How-to
How challenges work
Challenges are optional goals you can join on top of your everyday journeys. They give you something concrete to aim for — a distance target, a set of trails to finish, or a window of time to work inside — without replacing how you browse and walk virtual routes.
Step 1
A challenge is a goal you choose — separate from, but powered by, your journeys
Your journeys are where day-to-day distance and trail stories live. A challenge sits on top of that: it tracks whether you are meeting a published goal, such as covering a certain distance or finishing particular routes within a time frame. You can be on journeys and in challenges at the same time.
- Challenges are optional — you join the ones that motivate you.
- Each challenge explains its own rules on the challenge page, including which trails count and any dates that apply.
What to look for
On the challenges list
- Look for a short description and a clear call to start when you are ready.
- Open a challenge to read the full story and see contributing routes, if the challenge lists them.
Step 2
Starting a challenge creates your own entry for that goal
When you start a challenge, Virtualtrails begins tracking your progress toward that goal. You will see your progress on the challenge page, and you can come back there to read instructions and see which journeys have helped.
- You can take part in more than one challenge over time; past attempts may appear if you have joined the same challenge before.
- Someone might share a link so you can join the same challenge they are doing — the goal is still yours to complete.
What to look for
When you are ready
- Use the main button to start when you have read what is asked.
- After you join, return to the challenge page to see progress and any log options.
Step 3
Challenges use different kinds of goals
Most challenges fall into two broad ideas: cover a total distance, or complete a set of specific virtual trails. The challenge page spells out which applies, and whether there is a time limit in plain language.
- Distance-style goals add up the distance you record while you are in the challenge, on trails that qualify.
- Route-style goals look at which trails you have finished — for example, completing each trail in a listed set before time runs out.
- Exact wording and numbers always come from the challenge itself, not from a generic rule.
What to look for
Read the challenge carefully
- Look for icons or lines that describe distance, time, or which routes matter.
- If suggested trails appear below the description, they are there to help you get started.
Step 4
How your walks and runs feed a challenge
When you log distance on a journey that qualifies for an active challenge, that distance can move the challenge forward. Workouts from connected fitness apps and entries you add by hand on a trail all follow the same idea: they need to land on a journey and route that count for the challenge, and within the challenge’s dates if it has them.
- Your active trail is still the first place automatic updates usually go — see how to log progress for that flow.
- If you do not have an active trail, distance from connected apps may still update challenges you have joined, so your goal does not stall when no journey is open.
What to look for
Staying aligned with journeys
- Check which trail is active if something seems to miss your journey.
- Open the challenge page to see contributing journeys once you have logged enough to show up.
Step 5
You can also log straight onto a challenge
Some challenges let you add distance directly on the challenge, without going through a trail first. That is useful when you want the goal to move forward even if you are not focused on a particular journey screen. Automatic journey progress still counts too — this is an extra path, not a replacement.
- Use manual challenge logging when the challenge page offers it and you want a simple entry.
- Your challenge history and journey history can both show activity; they serve different views of what you did.
What to look for
On an active challenge
- Look for a “Log progress” area after you have joined.
- You may see a list of entries that contributed, similar to a journey timeline.
Step 6
Completing a challenge, or stepping away
When you meet the goal, the challenge can show as complete. If you no longer want an active challenge, you can leave it from the challenge page; your saved progress entries do not disappear from your account, but they stop counting toward that challenge once you leave.
- Finishing one challenge does not stop you from starting another.
- Abandoning is about the challenge slot, not deleting your fitness history — check the wording on screen when you confirm.
What to look for
If you change your mind
- Look for an option to abandon or leave if you need to stop tracking this goal.
- Read what stays saved before you confirm.