Zen Squirrel Running Challenge

Upgrade to Trails

Zen Squirrel Running Challenge (Virtual)
January, 2024

Overview

The 5th Annual Zen Squirrel Running Challenge returns this January. Get the New Year started with this healthy and fun personal challenge that will motivate you to push yourself to RUN MORE in January.

The goal for this challenge is simple – run (or walk) anywhere and accumulate AT LEAST 31 total miles, over multiple runs, during January. Want to do more? No problem, you can surpass 31 miles and complete as many miles as you can during the 31 days of January.

For each run/walk, track your distance, input your data to the online platform (super simple), and watch your progress grow over the month-long event.

You can participate as an individual and also on a team of up to 8 people. Make it social – gather your friends (from anywhere), form a team, and see how many miles you can accumulate together. You could win awards!

In addition to an awesome personal challenge and a month of motivation to RUN/WALK MORE, your registration includes:

Sweet swag (soft/comfy short or long sleeve tee or hoodie upgrade, a beautiful medal, and warm head wrap/neck gaiter)
Digital badges for reaching milestones
A chance to win randomly drawn prizes each 10 days of the challenge.
Opportunity to earn extra swag by completing the EVERY DAY CHALLENGE, finishing in the top five (individuals and teams), and referring other participants.
$3/participant donation to the National Breast Center Foundation to support their mission of removing barriers that prevent women and men from getting proper screening, diagnosis, treatment, and education about breast cancer. A GREAT CAUSE!

RUN MORE and GET ZEN this January!

Registration

Everyone Loves Swag

All participants receive sweet Zen Squirrel Running Challenge swag – soft and comfy short or long sleeve tee or hoodie upgrade for an extra $25, a head wrap/neck gaiter, and a beautiful medal that doubles as a drink coaster. Shipping is included. All swag will be shipped at the conclusion of the challenge.

Earn Extra Swag

CONSISTENCY: Earn a Zen Squirrel head wrap (with different design) by completing the EVERY DAY CHALLENGE – log at least one activity each day in January.
HEALTHY COMPETITION: Earn a Zen Squirrel beanie if you are one of the top five individual and top five teams with the most accumulated miles (all team members will receive a beanie). A little healthy competition is a fun and motivating way to push yourself even more!
REFERRAL REWARDS: Earn a pair of Zen Squirrel running gloves if you REFER ONE FRIEND and receive $25 cash back for EVERY FOUR RUNNERS YOU REFER. To qualify for these referral rewards, the new runners must use your unique referral link. This referral link is included in your confirmation email, emailed to you the day after you register, and embedded in the social share buttons at the end of the registration process. Plenty of ways to invite your friends and earn rewards.

All extra earned swag will be sent with included swag items at the conclusion of the event. Shipping is included.

How the Zen Squirrel Running Challenge Works

First, Sign up!

Second, Recruit your family, friends, and coworkers and form a team of up to 8 participants (if you like). Participating as a team is super fun and provides even more motivation to run or walk in January. Plus, you can earn additional swag and cash back if your friends use your referral link (in your confirmation email) and your team can earn a sweet Zen Squirrel beanie if your team is in the top five with the most miles.

Third, Run and Track. Run (or walk) anywhere at any time from 1/1-1/31 with the goal of accumulating at least 31 miles (31 miles is the default but you can change your goals in the online platform). Take as many runs as you need to reach your mileage goal. Track each run on your GPS device, watch, phone, map, measuring wheel, odometer, etc.

Track Your Progress

Record Your Miles: Log into your runsignup.com profile and click on the results tab. After each run, record your distance into the online platform (THIS IS SUPER SIMPLE – just follow these directions). You may also record your elapsed time, elevation gain, and any comments about each run. Results must be posted by January 31st @ 11:59pm Hawaii – Aleutian Standard Time (4:59am EST) on February 1st.

Follow Your Progress: Each run’s progress is added to the totals of all earlier runs to make up your one month total. After each run, watch the progress bar grow as you get closer to your goal. Throughout the event, you will earn digital badges for achieving milestones such as accumulated miles, overall # of runs/walks completed, and consecutive days running/walking. At the end of January, download your digital finisher certificate with your stats.

Share (optional): Post photos from your runs on the runsignup platform (super easy). You may win a prize!

Celebrate/Giveaways: We will randomly select winners of giveaways on 1/10 and 1/20 – keep an eye out for an email with the winners. And, on February 1st, we will send a final email wrapping up the event, awarding prizes, and drawing the final giveaway winners. Giveaways and prizes include nice stuff like running gear/accessories and zen squirrel swag. All participants are automatically included in the giveaway drawings. Giveaways and prizes will be mailed to the winners along with their swag at the conclusion of the event.