Peloton Challenges What You Need to Know

What are Peloton challenges and where do you find them? And why would you want to get involved in a Peloton challenge?

Well, there’s lots of reasons to join one. It’s a great way to meet new people and make friends. Also, if you find your motivation to work out waning, being in a challenge can help. Finally, some of the Peloton challenges help you learn new skills.

Below, I’ve outline all the Peloton challenges that I’ve participated in and why, and where you can find challenges on the Peloton bike, Tread or app. 

Official Peloton challenges

Let’s start with Peloton challenges. These are the ones that you can find on the bike or Tread or in the app or website. These are challenges that Peloton runs monthly or seasonally or even just on a short-term basis.

Pelothon from Peloton

For example, during summer 2020, Peloton had something called the Pelothon. They created four teams in the Peloton–the Peloton marathon–with instructors from each of the disciplines.

When you joined the Pelothon, then you chose which team you wanted to join. This was based on which instructors you liked or even the name of the team. I was on the Grit and Grace Gang.

Grit and Grace Pelothon team

The Grit and Grace Gang team in this Peloton challenge had instructors Denis Morton, Anna Greenberg, Ben Alldis and Selena Samuela. One the one hand, it was a great opportunity to try new instructors. On the other hand, it kept me motivated to take classes regularly with them.

Pelothon challenge badges

Why? Because at the end of the Challenge I would earn a new Pelothon badge. Actually, by the end, I’d earned eight Pelothon badges.

There were Peloton badges for week 1, week 2, week 3 and week 4, among other opportunities. See them all, below. I’m sad that Peloton hasn’t repeated the Pelothon since.

How to find Peloton challenges

Finding Peloton challenges is a little bit different depending on your hardware. It also varies if you access Peloton through the Peloton app or the website. So here goes.

One, on the Peloton app, you’ll find challenges across the bottom on your phone or tablet. Two, on the Peloton website, you’ll find Challenges in the menu across the top of the screen.

And, three, on the bike you’ll find Challenges across the bottom of the screen. I imagine it’s the same with the Tread.

Unfortunately, the Peloton app aka the Peloton channel on Smart TVs does not include a menu option for seeing Challenges or even a way to Filter classes. I hope that changes in the future.

However, if you do classes that are part of a challenge via your Roku TV, it will count towards your total. You just won’t be able to see that on the screen.

Here is my article that explains special events and challenges associated with them.

Challenges on the Peloton app

When you open the Peloton app and tap on Challenges on the bottom of the screen, you’ll notice something interesting. Across the top of the screen, there are three options. They are:

1. Active
2. Upcoming
3. Completed

What does this mean? This is where you can find the challenges you are currently active in. In addition, you can see the Upcoming Challenges (like next month’s ones), and you can keep track of the Challenges you’ve already Completed. 

Monthly Peloton challenges

In addition to special challenges like Pelothon, each month Peloton offers a new challenge that you can sign up for. For example, there is always a monthly cycling challenge, a monthly activity challenge, a monthly running challenge and a monthly strength challenge. 

In addition, usually at the beginning of a new season, Peloton will add another challenge opportunity. For example, there might be a Spring Challenge at the beginning of April. To earn this challenge badge, you need to take one class every day in April.

You get rewarded for completing either a number of classes or spending a certain amount of minutes working out or going a certain distance in the month. In addition, you earn these incentives like medals in the Olympics. For instance, you can get bronze, silver and gold. 

Challenges connected to Peloton programs or collections

Sometimes, Peloton will launch a short-term challenge that’s connected to one of their programs. In addition, Peloton might have a challenge for a collection, such as the Artist Series.

For example, in 2022, soon after Peloton launched its boxing program, it had a boxing challenge. Called the Boxing Contender, it ran for seven days. If you spent 90 minutes over those seven days taking boxing classes, you earned the Boxing Contender challenge badge.

Here is my review of the Peloton boxing classes.

In addition, when Peloton debuted its Taylor Swift Artist Series of classes, it also launched a Taylor Swift challenge. Called The Swiftie Challenge, you got a badge for completing three of the classes in the Red (Taylor’s Version) classes. 

How to join Peloton challenges

As I mentioned above, you can see upcoming challenges when you’re on the Challenge section of the Peloton app. It’s the same with the Peloton website.

So, if you want to look into the future, you can see the challenges for the next month. To opt in or join a Peloton challenge, all you need to do is tap or click on the “Join” button.

Keep in mind that you can only look one month into the future. Also, it doesn’t mean that Peloton won’t announce a new challenge that’s not listed already.

Finally, if you forget to join a Peloton challenge, and the month has already started, don’t sweat it. You can still join, and Peloton will automatically update your exercise minutes or any class counts it requires to earn a badge for that challenge.

Announcements for challenges

In fact, that’s what happened with the Taylor Swift “Swiftie” Challenge badge in December. If you’d looked in November, you wouldn’t have seen it. But then, around the holidays, Peloton announced it.

You didn’t have to actively “opt into” the challenge to earn the badge. But if you met the criteria by taking the prescribed number of classes, you got the badge. Does that make sense?

Motivation through Peloton annual challenge

A few years ago, Peloton started an annual challenge called, what else, The Annual. This special badge rewards you for the cumulative minutes you spend working out with Peloton. It doesn’t matter if it’s riding the bike or walking with the app. Each minute counts. 

In 2021 the annual challenge topped out at 20,000 minutes. In 2022 the Peloton annual challenge is the same.

Interestingly, Peloton members who had accumulated at least 15,000 minutes in 2021 received an email soon after the New Year. What was it about?

For their accomplishment of getting to the 15K badge, Peloton would be sending them free clothing. You can imagine my disappointment that I ended 2021 having earned “only” 14,500 minutes of Peloton activity.

Anyway, I just learned that Peloton sent two pieces of clothing: a Peloton tank top, with a colorful Peloton logo on the front, and Peloton candence leggings.

For more about Peloton apparel, this article can help.

Peloton challenges not updating

If you’re particular about tracking your progress in the Peloton annual, keep the following in mind: this challenge does not update in real time. In fact, I’ve found that the minutes I’ve accumulated the previous day don’t update until the next.

For example, earlier this week I was 70 minutes away from hitting 4K for the year. So I planned my workout day accordingly so that I’d surpass that amount.

However, after my first 20-minute walking class, the 4K badge showed up. So, clearly it was updating in the background but hadn’t let me know.

Facebook Group Peloton Challenges

I’ve found a huge component of like minded Peloton users through Facebook groups. Many of them have challenges of their own. Here, I’ve highlighted a few of my favorites.

Power Zone Challenges

Recently, I wrote a blog post about Power Zone training. In it I talked about how I’ve been participating in Power Zone challenges. These challenges were the push that I needed to take using my Peloton bike to the next level.

For starters when you join the Peloton Power Zone challenge, you’re assigned a team. Next, for every ride you take–and your teammates complete–you earn points. The more rides you do, the more points you earn your team.

Power Zone Pack

Each team has its own Facebook group where you can find camaraderie and encouragement. Overall, there is a Power Zone Pack Facebook group that runs the challenges.

If you like to earn points through playing games, then that’s reason enough to do something like the Power Zone challenge. Finally, this could be the fire you need to join this kind of challenge. You’ll see improved fitness. Real, sustainable, measurable improvement in your fitness. 

Here’s what Ali from the Champagne and Coffee Stains blog had to say about Power Zone training:

“Try power zone training! I started it when I had no idea what power zone training was and fell in love.”

Hardcore on the Floor

Technically, the Hardcore on the Floor Facebook Group does not have challenges, per se. But the group does have a monthly calendar of strength training, which I discussed in this blog post.

So, this is really a self-monitored challenge of checking off classes each day. However, there are sub groups within Hardcore that do Apple Watch challenges. Since I don’t own an Apple Watch, I haven’t joined in any of them.

Final thoughts on Peloton Challenges

When I wrote my blog post about getting your Peloton motivation back, I was thinking specifically about how Peloton challenges can help. When you’ve got a team pushing you or the promise of a new badge to add to your collection, it motivates you to get off your ass and get moving. 

But, as I mentioned, getting involved in these various challenges has allowed me to develop a sense of community with other Peloton devotees. This was an added benefit of Peloton ownership that I never anticipated but I’m so glad exists.