The short answer: the best virtual race app depends on what keeps you moving. If you want seasonal challenges with real teams, premium merch, and miles that turn into donated meals, that's what we built Run Across America for. If you want to virtually traverse Route 66, The Conqueror is excellent. If you want to design your own route, look at My Virtual Mission; for workplace competitions, Racery; for zero-cost charity miles, Charity Miles; for everyday step counting with friends, Pacer or Stridekick; and for a free social feed with digital badges, Strava. For a virtual holiday walking or running challenge with a real medal, Run Across America's Holiday Hustle runs every November and December.
Yes, we make one of the apps on this list — so we'll keep the comparison factual and tell you honestly where each option shines.
How the top virtual race apps compare
| App | Format | Progress tracking | Rewards | Teams | Charity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run Across America | Seasonal challenges; you pick a 50–500 km goal | In-app tracking of 56 activities, plus Apple Health and Strava import | Premium merch included; badges, streaks, leaderboards; optional steel finisher medal | Yes — multiple teams, shared team goals, team feed | Feeding America gifts matched dollar for dollar, up to $50; every $1 helps provide 10 meals |
| The Conqueror | Virtual journeys along famous real-world routes | Map-based progress with street views and postcards | A medal per completed route (purchased per challenge) | Yes — join on your own or as a team | Tree-planting and cleanup tie-ins on some challenges |
| My Virtual Mission | Create your own mission or join community missions | Map-based, manual or synced entry | Medals on some missions | Team missions supported | Optional, mission-dependent |
| Racery | Custom virtual races, popular with workplaces | Virtual racecourse with avatars | Organizer-defined | Yes — built for groups | Fundraising options for organizers |
| Charity Miles | Open-ended — every mile earns sponsor donations | Simple mile tracking | None (the reward is the donation) | Team feature for companies | Core purpose — sponsors donate per mile |
| Pacer | Pedometer and step tracker with challenges | Daily steps and distance from your phone | Digital rewards; premium subscription adds features | Yes — walking groups with friends and family | None built in |
| Stridekick | Step challenges with friends or coworkers | Syncs Fitbit, Apple Watch, Garmin and other trackers | Leaderboards and streaks; no physical rewards | Yes — paid plans add team modes | None built in |
| Strava | Monthly distance and segment challenges | Best-in-class GPS tracking and analysis | Digital badges only | Clubs and group challenges | None built in |
What should a virtual race app include?
After running seasonal challenges since 2020, we think four things separate apps people stick with from apps people abandon:
- A goal you actually chose. Fixed 100-mile targets discourage beginners and bore veterans. Look for flexible goals — in Run Across America you pick anywhere from 50 km to 500 km per season.
- Progress you can feel. Whether it's a map position or a season progress bar, seeing miles accumulate is the core motivation loop. Badges, streaks, and bonus challenges add mid-season milestones so the goal never feels far away.
- People who notice. Accountability is the strongest finishing predictor we see. Teams with shared goals — a family, a book club, coworkers — beat leaderboards of strangers.
- Rewards worth keeping. Digital badges are fun; a premium tee you'd wear anyway and a 4" steel medal from the maker of Boston Marathon medals are better.
Which virtual race app is best for beginners?
Pick an app where walking counts and the minimum goal is genuinely achievable. Run Across America's 50 km season goal breaks down to well under a kilometer a day, all 56 activity types from dog walking to kayaking count, and you can import activities automatically instead of fiddling with GPS. Charity Miles is also great for beginners since there's no goal pressure at all.
Which app is best if motivation is your problem?
Seasonal formats have a built-in advantage: every season is a fresh start. Rather than one year-long slog, each Run Across America season — currently Holiday Hustle 2026 — gives you roughly a quarter to hit a goal you chose, with bonus challenges, streaks, and team goals arriving throughout. The Conqueror's map journeys work similarly if visual progress along a route is what hooks you — finishing Route 66 is a real accomplishment.
What's the best virtual holiday challenge with a medal?
Run Across America's Holiday Hustle is built for exactly this. It runs every November and December: you pick a distance goal from 50 to 500 km, walk, run or move your way through the holidays from anywhere, and get your choice of tee, beanie or a real steel medal in the mail. Dog walks, stroller walks, shoveling snow and more than 50 other activities count, and family and friends in different states can team up in the app. The Conqueror also sells medal challenges you can do over the holidays, priced per route.
What are the best alternatives to The Conqueror?
If you like The Conqueror's real medals but want more than a map journey, Run Across America is the closest alternative: seasonal challenges with a physical reward, teams with shared goals, more than 50 activity types, and gifts to Feeding America matched up to $50. If you'd rather design your own route, try My Virtual Mission. For a workplace race, use Racery. For free step challenges with friends, try Pacer or Stridekick, though neither sends a medal.
Which app is best if you mostly walk?
Pacer and Stridekick are great for counting daily steps with friends. If you want a goal and a finish line too, pick a challenge where walking counts toward the distance. In Run Across America, walks, dog walks and daily steps all count, and the smallest season goal of 50 km works out to about a 10-minute walk a day.
Which app gives the most back?
Two models stand out. Charity Miles converts every mile into small sponsor-funded donations — free for you, real money for causes. Run Across America takes a different approach: an optional gift to Feeding America at registration that we match dollar for dollar, up to $50. Every $1 helps provide 10 meals. Our community has helped donate more than 8.48 million meals to date. If charitable impact is your main criterion, read our full breakdown of how virtual challenges turn miles into meals.
Frequently asked questions
What is a virtual race app?
A virtual race app organizes a running or walking challenge you complete on your own routes and schedule. The app tracks your distance, shows progress toward a goal, and typically awards badges, medals, or merch when you finish.
How much do virtual race apps cost?
Models vary: some charge per challenge, some are subscriptions, some are free with sponsor funding. Run Across America seasons are $55 including premium merch, with a Daily Distance annual pass covering every season of the year at a discount.
Can I use more than one app at once?
Yes — many of our participants track in Strava for the GPS analysis and sync those activities into Run Across America for the seasonal challenge, teams, and rewards.
Do walking and other activities count, or just running?
In Run Across America, all 56 activity types count toward your goal — walking, hiking, wheelchair rolling, kayaking, even tracked dog walks. Check each app's rules; some running challenges are running-only.
Can I give a virtual challenge as a gift?
Yes. A Run Across America gift card is emailed to you and covers a season registration, including the recipient's choice of tee, beanie or medal. It's a popular holiday gift for walkers and runners.
Questions about how our app works? Visit the App Help Center.