Remove "walks" from running challenges and expand challenges for walks

[runprime]

Walks have been added to running challenges as of January 2024 and as a person who does both run and walk acitvities as separate sports, this has ruined the experience of challenges in the app for me, and in general.

My walks are no counting towards running challenges which rightly used to be separate. They are separate sports.

I found an idea here from last year where somebody requested the opposite and now it has been implemented. From their point of view, they were lesser abled and some walks "felt" like runs to them, which i acknowledge - however, the solution there is ti simply record a running workout on your device, not a walk.

To improve the experience for walkers then more 5k, 10k and monthly mileage challenges can be set up to keep it interesting. 

Last year I really enjoyed tracking my walking challenge and sepaately doing the running challenges. 

Now there are fewer challenges in total which seems like the app is getting worse, not better.

Also importantly need to point out that runs are not included in the walking challenges.... I guess that's the real punchline to this joke.

[dangreen17]

Any word from Strava on this i.e. what is going to be done about it, if anything?

The change came in nearly 2 months' ago now.  

It wasn't a bad idea to merge run and walk, but as an additional metric.  I think it was ridiculous to do so and remove the individual activity data.   I can't believe that on the world's largest fitness activity tracking app, where the most popular activity is running, you cannot see your monthly running stats!  I can see how many hour's I've run, but not the total distance.  There should be a thousand difference ways to look at that data for the user...

[Tonis19]

I wholeheartedly agree with this stance. As someone who was a non runner 4 years ago these challenges have been vital in building both my confidence and ability within the field of running. Now to have the accumulative and set distance running challenges cheapened with walking workouts makes me think what was the point. 
I also hike and walk and track these all separately. I’m all up for inclusion but this just seems like madness. If someone’s walk felt like a run then they can log it as a run on Strava, no where on the challenges does it state a time limit so that does make it inclusive as clearly it’s all about finish lines not finish times. Everyone is in competition with themselves and Strava has clearly decided to ignore the wants of runners in favour of walkers. Such a shame, a change of app appears to be in order

[Lorstell]

I 100% agree with this! As someone who tracks their walks and runs separate why would i want them combining! I used to love the running challenges it really used to push me now i just achieve them easily with next to no effort because of them adding walking as an allowed effort. I can’t see why even if you are a slow paced runner that’s fine you are still a runner so track it as a run why track it as a walk anyway and ruin the strava running challenges. Im now not renewing my strava subscription and going to find a different app to use. 

[Craig1976]

Same here, I do not like this and it confused me through January to my distances and elevation that I had run.

[MickyWeir]

Please turn this off it’s ruining my running! The whole point of a running challenge is that is actually a challenge! 

[sanchit3008]

It has been a month since I first commented on this thread. Glad to see so many others supporting this (vs the 6 people who wanted walks to be added to running challenges), but sad to see no official response! Why is the Strava team ignoring the needs of frequent runners? How does adding walks to running challenges or removing 200/300km challenges make the app more inclusive? I could barely run 50km a month when I started out, and these challenges were a motivation to get better.  It is absurd to penalise those who can run that much for what is a mindless attempt at customer acquisition. By this logic, Olympics should be cancelled too for being too intimidating for regular people.

[PauliusG]

I asked Strava why they ignoring our voice and closing tickets without any explanations. They answered me that:

"As mentioned, we have made changes to our challenges recently. We are the support team and while we help with issues on the intended function of the application we cannot discuss the direction of the product. We welcome you to continue this discussion in our community hub. I apologize for the inconvenience this causes you."

I don't no is this is some kind of a joke or something? 😄

[yantonov]

It's not a direction of the product, it's mistakenly hired people who completely don't understand what they are doing!!!

[runprime]

Pleased to see so much support to get this absurd addition of walks to running challenges reversed. Remember to kudos the original idea at the top if you support returning the challenges to how they should be.

[srybarczyk]

I just posted the same before I figured out how this forum works. Completely agree.  It makes zero sense. I walk and I run. They’re two different activities and I have very different goals for each. Most people have shoes and clothes for running and different gear for walking. Not the same activity! And those challenges motivate me. Not happy. I always thought they should have larger distance walking challenges (i walk a lot), but to combine walking and running makes absolutely no sense, and I’m purely a recreational runner!