Strava has announced that creators of partner challenges now have the option to allow virtual rides or runs to count toward their challenges on Strava. According to their press release,
Indoor virtual activities are categorized as those that include GPS, distance, elevation, and time data from a simulated route. Strava’s own challenges will continue to count only outdoor run and ride activities towards challenge goals.
The Good News, or the Bad News?
On one hand, this is music to Zwifters’ ears. We all know our virtual activities consist of real hard work, and deserve to be counted toward challenges.
On the other hand, this announcement makes it clear that Strava’s own challenges will continue to only allow outdoor activities. Since the vast majority of Strava challenges come from Strava themselves, this rule change, in practice, does not change much. Currently Strava’s challenge page lists 11 active challenges. And although it is not always clear which challenges are “partner challenges” and which are from Strava, based on the challenge logos I would guess only 2 of the 11 are partner challenges.
Le Col is Le First
The “Le Col Season Starter” challenge is the first to allow virtual rides. Oddly enough, the challenge’s homepage says nothing about allowing virtual rides. In fact, under “Additional Info” it states, “Manual entries, private activities, and trainer rides will not count toward your challenge effort.”
But I joined the challenge and uploaded a Zwift ride, and it counted. So there you have it.
A Good First Step
Overall, I see this as a step in the right direction. Hopefully soon Strava will begin allowing virtual activities for their challenges as well.
Only challenge most people really care about is Rapha’s Festive 500. Time will tell if it counts. I hope it does.
I don’t believe that virtual miles should count towards Strava’s current crop of challenges, they’re for outdoor miles. Much like the Festive 500, I’d say there’s no chance of that going virtual as the whole Rapha marketing around it is extended suffering outdoors in grainy black and white through long winter miles. On Zwift I could knock out the Festive 500 in under two hours a day over the eight days…
What I take from this change is that now partners are able to create challenges that could be almost Zwift specific, so ONLY counting virtual miles. Almost a whole new set of Srtava challenge badges! That could be interesting! For instance a virtual climbing challenge to go alongside the actual climbing challenge, etc.
Perhaps Strava can create a symbol that differentiates virtual miles from outdoor miles.
As you say Eric a step in the right direction. Personally I would have no problem with opening up most challenges to virtual rides (some themed exceptions make sense). Yes, there are differences to “real” world rides but already some people ride challenges in big bunches, others solo, some on flat terrain, some in the mountains, some with accurate elevation data, some with ridiculous data, some straight as a dime, some manipulated intentionally or duplicated, some just wildly inaccurate etc. etc. etc. These are not formal competitions with a prize for the top places like a sanctioned race and as such we shouldn’t treat them as such. It’s about completing them as an incentive for yourself, who cares about the guy one place above you and whether they had it easier than you, and yes, I know a lot of people will care but hope springs eternal…
Challenges are surely there to encourage people to be more active? If so then we should stop worrying about 100% consistency, accuracy or “fairness” and ask will this make it more likely for more people to go and exercise today? If the answer is yes then the way forward should be clear…
Well said.
Fair points and very well said. We should all just care less about the small stuff and enjoy our time on two wheels, wherever and however that may be. 🙂
Well said yourself! 🙂