Concept2 Celebrates 25 Years of Holiday Challenges

The 2024 Concept2 Holiday Challenge was truly one for the books in our 25th year. We are constantly in awe of our amazing community, and we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to every single person who participated this year or over the last quarter century.  

For our 25th annual Holiday Challenge, 19,430 people from 61 countries put in just over 5.5 billion—yes, billion!—meters between American Thanksgiving and Christmas. In total, we raised $58,805.84—even more impressive given that this holiday challenge was also several days shorter than normal, spanning just 27 days compared to last year’s 32 days. Despite the shorter timeframe, the average meters per person was the highest ever at 286,952, up from 265,442 in 2023. Over 20 participants, including Concept2’s own Mike Botaish, accumulated over one million meters in the 27 day span! 

Created in 2000, the Concept2 Holiday Challenge started as a way for individuals without a rowing team or club to stay accountable during the indulgent holiday season. It also allowed on-water rowing athletes to stay competitive during the offseason, and winter athletes to stay sharp before their season began. The challenge quickly became the most popular of the year.  

In 2008, Concept2 added a charitable donation aspect to the Holiday Challenge, selecting one charity to support. This grew to include a choice of up to five charities each year. Over time, the charities have reflected themes such as water, food access, or the environment, while other years there were obvious current events that rose to the top. Typically, the selections include one local Vermont organization, one to two national charities, and one to two international projects. Thanks to our passionate participants, Concept2 is proud to have donated $716,235.11 to charities through the Holiday Challenge since 2008. 

In our 25th year, we are pleased to support our five beneficiaries with the following donations: 

• $13,970.42 Team RWB
• $7,436.68 The Busyhead Project
• $8,959.65 DREAM
• $20,047.95 Clean Air Task Force
• $8,391.14 Dancer Love Foundation 

For those who are interested in making an additional personal donation to our Holiday Challenge charities, please send your donations directly to the organization of choice. You can find information on how to donate on each charity's website using the links above. Thank you for your generosity!  

Participants who completed 200,000 meters or more (and selected a charity to donate to and provided their current shipping address) can expect to receive their Holiday Challenge pin prize in late February or March, depending on your location.  

We are truly humbled by the passion and dedication of our Concept2 community. The turnout for this 25th anniversary challenge was a testament to that, and we are honored to continue this holiday tradition with all of you. 

We wish you good health and many meters in the new year and hope you will join us for more challenges in 2025!