Run streaks: how to start one and keep it alive

What is a run streak?

A run streak is a run of consecutive days on which you go for a run. The number is the streak: day 1, day 2, day 30. It ends the first day you don't run, unless your rules include a way to cover a missed day.

Streaks work because they turn "should I run today?" into "I'm not breaking this." The decision is already made, and the run only has to happen.

How long does a run have to be?

There is no single rule. Streak-running registries traditionally count at least one continuous mile each calendar day. Many people set their own minimum: a mile, two kilometres, or a fixed time.

RunChoice uses time: ten minutes of actual running in a day. Time is fair to every pace, and ten minutes fits into any day, even a bad one. Two shorter runs on the same day add up. Walking is saved to your history but doesn't count toward the day, and riding in a car or bus never does.

How do I start a run streak?

1. Pick a minimum you could do sick-ish and tired. If the bar is ten easy minutes, the streak survives the days when a long run is out of the question.
2. Run the first day today. Day one is the hardest number to write down. It doesn't need to be a good run.
3. Choose a default time. Morning before work, lunch, or right after you get home. A habit with a slot beats one that waits for motivation.
4. Let something keep count. Writing it down works; an app that counts automatically and nudges you before the day ends works better.

How do I keep a run streak going?

• Most days are easy days. The minimum keeps the streak; hard workouts can stay a few times a week.
• Watch the clock, not the pace. On a rough day, ten slow minutes still count.
• Plan for travel and weather. A loop around the hotel block or a treadmill keeps the day.
• Celebrate the milestones. 7 days, 21, 30, 100. They are worth noticing.
• Keep a safety net. A streak freeze is a planned way to take a day off without losing everything.

What happens if I miss a day?

Under the strict rule, the streak resets to zero. That is why so many long streaks end on one bad day, often a sick day that would have been better spent resting.

In RunChoice, if you have a streak freeze saved up it is used automatically and your streak survives. You earn freezes as the streak grows, and you can also get one with coins earned from running. One bad Tuesday shouldn't cost you three weeks.

Is a daily run streak safe?

A small daily minimum keeps the load low: ten relaxed minutes is closer to a warm-up than a workout. Keep most days easy, sleep, and skip the run when you are ill or injured; rest is exactly what a freeze is for. If you have a health condition, or you're new to running, check with a doctor before you start.

How does RunChoice track a run streak?

RunChoice is an iPhone app built around the run streak. Press start and run: GPS records the route, and the phone's motion sensors tell running apart from walking and riding. Ten minutes of running locks in the day and the streak ring fills.

• Coins for every qualifying run, spent on looks, frames and freezes. Earned, never bought.
• Milestones for streak lengths and personal bests.
• A nudge before a streak is about to break, if you allow notifications.
• RunChoice+, an optional subscription with progress insights and coach voices. US members who complete two five-day streak blocks in a calendar month can earn a real item by mail; see the Official Rules.
• Private by design. No ads, no feed, no followers, no leaderboards. Your runs are yours.