Sick of seeing the word “Challenge” yet? We sure are. Over the past decade, challenges have taken the social media world by storm: the ice bucket challenge, the ghost pepper challenge, the cinnamon challenge, the no thumbs challenge, innumerable tiktok dance challenges, the 100 layers challenge… Need we go on? The thing is, these “challenges’’ don’t even need to be challenging to be dubbed, sometimes overnight, the next big social media challenge.
In the context above, a “challenge” is a one-time thing. You do something difficult, or even downright dangerous (Tide-pod challenge, we’re looking at you) once, capture it on video, click ‘post’ and you’re done! Let the likes, feelings of validation, and the instant rush of dopamine flow in.
People dedicated to staying active, whether they run or walk or play tennis or basketball, experience ‘challenge’ in a totally different way. They know that each day they lace up their sneakers, they are challenging themselves to be better than they were yesterday. And they do this over and over and over again.
When we examine most exercise apps, we find that “challenge” is used simply to describe the who-passed-who dynamics of the leaderboard.
That was when Rooners was born. We wanted to compete with each other, but we soon realized that no existing platform could give us exactly what we wanted. Thankfully, it was 2018, and we had access to technology that allowed us to create our own platform. All we needed to do was ensure our platform was fair and truthfully reflected the experience of a race.
When it comes to what you want in an exercise app, you’re the boss. Maybe you simply want to track your progress. Maybe you want an authentic virtual racing experience. Or maybe you’re looking for a way to socialize globally, and reach out to people you share your goals and passion. To find opponents on your level. Or an entertaining way to fuel your desire to stay active and healthy.
We’ve got all of that.

GPS, a points system, speed, condition, more and more details to be considered piled up. We asked professional runners what they thought we should include. We analyzed every possible aspect of the racing experience, anything that would be meaningful to the experience of running or walking, and used it to make our interactive exercise platform fair and fun for everyone.
The online dictionary gives the definition of challenge as “a call to someone to participate in a competitive situation to decide who is superior in terms of ability,” or “a call to prove or justify something”.
Challenge to us means the spirited competition that arises when two people pit their skills and abilities against each other in a just and sportsmanlike setting. It’s not the finish line that matters but the thrill of the race. A reason to take that next step just a little bit faster.
A call to prove or justify, well, yourself. And the belief that you can.
Because ‘Challenge’ means so much more to us than a position on a leaderboard, we designed games you can play against your friends. We wanted to give you the most motivating reason possible for you to get off the couch on any given day. And what could be more motivating than suddenly getting a notification saying “[your friend here] challenges you!”
Now, go get the friend that popped into your mind when you read that to download rooners and challenge them to a race. 😉
Studies have found that working with a partner helps keep you accountable and motivated. The group of test subjects who were instructed to find a ‘gym buddy’ ended up spending more time in total exercising, and at the end of the testing period, outperformed the control group across the board in not only their preferred method of exercise but also tests of general condition such as holding a plank or cycling.
So as you prove to the world that you can surpass your opponent, we’ll track you improving, bit by bit with every race. You’ll interact with other rooners, messaging your challengers within the Rooners community directly from the app. You might find a new running or walking partner from anywhere in the world. You can connect with people you meet in your travels. For these and so many other reasons, it is our passion to continue finding new ways to help you get better, get outside, get active, and keep doing it.
Are you ready for a real Challenge?