[Guide] How to Set Up a Strava Group Challenge (and its Limits)
Strava is a phenomenal tool for tracking running, cycling, and swimming. Its Group Challenges are a great way to compete with friends on cardio goals. Here’s how to set one up, and what to do when you want to track *more* than just cardio.
How to Create a Strava Group Challenge
Strava's group challenges are created through the mobile app, not the website. The process is straightforward if you're already part of a Strava Club.
Step 1: Open the 'Groups' Tab
From the Strava mobile app's home screen, tap on Groups at the bottom. Find and select the Club you want to create a challenge for.
Note: You must be an admin or member of a club to create a challenge for it.
Step 2: Create the Challenge
Once in your Club's page, tap the Create Challenge button. This will open the challenge setup screen.
Step 3: Define Your Goal
This is where you'll encounter Strava's main limitations. You must choose a goal type from their list, such as:
- Most Activity: Compete on total time, distance, or elevation gain.
- Fastest Effort: Compete for the best time on a specific segment.
- Longest Activity: A single-activity distance challenge.
Step 4: Set Sport Type and Timeframe
You must select the specific sport(s) the challenge will track (e.g., Run, Ride, Swim, Walk). You cannot include activities like "Gym" or "Yoga." Then, set your start and end dates.
When Strava's Focus Might Be Too Narrow
Strava is phenomenal at what it does. For runners, cyclists, and swimmers, it's the gold standard. The automatic GPS tracking, segment leaderboards, and social feed create an unmatched experience for cardio-focused athletes. If your challenge is purely about running or cycling, Strava is hard to beat.
However, if you want to run a holistic fitness challenge that goes beyond cardio, you'll quickly run into these constraints:
- »Activity Types Are Fixed. Strava's challenges are limited to GPS-tracked cardio activities. You can't add 🏋️♂️ Strength Training, 🧘 Yoga, 🤸♂️ Mobility Work, or 🥗 Nutrition Goals to the same challenge.
- »Metrics, Not Points. Strava tracks miles, hours, and elevation—all objective metrics that work beautifully for cardio. But it doesn't have a flexible point system where you could assign 10 points for a hard gym session and 3 points for a stretch.
- »Goal Types Are Preset. You can compete on "Most Distance" or "Most Time," but not "First to 300 Points" or "Highest Overall Score." This makes it hard to create balanced challenges that mix different activity types.
The Solution: A True Custom Challenge
Level Up! was built to solve this exact problem. It lets you create a gamified challenge with any activity and any point system.
Create a Challenge That Includes *Everything*:
1. Add Any Activity
Gym Session (10 pts), 5k Run (8 pts), Yoga (5 pts), and Healthy Meal (3 pts) can all be in the *same challenge*.
2. Set a Point Goal
Set a total goal (e.g., 500 points) and choose a win condition like "First to Goal" or "Most Points by Deadline".
3. Compete on One Leaderboard
All activities feed into one simple, real-time leaderboard. No more spreadsheets to track "gym points" on the side!