“30 unique challenges, 100 days to complete them all. A Celebration of Movement, Training & Running.”

Gary Robbins

This was a challenge that Gary Robbins, a Canadian trail runner, posted to his Instagram feed.  Competitors received a badge for each challenge completed. He called it the Summer Solstice Series (http://www.trailseries.ca/cmtr/#details)

I loved the idea but I wanted to make it simpler and quicker. Could it be done in a week and could the challenges be opened up so that anyone could do them whether they are a runner, biker or walker.

So after many hours researching how to make badges I realized I should stop looking at badge and concentrate on the the competition logistics instead. Being inherently lazy I put that off and went back to looking at badges until my triatlon club Glasgow Triathlon Club (https://www.glasgowtriathlonclub.co.uk/) asked “Has anyone got an idea for a club event?” That was my push to create Badgeathlon

The concept is 30 unique challenges, 7 days to complete. A celebration of triathlon and GTC Members. 

Everyone who wanted to take part were invited to join a Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/events/901651313997567

This was used to track the event and to create a community during the event.

I posted 23 of the challenges in advance to the facebook group so that everyone would know what to expect in the week. Challenges were as simple as “go for a run” or “Attend a GTC session” to the more complicated “Check the time on your watch, then run/walk/bike for 30 minutes. Look at your watch and see how close you were to 30 minutes”

The remaining seven challenges were announced one at a time on each day of the event.

It was a fun event. I recommend any club give it a try. The key to making it a success is to make uses the facebook page and get people to post to it. The community that creates really drives the event forward.

Badgeathlon Challenges

Proclaimers Badge – Can you walk/run up 500 steps? Use the stairs in your house or your block of flats or find some steps in your local area.

Roger Bannister Badge – During the challenge what was the the time of your fastest mile (running or walking only)

Marianne Vos Badge – During the challenge what was the time of your fastest mile (biking only)

Ben Nevis-ing Badge – Complete 1345m of elevation (run/bike/walk) by the end of the challenge

Night Owl Badge – Complete a run/bike after sunset (this can be indoors)

Beat the sun Badge – Complete a run/bike before sunrise (this can be indoors)

What Weather Badge – Exercise in the rain/snow. There is no mimumum time for this. 1 minute outside will count!

Run Long Badge – What was the longest run you completed during the challenge

Bike Long Badge – What was the longest bike ride you completed during the challenge

Loop de Loop Badge – Go to a football pitch and see how many times you can walk/run around it in 30 minutes.

No watch Badge – Try to exercise for 30 min (running) or 60 min (biking) without looking at your watch whilst you do it. Make a note of start time and then check the end time when you think your time is up.

Weight Up Badge – Complete a weight/yoga/pilates session

GTC Badge – Attend a GTC session or do a GTC virtual run/podcast

Swim Badge – Have a cold shower

Shanti Badge – Immediately after a bike or run session find a quiet spot, lie down and close your eyes for 5 minutes and think of nothing.

Run Streaking Badge – Can you bike,run or walk for at least 3 days in a row.

Unplug Badge – Complete a run/bike session. Don’t upload it to strava or post about it on social media.

Home Run Badge – Get dropped off somewhere away from your home and run/bike back to your home

Trail Badge – Complete a run or a bike ride that is predomininatly off road (the canal path counts as off road or you can use a local park)

Back to the future Badge – Find a 100m flat area and time how long it takes to do it running backwards.

GPS Art Badge – Can you draw a picture in strava (or any mapping software) by running/biking. ( I suggest trying to spell out GTC) If you don’t have GPS then creat GTC art using some other medium song, poem, painting, baking.

Party Badge – As S Club 7 once sang, there ain’t no party like an Badgeathlon party! What one song would you want if you are finishing Iron Man Kona. What song would you want playing as you cross the line? Or imagine a boxer going to the ring and the entrance music blaring out.

Is it art? Badge – You have to post a pic from a bike/run/walk and the image must contain either a mural/graffiti/picture/interesting object and it can have yourself/other people in it.The more imaginative the better! It will be judged on artistic merit.

Rest Day Badge – Badge Fever is a condition that affects badgeaholics when in the pursuit of badge glory. Today – relax, take it easy and recommend a book or a film that you have enjoyed recently.

15 Minutes of Fame – to earn todays badge you have to post a sentence or picture detailing your claim to have had 15 minutes of fame! Maybe you’ve spotted a famous person in your local supermarket, maybe you are an artist/author/musician, maybe you can do a Rubik’s cube in under a minute. No matter how spurious your claim post it up!

Ant n Dec Badge – I’m a triathlete get me outta here! To earn todays badge post a sentence or picture (by midnight) saying where you would love to be swim/bike/runtoday if you could go anywhere. It could be a race/destination. Where ever you want to go as long as you can swim/bike/run.This is also known as the Hilary Glen Badge in honor of her being stuck at home

Post It Badge – To earn the badge you have to post (at least one or as many as you like) pictures or videos to this page from an attempt at one of the badge challenges on the spreadsheet. There are 22 you can choose from and your pic/video can be anything you like as long as it was taken whilst you did the badge. This badge is available until the competition ends on Sunday. You have the rest of the week to earn it.

ILOVETRI Badge – Posting a picture on the theme of “I love triathlon.” It can be a picture of anything swim/bike/run related from your time with GTC. It doesn’t have to a picture of yourself. It can be anything you like just as long as it was taken whilst you’ve been a member of GTC.

Badgeathlon Stats

44 people took part
Fastest Mile (run) – 6.50Fastest 100m backwards (run) – 26.62
Fast Mile (bike) – 2 min
Longest Run – 15 miles
Longest bike – 53 miles
Most loops of a football pitch in 30 minutes – 28
Fastest up 50 step – 4 min

7 people got a gold badge for completing all 30 badges
5 people got a pink badge for completing 25 badges
7 people got a red badge for completing 20 badges
7 people got a green badge for completing 15 badges

And the woman beat the men by averaging 21 badges to 18. 

The winner of the GTC art was this one because I like the 1980’s neon graffiti vibe.