Walk, hike, or run your way to 1,000 miles in 2024!
Why you should join, tips for success, & a free download mileage tracker!
I ran/walked/hiked exactly 1,000 miles in 2023 (after coming up short the two years prior). I want to share how this challenge improved my life and encourage you to join in on the challenge in 2024 (or whenever you read this – it is never too late to start!).
Click here to skip straight to your free 1,000-mile challenge tracker spreadsheet!
What is the 1,000 Mile Challenge?
You can make the 1,000-mile challenge into whatever you want it to be.
I chose to include any intentional running, walking, or hiking that I did throughout the year. I only included mileage if I deliberately went out for a walk, run, or hike.
Personally, I chose not to include any walking that was not intentional. For example, part of my strength training workouts, walking through the mall, running after my kids, walking to my car in a parking lot, etc. did not count.
You can conduct the challenge as I did, or you can include any mileage you accumulate throughout the day. You can customize the challenge to fit your specific lifestyle and goals.
Maybe 500 miles is more realistic for you. Perhaps 1000 miles is easy and your goal is 2,000 miles throughout the course of a year. Adjust the challenge to whatever will be best for you!
Charity Challenges
One way to make the challenge even more meaningful is to incorporate a donation to a charity or special cause.
1000milechallenge.org has an app that allows you to donate 25 cents per mile to a charity of your choice from their charity list.
Benefits of the 1000 Mile Challenge
We all know physical activity is good for our health. A mileage challenge is a great way to get into the habit of getting in your daily steps and moving your body.
Daily walking can lower your blood pressure, improve your sleep, strengthen your immunity, alleviate joint pain, keep your digestive system running smoothly, and help you burn calories and maintain a healthy weight.
In addition to physical benefits, a long walk, morning run, or afternoon hike can greatly improve your mood, boost your productivity, and lower stress.
How the 1000 Mile Challenge Impacted Me
I am a business owner and mom of two toddlers. Half the time I feel like I am a chicken with my head cut off trying to balance everything. 2023 was an incredibly tough year, as I went through a tremendous loss.
Getting my daily walking and running in 2023 was something meaningful I got to do for myself. It was therapeutic and made me feel happier and less stressed. It also made me more patient, and I believe it made me a better mom.
The 1000-mile challenge inspired me to get moving and get my steps in on days when I otherwise would not have. The challenge helped me to be a lot more active overall.
I am pregnant with my third baby and am more fit this pregnancy than my previous two. I feel really good and attribute a lot of that to staying active and moving my body daily.
It feels so good to hit your goal at the end of the year and feel proud thinking back on all of those days you pushed through when you didn’t feel like it!
How Many Miles Do I Need to Average Per Day?
To hit 1000 miles by year-end, you will need to average 83.33 miles on a monthly basis. Your weekly mileage will need to average 19.23 miles.
Daily mileage comes out to an average of 2.74 miles per day.
Remember that these are averages. You may have days with higher mileage totals and days with zeros.
Try to stick close to the weekly and monthly averages so you are not scrambling at the end of the year (like I may have been last year) to achieve the goal.
How Do I Track My Mileage?
I use an Apple watch to track my walks/runs/hikes that are not on the treadmill. You can use any type of watch, fitness tracker, or phone app to track your miles. There are hundreds to choose from.
I log my daily mileage totals on a simple spreadsheet that was created by my high school track/cross country coach (thanks, Coach Nordheim!).
There are a few different 1,000-mile challenges online that you can pay to join (payment can get you perks like joining a facebook group or getting sweet prizes), but if you are okay with using a simple spreadsheet, you can download the one I use for free.
I simply open the spreadsheet on my phone each night and log my daily mileage. I like to bold the days that I did strength training just as an extra accountability piece for myself.
Here is what my spreadsheet looked like for 2023.
Add getting in your miles to your list of daily activities, give the 1,000 mile challenge a try this year, and let me know if you achieve your goal! Good luck!
