challenges for you
This page is a collection of endurance challenges you can take on yourself. Simple concepts, properly difficult, and designed to test planning, resilience and follow-through. No big budgets. No excuses. Just you, a clear set of rules, and the commitment to see it through.
The 496 Challenge
Run the day of the month in kilometres. On the 1st, run 1km. On the 2nd, 2km. Keep building every single day until the 31st, when you finish with 31km. Complete it in any 31-day month. It sounds simple. It is not. Only around 10% of people make it to the end.
The 21/21/21 challenge
Twice a year, on the summer and winter solstice, take on a unique half marathon. On the 21st of June and the 21st of December, run 21 kilometres starting at 21:00. Longest day. Shortest day. Same distance. Same start time. It’s the Solstice Half Marathon, a simple concept with serious edge.
Find yourself challenge
Find a place in the world that begins with your first name. Then travel to somewhere that begins with your surname. Your route, your method, your adventure. It could be a short hike or a cross-country expedition. The goal is simple: journey from your first name to your last name and create a story that is uniquely yours.
As an example, I cycled from the River Sean in Scotland all the way to Loch Conway in Ireland.
the 24h Triathlon challenge
A full day of controlled endurance. Two hours in the water, thirteen on the bike, eight on the run, with transitions included and the clock never stopping. No sleep. No shortcuts. Just steady execution under fatigue. It is not about speed. It is about durability, discipline, and finding out who you are after 20 hours when everything starts to hurt.
Rules:
2 hour swim
30 minute T1
13 hour bike
30 minute T2
8 hour run
The Relentless Three
Complete the full 140.6 distance triathlon across three days.
Day 1: Swim 3.8 km
Day 2: Ride 180 km
Day 3: Run 42.2 km
No shortcuts. No spreading it across weeks. Just three consecutive days of disciplined execution.
All challenges on this page are the intellectual property of Sean Conway