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Weekly steps challenge rules aren’t fair

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I first was in a 90k weekly group. Got the badge a couple times. Then I got moved to a 100k group. Usually in that group “athletes “ are hitting 110-120k. At this level anyone who reached 100k should get a point. Even if it is just once a month. or put me back in the 90k group. I usually get between 90-100k a week but others hitting 110-120k make it impossible. To get a badge. 

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  • 0

    The rules are fair, because they are the same for everyone. If you want to get to the lower category, simply do (or record) less steps for a week or two, and you drop back.

  • 0

    A challenge should also be a challenge. If you get badges for just your normal training routine then there is no extra effort required.

    The Steps Podium badge is for just one of the weeks in the month. Put some extra effort in on one of the weeks. That is also a good way to train. Mix in one or two extra hard weeks every month to break the normal training routine. 

  • 0

    I think the top three on the leaderboard are bots or AI. If I don’t do many steps on a given day, then the top three also don’t do many steps, and vice versa. For several months now, I’ve always ended up fourth

  • 0 in reply to GregaTheBoss

    For me it is enough to make a trail on Sunday, and it is practically guaranteed to win the challenge (unless I was lazy, and did not do much during the week).

  • 0 in reply to GregaTheBoss

    Nah. I've been First a few times (twice in a row this month actually). I'll often be third or fourth then top the table after a long run on the Saturday or Sunday. 

    As above, if you want to game it, then have a couple of less active weeks so that you're placed in a lower category challenge, then ramp it up. (I realise this is more difficult for folk recording 10k steps every day). 

  • 0 in reply to druidh

    I’m currently in 2nd place in this weeks Step Challenge with 157,706 steps. I’m a keen (but slow) 63 year old runner - and I’m pleased with my weekly step total.

    The person in 1st place has recorded 373,769 steps…..an average of almost 75,000 steps per day.

    Really?

  • 0 in reply to radishroot2002

    Most users keep their activities private so hard to say why it is that high. A long ultra run can easily give you 200k-300k steps.

    There will always be those that takes lots and lots of steps and some will cheat some way. Just ignore them. You can leave the challenge, wait some time and then join again and you will likely end up in a different group. 

  • 0

    The way I see it, if I am always winning a challenge then I am in the wrong challenge.

  • 0 in reply to trux
    trux said:
    The rules are fair, because they are the same for everyone.

    No, the rules of most challenges aren't fair because they do not take age and gender into account. In real sports, no one would think of scoring a main-class athlete and an aged athlete in the same way.

  • 0 in reply to subra
    subra said:
    No, the rules of most challenges aren't fair because they do not take age and gender into account

    Really depends on what you mean by "fair".

    subra said:
    In real sports, no one would think of scoring a main-class athlete and an aged athlete in the same way.

    In "sports" where there's different divisions for age and gender:

    - nobody cares about the results for any divisions except for the open division (i.e. men's division) and the women's division

    - nobody cares if an older competitor obtains a higher age grade than a younger competitor but does not beat the younger competitor outright

    For example, age grade in running is defined as the percentage of the finisher's speed to the world record for their gender/age group. IOW age grade (%) = WR finish time (for your age/gender) / your finish time * 100%. For example, the overall marathon world record is 2:00:35. If a 25 year old man runs a marathon in 4:01:10, his age grade would be exactly 50%.

    Therefore we can use age grades to compare road race results for people of different ages and genders. The marathon WR for M70+ is 2:54:19. Therefore, if a 70-year old man runs a marathon in 5:48:38, we can say his age grade is 50% and his performance is equivalent to a 25 year old man's 4:01:10 (at least in terms of age grade).

    Even though this is kind of academically interesting, absolutely nobody would care if a 70-year old man was able to run a marathon with a higher age grade than the fastest runner (who would likely be much younger), unless it was a world record for the 70-year old. Either way, the fastest runner would still be considered the real winner of the race. (To be pedantic, in road races, the winner would be the person who crosses the finish line first, which is not necessarily the fastest runner, since it's theoretically possible to start some time after the gun goes off, and to have a faster chip time than the overall winner. This is why elites start at the front, and why elite results are based on gun time and not chip time - to ensure that the winner is always the person who crosses the finish line first, which ensures that the fastest runners are directly competing against each other.)

    For example, say a 25-year old man wins a marathon with a time of 2:01:00 (~0.997 age grade). Let's say a 70 year old man runs the marathon in 2:54:19 (100% age grade). Nobody is gonna say the 70 year old man *really* won the marathon because his age grade is higher.

    Similarly, nobody is going to adjust totals in steps challenges for age and gender to determine the winner. At best there could be different divisions for gender/age groups, but I have a feeling that the overall winner would always be determined by the person who takes the most steps. 

    Look at Strava, which has a couple of popular types of challenges:

    - segments (king of mountain / queen of mountain) - you get the kom/qom by being the fastest man or woman on the segment, period. Nobody is adjusting your time upwards or downwards due to your age. Ofc you are able to look at separate leaderboards for your age category, but that doesn't affect the title of kom/qom

    - monthly distance/elevation challenges - again the overall winner is based on the total distance/elevation, period.  However, subscribers can also see leaderboards based on age and weight

    Maybe Garmin should just add age-specific leaderboards to their challenges. (Assuming they don't have them already? I don't think they do, anyway)

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