2020 Holiday Challenge

Can it really be 21 years of the Concept2 Holiday Challenge? Wow! The Holiday Challenge started as a way to encourage people to stay motivated and healthy during the hectic holiday season between American Thanksgiving and midnight on Christmas Eve. (This year, these dates are November 26 to December 24, that's 29 days total.)

We’re hoping that by committing to the challenge this year, you will find some needed respite and relief from the holiday hubbub and world events. Think of it as “workout therapy” during this difficult time of COVID-19. It can also be a great fitness goal as you head into the new year. Get a friend to join in with you so you can stay connected in spirit, if not in person, as you motivate each other to Christmas Eve!

In 2008 we added a charitable giving component to the challenge: Concept2 donates money to selected charities based on your accumulated challenge metres*. It’s been a huge success thanks to all of your efforts. Together, we have contributed over $385,000 to charities addressing issues ranging from the environment, clean water, food insecurity, poverty, disaster relief, early education and women’s issues—globally, nationally and locally.

Our 2020 Holiday Challenge charities are focused on a variety of issues. Choose from any of the following organizations to be the beneficiary of your BikeErg, RowErg or SkiErg metres:

• The Pocock “A Most Beautiful Thing” Inclusion Fund
• Doctors Without Borders
• Direct Relief
• Everyone Eats

It’s your choice! If you can’t decide on which organization to choose, you can allow Concept2 to allocate your metres across all four charity options. Or, you can opt not to support any of the charities. See full details on how your metres will count toward the charitable giving options.*

We often get asked how to make personal donations to our charity selections. You can simply send your donation directly to the charities. Just visit the websites above for information on how to donate. Thank you for your generosity!

Holiday Challenge Workout Calendar

To help you make your goal, we’ve put together a calendar of daily workouts—one for each day of the Holiday Challenge—to keep you on target for both the 100k or 200k distances. The workout calendar provides a really great mix of long and short pieces, intervals, and suggestions on how to sneak in metres using a variety of tools from fitness and entertainment apps. Our "As the Flywheel Spins" podcast and the Workout of the Day (WOD) are additional tools to help you reach your goal. Download and print your calendar. You can do it!

Use ErgData to Upload Metres in a Snap

One of the cool features of our free ErgData app is the ability to upload your workout data from the Performance Monitor right to your Online Logbook with a simple tap. This makes it so easy and quick to log your Holiday Challenge metres.

Thank you for continuing to make one of our favorite challenges such a success year after year! Happy Holiday Challenge!

*For every person who rows, skis or rides 100k during the challenge, Concept2 will donate $.02 per kilometre (1000 metres) to your choice of this year's charities. Once you get beyond 100k, we'll donate $.04 per additional kilometre. Note: BikeErg metres are counted as half when applied to the challenge.