2023-2024 PROACTIVE Challenge

To those in our NY/NJ/PA/CT hiking and outdoor community, those who have the pleasure of calling this region of ours home, those who we run into at Wyanokie High Point or Breakneck Ridge or up on Cascade, those with the desire to spend their precious time on a trail - either taking it on or taking it in, this is a challenge for you.

The 2023-2024 PROACTIVE champion will be decided in a year-long, points-based competition built around a series of challenges, both group and solo, that will require and test strategic planning, prioritization, and dedication. It's designed for any hiker - novice to veteran - as anybody could potentially win by piecing together the best overall year.

This is the inaugural PROACTIVE Challenge and the way it will play out is entirely open-ended. People will all tackle this competition in their own way - the winner may be a new hiker who wanted new places to go and decided to check off our list or the winner could be an accomplished ultrarunner who eats these challenges up and spits them all out. It's a casual competition that will slowly truck along in the background over 12 months as participants still tend to their own busy lives and needs. It keeps the whole thing interesting...

The goals of the PROACTIVE Challenge are to...

• To promote a proactive lifestyle; to inspire and motivate people not to take time for granted, to satisfy their appetite for adventure, to improve their overall level of wellness, to expand their social circle, to push their own limits, and to thrive now.
• To showcase the beauty and diversity of our region.
• To help novice hikers discover new places to hike and encourage them to continue advancing.
• To provide advanced hikers with supplemental prep or training for larger events or general exercise.
• To bring our hiking/outdoor community together and build new social connections and networks.
• To highlight and support worthwhile causes of interest to our community at large and to our participants.
• To have a fun time doing all of this...

Rules & Regulations

1. Participants must complete at least one challenge per month to remain in the competition.

2. To be eligible for bonus points, a participant must complete both the bonus activity and at least one other challenge listed for the corresponding month.

3. To earn points for self-tracked challenges, participants must (a) complete the challenge within its designated time limit, (b) track the challenge on Alltrails, Strava, or a comparable tracking app,

(c) take a few pictures/selfies or videos on the hike, and (d) send the track and the pictures CHALLENGE@proactiveahw.com. The submitted track must show participants' name, map of track, and elapsed time.

4. Registration for group events will be 'pop-up' events within 2-3 weeks prior to the challenge and will be announced on @proactiveahw social media (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok) and on our website. 15 slots will be opened up for each group event and they will be first come, first serve.

5. Participants who attend group events will receive the full amount of points possible. If a participant does not attend the group event, they have the option to complete the same route at any time during that same month at -2 points of total possible.

6. The leaderboard will be updated bi-weekly and made available on the website.

7. The participant with the most points at the end of the year will be the 2023-2024 Proactive-AHW Champion and will receive a cash prize. A 2nd and 3rd place medal and cash prize will be awarded to the 2 subsequent participants based on points.

8. There will be a separate general raffle for a cash prize that will be open to all participants. Registration will count as 1 Entry

Each challenge completed will count as 1 Additional Entry

Earn ALL 4 Strenuous Patches and earn 7 Additional Entries

Earn an ELITE Patch and earn 10 Additional Entries

Complete ALL 12 Bonus Challenges and earn 5 Additional Entry

The raffle will be drawn after the last challenge of the 2023-2024 Season.

9. If there is a tie at the end of the season, the tie will be broken through attrition based off of statistics collected from each challenge throughout the year. If a winner is still not apparent based off of the existing statistics, participants involved in the tie will be asked to submit 10 additional personal solo accomplishments completed between June 2023-May 2024 for consideration. If a winner is still not apparent based on the existing data, a vote will be held to determine the winner of which the constituency would be pulled from participants, partners, and followers. Belts, medals, and cash prizes will be awarded in August at the 2024 PROACTIVE BBQ.

10. This is meant to be primarily for fun and the competition involved should be primarily the participant competing with themself.

For more details visit www.PROACTIVEAHW.com/champions