StepsLinkStep challenge with friends: how to make it fair
To keep a step challenge fair between different fitness levels, compare everyone to their own level: goal = average of the last 7 days + the same percentage for everyone (for example +25%), then rank by the percentage reached. Someone who walks 3,000 steps a day can then beat someone who walks 12,000. An app with a group helps you follow everyone's steps and cheer each other on; the calculation fits in a spreadsheet.
Why "most steps wins" doesn't work
Picture a colleague who works from home at 3,000 steps and another who walks to work and does 12,000. With a raw ranking, the second one can win every week without changing any habit, and the first has no chance of catching up.
A fixed target like "10,000 steps a day" has the same flaw: it is too far for one person and too easy for another. That number also rests on little evidence, and studies show benefits well before it (see Walking app for iPhone: how to choose). A goal tailored to each person is better.
What the studies say
- A family game, with a goal set to each person's level. In the BE FIT trial (Patel et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2017), 200 adults from 94 families played for 12 weeks. Each person chose a starting goal 33%, 40% or 50% above their measured baseline (or a personalized goal at least 1,000 steps higher). The controls had the same goals, without the game: the game was what was being tested. The game group gained on average 1,661 steps a day compared with their baseline, against 636 for the control group (adjusted difference: 953 steps). There was no financial gain: it was a game of points and levels at the scale of the family. Source: PMC5710273.
- After the challenge ended. During 12 weeks of follow-up, the game group stayed above the control group (+1,385 steps against +798), but down from the game period. The authors note that durability remains to be studied.
- In teams of colleagues. At a German university, 331 employees in 44 teams of 3 to 15 people took part in a 6-week challenge with a ranking: the average rose from 8,955 to 10,653 steps a day, then fell back to 8,514 steps during the following 3 weeks (Manger et al., Frontiers in Public Health, 2025). There was no control group and the group had formed voluntarily: this is an observation, not proof that the challenge alone explains the increase. Source: Frontiers.
These two studies describe group averages, not what will happen to you, and neither tested the percentage ranking proposed here: it is our practical method. Keep one idea: gains fade after the challenge ends. So plan what comes next before you start.
The fair calculation, step by step
- Starting level. Everyone reads off their steps for the 7 days before the challenge (in the iPhone Health app, Browse tab, Activity, Steps) and works out their daily average.
- Personal goal. Average × 1.25 (+25%). The percentage is the same for everyone. +25% is our suggested starting point, neither a standard nor the result of a study: choose a gentler percentage (+15%) if the group is just starting out.
- Daily score. Steps of the day ÷ personal goal × 100. Cap it at 150% so that a single hiking day doesn't decide everything (150% is also our suggestion, not a study result).
- Challenge score. Average of the daily scores.
Worked example, over one week
| Item | Léa | Marc |
|---|---|---|
| Average of the 7 days before the challenge | 3,000 steps | 12,000 steps |
| Personal goal (+25%) | 3,750 steps | 15,000 steps |
| Steps during the challenge (Mon. to Sun.) | 4,000, 3,500, 5,000, 4,200, 4,800, 4,500, 5,500 | 13,000, 14,500, 12,500, 16,000, 11,000, 13,500, 14,000 |
| Total for the week | 31,500 | 94,500 |
| Average per day | 4,500 | 13,500 |
| Score (average ÷ goal) | 4,500 ÷ 3,750 = 120% | 13,500 ÷ 15,000 = 90% |
Marc walked three times as much as Léa, but Léa wins: 120% against 90%. A limit to know about: both added 1,500 steps a day. The same percentage asks for more steps from someone who already walks a lot (3,000 more for Marc, 750 for Léa). If your group finds that unfair, compare the steps added per day instead.
In a spreadsheet, the score formula is =AVERAGE(steps_of_the_week)/goal, then percentage format.
The rules to set before you start
| Rule | Proposal | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | 2 to 4 weeks | our suggestion, so the challenge stays easy to stick to; the studies cited lasted 6 and 12 weeks, and none tested 2 to 4 weeks |
| Starting level | average of 7 normal days, recorded before the challenge is announced | anyone can show their starting screenshot to the group if in doubt |
| Percentage | the same for everyone | it is what makes the ranking comparable |
| Cap | 150% per day | prevents one exceptional day from swamping the week |
| Source of steps | the same from first day to last, starting reading included (iPhone on you or Apple Watch); no manual entry | the iPhone misses steps when it is set down: changing source would skew the comparison |
| Missed day | it counts, with the steps actually taken | no "joker" without the group's agreement |
| Reward | none; the pleasure of winning is enough | a challenge without money stays light among people who know each other |
| End of the challenge | keep the group and start a new 2-week challenge | gains fall back if everything stops |
Among friends, family or colleagues
- Among friends (3 to 10): the simplest. A check-in once a week in the conversation is enough.
- In a family: the age gap is large. Choose a gentler percentage (+10 to +15%) and let everyone choose their share.
- Among colleagues (5 to 25): a group of 25 people at most, who sign up if they wish. Nobody is obliged to take part: in a StepsLink group, members see your steps for the day. The challenge must stay the initiative of volunteer colleagues, never a request from the employer. This guide is for a challenge organized by hand among a few people, not for a business offer. All participants need an iPhone to use StepsLink.
How to do it with StepsLink
Here we present our own app. It does not do the fair calculation for you.
- Pedometer: StepsLink reads your steps in Apple Health (see Counting your steps on iPhone).
- Motivation: your goal becomes a line to cross each day, with a streak of successful days, a calendar and badges.
- Group: a group of 25 people at most, joined with a 6-character code. It shows a daily and weekly ranking, the group total, a chat, and the group sees when someone crosses their line.
- Worldwide ranking: optional, off by default. You don't need it for a challenge among people you know.
The group ranking is by number of steps: it does not give the fair ranking of this page, and the app has no automatic challenge rules. Set your personal goal in the app: it becomes your line for the day, and the group sees when you cross it. For the fair ranking, do the calculation in a spreadsheet at the end of each week and post the result in the group chat.
StepsLink is a Premium subscription app, monthly or yearly, which unlocks the whole app. A trial may be offered to new subscribers: its length is shown before you subscribe. Data is read from Apple Health with your consent, with no advertising and no resale.
See StepsLink on the App Store
A ready-to-copy set of instructions for your group
Step challenge, from [date] to [date]
- Before Monday, find your average steps for the last 7 days (Health app > Browse > Activity > Steps) and send it here.
- Your goal = your average × 1.25.
- Each day, your score = your number of steps ÷ your goal, capped at 150%.
- Each Sunday evening, [name] calculates the average of the scores and posts the ranking.
- No reward: just the pleasure of winning.
- During the week, we cheer each other on in the chat. At the end, we decide together: a new 2-week challenge or a break.
To measure your distance in kilometers rather than steps, use the steps to kilometers converter.
Frequently asked questions
How do you run a fair step challenge when levels are very different?
Compare each person to their own level: personal goal = average of the last 7 days + the same percentage for everyone, then rank by the percentage reached. The worked example above gives the details.
How long should a step challenge last?
From 2 to 4 weeks is our suggestion for a group of people who know each other; none of the studies cited tested that length. In the German university study, the average fell back to 8,514 steps, below its starting level of 8,955, within the 3 weeks after a 6-week challenge: plan what comes next.
Is 10,000 steps a day a good challenge goal?
It is a round benchmark, not a proven threshold, and it is too high for some and too low for others. A goal set to each person's level is fairer.
Can you run a step challenge among colleagues without a corporate tool?
Yes: 5 to 25 volunteers, a group, rules written down at the start and a shared spreadsheet are enough. Everyone must be able to count their steps the same way.
Do you need a reward for it to work?
No. The BE FIT trial offered no financial gain: points, levels and family support (a simple mug for the top levels).
Sources
- Patel M. S. et al., "Effect of a Game-Based Intervention Designed to Enhance Social Incentives to Increase Physical Activity Among Families: The BE FIT Randomized Clinical Trial", JAMA Internal Medicine, 2017: PMC5710273
- Manger H. et al., "Do leaders walk the extra mile? The contribution of personal and work-related factors on daily step count increase in a university team step challenge", Frontiers in Public Health, 2025: Frontiers