Ninth Annual Step Challenge, April 1 to 30
Thank you to everyone who participated! More than 2,200 of you in the #UBuffalo community stepped it up over the month of April and crushed our challenge goals! Here's the 2024 Step Challenge by the numbers!
- 30 days
- 460,000,000+ steps
- 164% of the challenge goal completed!
Final prize winners will be revealed the second week in May.
Open to anyone in and related to the UB and Western New York communities, the Step Challenge is a great way to connect with colleagues and friends, get outside and boost your health.
- You'll track your daily step activity and see your progress along with other steppers' and teams' efforts.
- And, yes, prizes are available! See the details in the FAQ.
See below how to get started!
Sponsored by UB's School of Public Health and Health Professions.
How do I join and get started?
Registration is open. Here’s how to join the challenge:
- Download StepSense from the Apple App Store, Google Play Store or Huawei App Gallery.
- Challenge Code: UBSTEPS24
- The StepSense setup wizard will guide you through the process. (Or you can view a detailed PDF with instructions.)
Which devices connect and sync?
StepSense connects to a variety of fitness tracking devices: Fitbit, Apple Health, Garmin, Google Fit and more. Although connecting your fitness tracking device is the easiest way to record your steps, StepSense also provides a way to input steps manually if you desire.
How can I add my steps manually?
Synching your wellness device to StepSense is obviously the easiest way to track your progress. However, you can add steps manually by going to the StepSense menu and selecting “Manual step entry.” You will then be able to enter the number of steps you took and the date. There is a maximum manual entry of 30,000 manual step entry per day. You have a 7-day grace period to enter your steps, so you can do it daily or weekly.
Do I participate on my own or with a team?
On your own
If you want to participate in the 2024 Step Challenge, simply sign up. You don't have to join a team to participate.
With a team
Encourage friends, colleagues and family to step by signing up as a team! You can create a team or have a team captain add you to the team that has already been created. (Teams are made up of 2 to 40 people.)
To participate on a team:
- Go to the “Team” tab at the bottom of the screen
- Select “Create a team”
- Choose an image for your team, then tap “Next”
- Choose a team name, and slogan (optional), then tap “Next”
- Invite steppers who have already registered for the challenge to join your team
- Steppers invited to join a team can check their invitations under “Your team invitations” in the StepSense menu.
You’ll have up to April 10 to form a team.
What is the challenge schedule?
Each week of the challenge begins on Saturday and ends the following Friday through April 30.
- Week 1: April 1 to 7
- Week 2: April 8 to 14
- Week 3: April 15 to 21
- Week 4: April 22 to 28
- Final days: April 29 and 30
How will I know how I’m doing?
Your StepSense Dashboard provides information about your personal performance in the Step Challenge including your current rank on the leaderboard. You'll also receive notifications within the app about how the challenge is going.
What if my steps aren't showing in StepSense?
Contact the StepSense support desk at support@mystepandgo.com. You can also check the FAQ section in the app.
Can I win a prize?
Yes, you'll have the chance to receive weekly prizes and final prizes at the end of the challenge. Stay tuned for more prize information!
Weekly Prizes
$25 Amazon gift cards to four randomly selected participants who recorded steps each day during the week.
Final Prizes
- Shiatsu Foot Massager with Heat: To one winner randomly chosen from the top 15 steppers on the individual leaderboard
- WATER.IO Smart Water Bottle or UB Columbia Quarter Zip Sweatshirt (winner's choice): To five randomly chosen winners among steppers who recorded steps on each day of the challenge.
- WATER.IO Smart Water Bottle or UB Columbia Quarter Zip Sweatshirt (winner's choice): To the one most improved stepper
- University at Buffalo merch (winner's choice): To the team leaderboard's top three teams' steppers (team average).
What are the prize rules?
- To be eligible for the random weekly participation prizes, you must sync/submit your steps on a daily basis. You have up to seven days to enter your daily steps.
- Participants on teams also qualify for individual prizes.
- Team data in the team leaderboard is the average number of steps of all team members.
- Results for the winning teams displayed in the app are not final. Challenge administrators will confirm the results before announcing winners.
What if I have questions?
Technical questions: support@mystepandgo.com (available 24/7)
Questions on registration, rules and prizes: sphhp-step-challenge@buffalo.edu
Accessing the Step Challenge
The University at Buffalo is committed to making the 2024 Step Challenge available to everyone wishing to participate. We have worked closely with StepSense during review and testing of the app. If you have any difficulty accessing the content or services on the challenge website or platform, the UB Step Challenge team will provide an alternative means of access to the information and services required to participate in the program. In addition, we will contact the StepSense team for their assistance in remediating any reported accessibility issues. Please contact us for assistance by email at sphhp-step-challenge@buffalo.edu, phone at (716) 829-5077, or in-person by appointment.
Your privacy
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