What is Step Count Challenge?

Step Count Challenge is a team-based challenge, that runs for eight weeks in the Spring. The Challenge is designed to encourage people to walk more and adopt more active and healthy habits. Each team has a captain, who is responsible for keeping their team engaged, motivated and to make sure each of the other four team members diligently keep track of their personal step count.

The team captain must be a member of University staff but otherwise you can form your team from colleagues, students, and household members. Team Captains must always be employed by the University and will be responsible for passing information on to any non-staff team members.

The Challenge is run by the charity Paths for All, and usually costs £25 per team to participate.

  • The challenge will start on Monday 1 May 2023
  • The challenge will run for 8 weeks and end on Sunday 25 June 2023, 11:59pm
  • You may form your team with University colleagues, students, or members of your household

During the Challenge you keep track of your daily step count, using a pedometer or other device (such as a Fitbit). Different activities can be included in step counts as well as walking – running, cycling and swimming, for example. You regularly update your personal step count via the Step Count Challenge official website.

Key dates

Here are a few key dates for your calendar. Please make a note!

Item

Date

Closing date for sponsorship applications:

Wednesday 19 April, 11:59PM

Challenge starts:

Monday 1 May 2023, 12:00AM

Challenge ends:

Sunday 25 June 2023, 11:59PM

 

How can we take part?

The University Wellbeing and Engagement Group has now opened the call for sponsorship to take part.

Our sponsorship will cover the £25 team registration fee.

 

Please note that other step-recording devices (e.g. Fitbits and smartphones) may be used to record your steps. Participants are required to supply their own pedometers.

 

If you wish to apply for sponsorship for a team to take part, just complete the online sponsorship application form.

How does it work?

Every team must have a unique name which they choose (bear in mind there’s an award for the Best Team Name, so be creative). This team name, along with the individual team members’ names, needs to be included on the sponsorship form.

 

Once your team sponsorship is confirmed by the University Wellbeing & Engagement Group, the team captain will receive an email directly from Paths For All with instructions on how to register the rest of your team on the Step Count Challenge official website.

 

The team captain must register the team on the Step Count Challenge official website, so the team are ready to go before the start date on 1 May. It is very important that team members do not register themselves on the website.

 

Team captains and members will be added to the ‘Step Count Challenge (Spring 2023)’ Microsoft Team, where all important announcements regarding the challenge will be issued to participants.

 

Once the Challenge is underway, each team member can then log their steps the Step Count Challenge official website through one of the following ways:

 

  • Synchronise your Fitbit to your account and record your steps automatically
  • Install the Google Fit App (for Android and Apple) on your smart phone and synchronise it to your account and record your steps automatically
  • Install the Stava App (for Android, Apple Watch and iPhone) on your smart phone and synchronise it to your account and record your steps automatically
  • Log in to the Step Count Challenge official website and record your steps manually

 

Different activities can be included in step counts as well as walking, such as running, cycling, and swimming. Other activities such as gardening, cooking, cleaning and yoga can be converted into steps to count toward your total. Paths For All are working in collaboration with Fitbit to provide an Activity Conversion Table for you to use during the Challenge. Stava and Google Fit can log and convert your activity into steps automatically.

Step Count Challenge Awards

Step Count isn’t all about getting highest number of steps; it is about getting people to increase their physical activity and building our community. To help teams celebrate their participation in the Challenge in range of aspects, we invite participants to submit entries for our Step Count Awards.

 

Please note that no animals, persons, or plants should be harmed or endangered in the pursuit of any of the photos submitted.

 

  • The Spirit of Step Count Award: recognising a captain or team member who has personified the ideal of being more active, not necessarily by achieving a massive step count!
  • The Best Scenic Walk Photo Award
  • The Best Individual Walk Photo Award
  • The Best Group Walk Photo Award
  • The Best Team Name Award

What if I don't have a team and still want to take part?

Step Count Challenge is a team activity, so people can’t take part on their own.

 

However, we do have individuals without teams who do want to join in. If you are happy for us to match you up with other people in the same position, then we can create teams.

 

The team would still need a team name and someone to act as ‘captain’, but it is not necessary for the walking activities to be done together as a team – or even for team members to meet, as long as the captain keeps in contact with the team members.

 

If you are interested in joining a team on this basis, just send us an email at wellbeingforstaff@st-andrews.ac.uk and let us know. We'll add you to our list and when we have enough people to create a team, we'll get back in touch.

What else do I need to know?

The official start date is Monday 1 May 2023. Team members should start keeping track of and logging their step count from then.

 

The official end date is Sunday 25 June 2023, at 11:59PM. After this time, it will not be possible for you to record your steps. Therefore, please make sure that you record all of your steps before then.

 

Teams may also use Step Count Challenge as a means for raising money for charity. We will make sure that any charity fundraising is acknowledged on our webpages and social media, and we will be giving out certificates and prizes at the end of the Challenge to recognise the team which raises the most.

 

If you have any other questions email: wellbeingforstaff@st-andrews.ac.uk.