A good company challenge starts with the people, not a distance on a map. You might want colleagues from different offices to meet, give a charity partnership a shared goal or take an established team somewhere new. That purpose helps you choose a day people can genuinely get behind.
Start with your team and their availability
Find out who is interested, where they are travelling from and how much time they can commit. Check the company calendar before choosing dates: a local weekday walk and a multi-day European ride make very different demands on work and home life.
Ask about experience and access needs early. A worthwhile challenge should stretch people without assuming everyone has the same fitness, equipment or confidence. If the group has mixed abilities, consider shorter and longer routes with a shared start or finish.
Choose the format that fits
Walking: time together, close to home
A city or countryside walk gives colleagues space to talk while working towards a shared finish. A route near your office can reduce travel, while different distance choices can help more people take part.
Cycling: a journey to work towards
From a one-day ride to a European city-to-city trip, cycling gives the team a clear destination. Allow time for bike checks, training and group-riding preparation. Explore our corporate cycling formats for route ideas and support.
Mountains: a bigger shared effort
Hill days bring terrain, weather and climbing into the challenge. Plan training walks and suitable kit, and choose the route around the team’s experience. Our corporate Three Peaks challenges show the options for an organised mountain goal.
Build the budget around the whole experience
Start with likely participant numbers and a realistic budget range. Include the route and event support, then consider travel, food, accommodation, equipment and any celebration at the finish. For an overseas ride, decide how participants and bikes will reach the start and get home.
Agree what the company pays for and what colleagues arrange themselves. Your proposal should make the package, payment dates and arrangements for changing numbers clear. If fundraising is part of the event, keep the charity target separate from the delivery budget.
Give the organiser one clear plan
Choose a company contact who can coordinate sign-ups, internal communications and decisions. With Challenge Central, agree the route, timings, travel arrangements and support, plus who handles each part. Keep the latest participant information and key dates in one place so colleagues are not working from different versions.
Prepare colleagues before the start line
- When you invite them: explain the purpose, date, location, expected effort and costs.
- As the team takes shape: share relevant training and kit advice, confirm travel plans and collect the required participant information.
- Before event day: send the meeting point, schedule, packing information and contact details for questions.
Preparation can be part of the team experience: a local training walk or practice ride gives people a chance to meet before the main event.
Learn from real company challenges
The Access Group’s programme moved from a local Loughborough walk to rides to Amsterdam and Paris. Lloyds Banking Group’s Nature in Motion day offered walking and cycling choices within one shared event. Both show why the format should follow the team rather than the other way around.
After your event, ask colleagues what worked and what would help next time. Use that feedback, participation and any agreed fundraising results to decide whether the next challenge should repeat the format or try something new.