If your Virtual Challenge end date has passed and you haven’t completed the required distance, your progress may stop updating because Pacer only counts activity within the challenge timeframe.
This article explains what happens next, what options you have, and how to get help.
What happens when a Virtual Challenge ends?
1) New activities won’t be credited after the end date
A Virtual Challenge typically counts only activities completed during the timeframe you selected. If the challenge ended yesterday (or earlier), workouts logged after the end date usually won’t move your progress.
2) You can’t change challenge rules after it has ended
If the challenge is already ended or finished, you generally can’t change acceptance rules (for example: allowing manual entries, changing accepted activity types, or counting daily pedometer distance).
What can you do now?
Option A — Confirm it’s truly an “ended timeframe” issue (quick checks)
Before requesting help, verify these common blockers:
- Check the challenge timeframe (start/end date).
- Check the acceptance rules (what activity types are allowed, whether manual entries are allowed, whether daily pedometer distance counts).
- If you used manual submission, confirm you entered a distance (not only duration/steps/calories).
- If you used a connected device/app, confirm the integration permissions are correct so Pacer can receive the activity.
If you completed the distance before the end date but progress didn’t update, these checks usually find the cause.
Option B — Request an end-date extension (best if you want to finish this same challenge)
For many Pacer Virtual Challenges, support can help if you can’t finish within your selected timeframe—by extending the end date (so you can continue and complete).
When to choose this:
- You were close to finishing
- You want your progress to continue under the same challenge
Option C — Ask for a new join code (best if you want a fresh attempt)
If an extension isn’t possible or you prefer restarting, support may provide a new join code for another attempt.
When to choose this:
- The challenge ended long ago
- You want a clean restart rather than continuing from current progress
What about my medal?
Your medal outcome depends on the shipping option selected at checkout:
- “Ship medal only upon completion”: your medal is typically shipped after you complete the challenge.
- “Ship immediately after registration”: your medal may ship even if you haven’t completed yet.
If your challenge ended before you finished and you selected “ship on completion,” you’ll usually need to complete the challenge (often via extension or a new attempt) before the medal can be claimed/shipped.
How to contact Support (fastest resolution)
When you submit a request, include:
- The challenge name
- Your Pacer account email
- Your registration code / order number (if available)
- A screenshot of the challenge page showing end date + progress
- What you want: (1) extend end date or (2) new join code
Prevent this next time (recommended settings)
- Choose a timeframe that matches your pace. Many challenges allow you to customize the duration up to 365 days (and longer for very long routes).
- Make sure your acceptance rules match how you plan to earn distance (GPS workouts vs daily steps vs manual entries).
- Decide medal shipping preference based on whether you want completion-based shipping or immediate shipping.