---|---|
| 3 weeks before | Get leadership sign-off, pick dates, goal and prizes | None yet |
| 2 weeks before | Create the challenge and groups, run the readiness checklist | Save-the-date teaser |
| 1 week before | Open registration, help people connect their phones | Invitation with join link and rules |
| Week 1 | Confirm everyone is syncing, follow up with anyone who is not | Kickoff and Baseline Fitness Check reminder |
| Weeks 2–3 | Watch participation by group, nudge quiet teams | Weekly standings and a participant story |
| Week 4 | Midpoint check, announce a mini-challenge | Midpoint results and encouragement |
| Weeks 5–6 | Push for the finish, remind about the final check | Final-stretch message |
| After the end | Pull reports, award prizes, send survey | Results, thank-you and next season date |
Spreadsheet or platform?
A spreadsheet works for ten coworkers who trust each other. Past that, the organizer spends every Monday chasing totals, and self-reported numbers start arguments. A platform earns its cost when you want automatic syncing, fair scoring against a goal, optional privacy and reports you can hand to leadership.
| Spreadsheet | eFit | |
|---|---|---|
| Collecting activity | Weekly self-report | Daily automatic sync |
| Mixed devices | Everyone reports their own number | Google Health covers phones and many trackers |
| Fair scoring | Usually raw totals | Activity Score toward a 70% goal |
| Privacy | Everyone sees the sheet | Opt-in leaderboard |
| Engagement tools | Organizer emails | Badges, Walking Journey, pods, wellness modules |
| Results | Winner list | Baseline and final fitness check, score reports |
Ready to set one up? Start with the corporate challenge overview or read about the benefits and evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Organizer questions, answered.
Have a different question? Tell us about your group and we will help map the right challenge.
Email support@efit.healthHow long should a workplace step challenge last?
Four to eight weeks. Four weeks suits a first challenge; six to eight weeks gives more time to build a habit. Short seasons repeated twice a year beat one long challenge.
What is a good daily step goal for a work challenge?
Set a goal most people can reach, often 6,000 to 8,000 steps or 30 active minutes a day. Scoring 70% of the goal as success keeps beginners in the game.
How do we stop people from cheating?
Sync activity automatically from phones and trackers, publish how non-step activity counts before launch, and reward goal completion more than raw totals so there is little reason to game the numbers.
How do we include people who cannot walk much?
Count active minutes from any activity, let people take part without appearing on the leaderboard, and score progress against a goal.
What prizes work for a step challenge?
Recognition and small perks work well: an extra hour off, choosing the team lunch spot, a donation to a charity the winning team picks, or a raffle among everyone who reached the goal.
Can we run a step challenge with a spreadsheet?
You can, for a small group. Expect to spend time chasing weekly totals and settling disputes. Automatic syncing removes both problems once you pass about 20 participants.
Start the conversation
Want help running your first challenge?
Send your group size and preferred start date. We will help you set the goal, groups and invitation, and you can use this plan as your checklist.