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Winter Warriors: Fleet Feet Poughkeepsie's Winter '23-'24 Accountability Challenge

Mon December 4 - Sun March 3 ANYWHERE, NY 99999 US

Place

ANYWHERE
ANYWHERE, NY US 99999

Description

If you are looking for a way to stay active and accountable through the cold winter months, then this Winter Warriors group is for you.  You do not need to live local to the Hudson Valley to participate. Winter Warriors is our largest and most popular accountability group every year and so many of our regulars tell us that the program was how they got started being consistent with their running or walking.  Cold-weather running doesn't need to be intimidating, it's really just about having a few key pieces of proper gear and a group to motivate you to get out there.  Do you have what it takes to be a Winter Warrior?!  

Please take a moment to read through all of the program details before registering to avoid any kind of disappointment about what's involved!  

The program kicks off on Monday, 12/4, and Winter Warriors will have 13 weeks to complete 2 outdoor runs (or walks) per week of at least 20 minutes each.  Complete and log at least 20 activities to earn your Winter Warriors medal. The runs/walks can be done anywhere as long as it's OUTDOORS. We will be offering a few in-person weekly runs for those who are local and wish to participate however the in-person runs are completely optional and are not a requirement for participation. Additional challenge specifics are below.  

Optional In-Person Meet-ups for those local to the Hudson Valley:  
- Wednesday evenings at 6 pm at Fleet Feet (it will be dark, night gear required)
- Friday Morning Breakfast Runs at 6:30 am with Fleet Feet/Eastern Dutchess (locations vary by week & night gear is not a bad idea for when sunrise is later)
- Saturday mornings at 8 am at the Walkway Over the Hudson (Poughkeepsie Side) 

All participants get some sweet SWAG and it's off the charts this year! Below is everything that is included (scroll down for photos):  
* A custom CRAFT Winter Warriors long-sleeve technical shirt 
* A custom BOCO Winter Warrior pom-pom hat 
* The opportunity to earn a beautiful custom Winter Warriors medal (image coming soon!) by completing AND LOGGING your activities as outlined 
* The opportunity to enter our $100 Fleet Feet gift card drawing by completing AND LOGGING the 2 outdoor 20-minute runs or walks per week EVERY single week of the challenge (that's 13 weeks).  We are raffling off five $100 Fleet Feet gift cards but will add an extra five cards to the raffle for every hundred participants. For example, if we get 300 participants, we will raffle off fifteen $100 gift cards! We are shooting for 400 participants this year!  
* Participation in our private Winter Warriors Facebook group where you can connect with other participants for extra accountability and motivation. 
* Participation in our live virtual shopping event (slated for Monday, 12/4) including a special Fleet Feet Poughkeepsie discount card for Winter Warriors participants.   

This program will not include any formal training program or curriculum, it is simply an accountability challenge to keep everyone moving during the cold and dark winter months! All paces and levels including walkers are welcome. Everyone will likely be completing different distances at various paces during the optional group meet-ups. We will take a group picture at each meet-up and then everyone can be on their way!  

Program fees are as follows: 
- EARLY (through 11:59 pm on 10/31): $45 
- REGULAR (11/1 - 11:59 pm on 12/3): $50 
- LATE: (12/4 - 11:59 pm on 12/17): $55

Mark your calendars for our virtual shopping event which will take place on Monday, 12/4 at 7 p.m. via Facebook Live. This will be an opportunity to learn all about what gear is most appropriate based on specific temperatures/conditions and see the latest styles. As mentioned above, all Winter Warriors participants will receive a special discount card for Fleet Feet Poughkeepsie that will be good through the end of December.  

Challenge Specifics (PLEASE READ BEFORE REGISTERING! 
* Please make sure that you are registering with a valid email address, meaning one that you regularly check. We communicate with participants through our Facebook group as well as email and you will miss important information if you don't see our emails!  
* All runs or walks must be completed between the challenge dates of 12/4 - 3/3, tasks completed outside of the challenge window will not count.  
* All runs or walks must be completed outdoors to count. Treadmills are awesome but c'mon guys, the group is called Winter Warriors!  
* Weeks will 'run' Monday to Sunday (please read that again because this is always the largest source of confusion). Participants must complete the required 2 outdoor 20-minute activities and log them into Run Signup to receive "credit." You cannot skip and then add extra to a different week, it's a max of 2 activities per week that can be logged.  
* Detailed instructions on how to mark activities as complete in Run Signup will be emailed by Friday, 12/1, week 1's submission will be due by 11:59 pm on Sunday, 12/10. Each week there will be activities listed in Run Signup that must be marked as completed by the end of the day on Sunday for those runs/walks to be counted. Runs/walks not marked in Run Signup by Sunday before 11:59 p.m. will NOT count. Again, if they aren't logged in (for whatever reason) they won't count. Due to a large number of participants, we are unfortunately not able to make exceptions to this. Set calendar alerts on your phone so that you don't forget to log your activities!  We will also do our best to post reminders in the Facebook group. Please do not email us asking for exceptions as we would like for everyone to have a fun and fair experience. This is a challenge and part of the challenge is not only completing the activities but also remembering to log them.  
* This challenge is basically the honor system but participants are highly encouraged to share their runs or walks under the weekly posts in the Facebook group.  Fleet Feet reserves the right to ask for proof of completion for those planning to enter the gift card drawing.     
* Gift card drawings for those who complete and log all 26 activities will take place by Wednesday, 3/6.

SWAG: 
* We are expecting that shirts and hats will be available for pickup at Fleet Feet around Thursday, 12/21. We will send an email and post in the Facebook group when they are ready (it may be earlier but please don't come for them until you receive the email that they are ready).  
* Medals for those who complete and LOG at least 20 virtual activities will be available for pickup at Fleet Feet Poughkeepsie by Monday, 3/4. 
* Shipping is available for out-of-town participants or those who prefer it vs. in-store pickup. The cost is $10 and shirts and hats will be mailed by Friday, 12/22 and medals (if earned) will be mailed by Monday, 3/4.  

Once Registered:
* Please share the challenge on your Facebook page. If 5 people register through your link, you will receive $20 of your registration fee back!  
* Don't forget to join our private Facebook group by clicking here. We approve requests manually so your patience is appreciated. Please do not add friends & family to the Facebook group unless they are already registered for the program, thank you!  

If you have any questions about the program, your best bet is to email info@fleetfeetpoughkeepsie.com or use the CONTACT US form vs calling the store as we have a large team, and not every employee knows all the specifics about this program.  

FAQs

I thought I entered an activity but for whatever reason, it's not there, can I still get credit for it? 
Unfortunately no.  Part of the challenge is not only completing the activities but also logging them which means double-checking to make sure that they are properly logged.  Make sure everything is logged properly for the week before going to sleep on Sundays!  

But what if I could enter my activities on Sunday because I was sick, I didn't have power, my computer my broken, there was a zombie apocalypse etc.?  
Once the weekly submission period closes at 11:59 pm activities will no longer be able to be entered by you or by us.  We aren't able to make exceptions to this for ANY reason including but not limited to the ones in the original question.  We recommend setting a calendar alert on your phone each Sunday evening to avoid this issue. 

What if I registered and now I can't participate due to injury, illness, or something else? 
We start ordering supplies as soon as registrations start coming in so we are unfortunately unable to offer refunds for any reason.  Please don't register until you are 100% certain that you are able to participate.  

Can I participate in the in-person group runs with a stroller? 
The Saturday runs from the Walkway are completely stroller-friendly.  You would want to use your own judgment & discretion on the others.  

Will the optional in-person group runs be canceled due to bad weather? 
Probably not, unless road conditions are dangerous for us to be out driving or conditions are really dangerous for running.  In most cases though, we will be out there in all conditions!  

Race Contact Info

If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.

Craft Technical Long-Sleeve Winter Warriors Shirts

BOCO Winter Warriors Pom Pom Hats

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