When you do the math, in order to cover 2,023 miles in 2023, Run The Year participants need to complete over 5 miles a day every day. For some people, this amount of mileage is par for the course, but for most, it’s not an easy feat. Doable, absolutely, but a challenge nonetheless. While covering 2,023 miles in 2023 is a big challenge to take on, there are many different ways to approach it that make it a little easier!

9 ways you can run the year

This challenge is all about you, the participant that is doing it, and we want to help everyone succeed as much as we can! This year, we implemented multiple upgrades to the challenge, so you can complete the challenge by:

1. Walking the year.
2. Running the year.
3. Swimming the year.
4. Biking the year.
5. A combination of all of the above!
6. Doing any other distanced-based exercise.
7. Forming a team and splitting up the miles.
8. Forming a team and increasing your mileage by multiplying 2,023 by the number of members on your team.
9. Creating your own individual goal of 500, 1,000, or 1,500 if that seems more reasonable!

How we are running (or biking, or skipping, or…) the year

With all the new upgrades to the challenge, we wanted to ask how our community how they plan to cover 2,023 miles in 2023r. Here’s what we heard!

• Alllll running! I’ll be a part of the team, but will run the whole year myself. - Briana B.
• I’m going to run/walk/bike, and I’m going to be on a team with my mom (she'll run) and husband (he'll bike). We’re shooting for 2x the yearly miles! - Sara H.
• I’m going to shoot to move the whole year myself. I’ll be counting miles from walking my dogs, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, road biking, and of course, running. - Hannah B. 
•  I plan to do a mix of walking and running for a total of 1001 miles. We might continue our team or join another one. If my body lets me do the training, I’ll try to run a race or 2 of some kind. - Laurent T. 
• I will be walking (again). I plan to cover 3,000 total miles and 1,500 "intentional" miles. These efforts will include finishing my county-to-county walks in Kansas, a 24-hour walk, and walking (again) to every city in my home county (Reno County). All of my efforts are to raise awareness for foster care and adoption. In case anyone is interested, this is my 6th year coming up. I have averaged 3,400 miles per year, which was aided by a cross-country walk (basically Miami to Seattle by way of Texas and North Dakota) in 2018-19 to raise awareness for foster care and adoption. - Glen K Sr.
• Splitting the miles with my husband. Need to figure out how many miles he wants me to tackle! - Kelly T.
• My first year, I signed up for 1,000 miles, not knowing what to expect, and now I’m 164 miles to 2022. - Carol S.
• Walking/Hiking/Backpacking. I exercise as well, but I only count my walking miles. - Vicki C.
• Walking again for 2023. I count every step, and with 1-2 intentional walks a day, I walk at least 12000 steps every day. - Julie R.P.
• Walking, running, and cycling. - Kathy F.D.
• Combo of walk- run- bike (and kayak?!) - Janice D.
• I’ll be with team East meets West. For my part, I will continue to bike, dance, garden, and walk. I’ll so excited to be on my first team. - Anna E.R.
• Walking, pool walking, and swimming laps are my main thing. Hoping to get some hiking miles in, but will see how schedules line up. - Chelly B.
• I am running with our team, Worst Pace Scenario, and hoping for 1000 running miles as my individual goal. - Maureen L.
• Two years ago, I set a goal of 500 intentional running miles and went way past it. This year my goal was 1000 intentional running miles, and I didn’t come close to finishing - life . So in 2023 - I think I want to go for the full mileage and include any intentional walking or running, or other workouts I do. The goal is to MOVE for me this year. - Sara H.
• Running, walking, swimming, and biking!!! Got a few marathons and tris on the schedule. - Aisha G.
• I will be starting to train for the Boston Marathon- YIKES! I’ve also signed up my 76-year-old father to try to encourage him to move more. We’re making it a family affair. My sister will be signing up, as will 2 of my cousins and their father. My sister is a competitive swing dancer, so she’ll be dancing her miles away! - Deb O

5 pieces of advice for first-timers (and seasoned participants)

Our community is made up of participants that have been a part of Run The Year for all nine years, participants that are just hopping in for their first year, and everywhere in between! Whether you’ve been in it for the long haul or you’re just starting out, here are some pieces of advice from previous participants on what they’ve learned over the year or what they wish they knew when they were just starting out:

1. Take it slowly and build up miles when you can! Don’t overdo it by trying to bank extra miles early on. Only get in miles that you are ready for! When life happens, of course, it’s nice to have some extra miles in the bank, but remember, this is about getting in the miles you can without comparing yourself to anyone else. Run, walk, bike, or move YOUR year.

2. No matter what your goal is, be thankful for the miles you’re able to complete. Sometimes life and injuries get in the way that we can’t control, and any miles are good miles. 500 miles is better than 0!

3. Consistency is key. Try to plan out ways to get in your miles. It can be by registering for races throughout the year, setting a regular time to meet friends to get your miles in, showing up for the local Park Run if you have one, or telling friends and family to hold you accountable by checking in! Try to implement what you know will help to keep yourself motivated.

4. Take it one day at a time, one mile at a time, or even one step at a time. Every day is new, so if you fall off track, you can try again the next day!

5. This is your race; you're only racing yourself, so don’t compare yourself to anyone else. The way someone is completing and counting their miles will probably be different than you, but that shouldn’t matter! Remember to have fun and make the best of this experience. ENJOY the miles!

Overall, 2,023 miles in 2023 is a big thing to take on, but it will be a huge accomplishment (and most people will say it’s worth it!). With the incredible support of the community, multiple ways to make the challenge unique to you, and more, we know you’ll be able to accomplish what you set your mind to. Cover 2,023 miles in 2023 with us!