''Very enjoyable and a good motivation to get out and about. Different types of exercise included means that it should be accessible to everyone.''

“Every morning in our lives, we have a choice to make. You have the choice to stay in bed and say, ‘Forget it, I’m not going to work out today.’ Or you can wake up and say, ‘I’m going to work out for an hour'.That's your choice that you make every single day of your life.Make the right decision. 

~David Goggins

Welcome to Ireland's fittest ICU 2026!

Ireland’s Fittest ICU is back for the third year. Our Fitness Challenge begins Monday, 4 May 2026 and will run for 4 weeks until 31/05/2026. Don’t miss the chance to take part—sign up now and bring your team together! This challenge is all about fun and camaraderie, so get involved and make it memorable. We look forward to having your team on board and to what is to come this year!

To join our challenge: 1) Fill in the Registration form at the top of the page. 2) After registering, use the link or QR code above to join our Fittest ICU 2026 Strava group. All participants must join the Strava Group to track activity.

Each ICU should designate a team leader, who will motivate your team throughout the month. Team leaders must also register using the form below. After registering, we will add team leaders to a WhatsApp group to improve communication.

 

Each team must have at least 5 participants submit their activities each week.

Results will be posted every Friday before the close of business.

This year, gym activity earns 1 point for every 15 minutes of workout.

 

Best wishes, 

Ireland's Fittest ICU Team, 

Rules 

 

  • We would love for all departments to get involved - nurses, doctors, OT's, dieticians, cleaners, etc. - everybody who makes an ICU function. 
  • To register, please fill in the Registration form 
  • Once registered, join the Ireland Fittest ICU 2026 Strava Club 
  • Then have fun and Run, Walk, Cycle, Swim, as many kilometres as possible during the month of May
  • Clock your kilometres using  Strava fitness app (Steps at work are not counted!). Please click STRAVA  If you need any more information about how to use STRAVA app.

  • Each team must have at least 5 participants submit their activities each week.

  • Each team member submits their own individual weekly total through the link on the website. The latest submission is Midnight each Tuesday. 
  • Every kilometre earns points for the team 
    • On foot (run, walk, hike) = 1 point 
    • Cycling (electric bikes not included) = 0.5 points 
    • Swimming, kayaking, canoeing, surfing = x 3 points 
    • Gym session: 15 minutes of strength training = 1 point ( treadmill, exercise bike, etc. count as run/cycle)
  • Each team's points will be divided by the total number of members of the group. This will ensure that smaller units with fewer staff will have the opportunity to bring home the honour!
  • We ask for each unit to appoint a leader who will be the main person for us to contact throughout the challenge.

  • It is up to each individual participant to submit their weekly totals each week before the deadline.

  • The ICU Department with the most points at the end of May takes home the trophy and honour of being the fittest critical care professionals in Ireland
  • Please check our FAQ   for more details
  • if you have any more queries please contact us

*NB* Please be aware that participation in this challenge is done so at your own risk and the organizers bare no responsibility for any injury, illness or accident that occur during the event. In partaking in this event you are acknowledging that you do so at your own risk. 

"Nobody else can take you to the place you want to end up. You have to get there yourself." 

Tia-Clair Toomey

 

''It was a great team building experience. It generated lots of discussion within our unit. The group events, encouraging each other and connecting people of similar fitness levels were brilliant.''

Participating in a work group challenge is always motivating and fun

   ''Good idea for encouraging movement on days off.''

  '' Participating in a work group challenge is always motivating and fun''

"Until you spread your wings, you’ll have no idea how far you can fly.” 

 Napoleon Bonaparte

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the first steps to get involved?

We will contact each unit directly via phone and email.

Once your unit has been contacted we ask that a leader be chosen to set up the strava group and to create a WhatsApp group for those partaking within the unit. This will allow communication with the challenge group and can be used to organise walks, cycles, and other activities. 

Every person who wants to get involved has to register on the website by clicking the JOIN iN button at the top of the page. You can join in throughout the challenge. 

Then it's time for the challenge! Try to push yourself and your colleagues to achieve as many points as possible each week. Remember, 1 point may be the difference in being on the winning team.

 

How fit do you have to be?

You don't have to be fit at all. The purpose of the challenge is to get people up and moving.


Once you can walk 1 km you can earn 1 point for your team. And that may be the winning point!

We hope everybody embraces the challenge and strives to push themselves a little bit over the month.

Is it only for nurses?

No. It's for everybody who works in the ICU. So, if you are an HCA, Porter, Dietitian, PT, OT, housekeeper, SHO, Registrar, Consultant, administration staff, or any other member of the MDT, we would love for you to join us and take part in our challenge. 

 

How do you submit your activity?

Each individual will enter their activities in Km at the end of each week. This will be done via the Individual Totals Form. You can see all totals on your strava profile. You will need to submit the form by Tuesday at 00.00 hrs. This will ensure timely updating of the totals each week.

 

How are the points calculated?
  • We will collect data from all the submitted forms and convert them into points. Every kilometre earns points for the team 
    • On foot = 1 point ​
    • Cycling (electric bikes not included) = 0.5 points 
    • Swimming = x 3 points 
  • The ICU Department with the most points at the end of April takes home the trophy.
  • To allow each unit to have the best chance possible we will divide the number of points each team has with the amount of participants. We believe this will be more fair on smaller units with fewer staff to be in with a chance to win!
  • As units vary in size and staff numbers - each team's total points will be divided by the amount of staff taking part. This will give each unit the chance to become Ireland's fittest ICU!

we will then publish the results on our website on Tuesday

How do you create Strava challange for your ICU?

You will need to download the Strava app to your phone. You can then use it to track your activities as an individual. To make it more fun and encouraging your team leader will set up the challenge on Strava for your ICU Department. We will provide an infographic to assist you in setting up a group. You can also contact us if you have any difficulty. 

Please see the infographic linked to help you set up a strava group for your unit.

 Infographic on how to set up Strava Group for your ICU.pdf

 

Once this has been completed you can share the link with your colleagues to join the challenge. 

 

Does exercise on treadmill or exercise bike count?

Indoor cycles and runs can be uploaded as long as the distance travelled is documented on the Strava app. 

Many treadmills and exercise bikes in gyms have a 3rd party app for tracking this. We suggest you ask your gym for more information about the machine they use and its compatibility with Strava.

Indoor runs or cycles without distance will not be accepted as this is the way points are calculated.

There's further information here

Indoor, Treadmill, and Bike Trainer Activities – Strava Support

“Every morning in our lives, we have a choice to make. You have the choice to stay in bed and say, ‘Forget it, I’m not going to work out today.’ Or you can wake up and say, ‘I’m going to work out for an hour'.That's your choice that you make every single day of your life.Make the right decision. 

~David Goggins

Contact us

Reach out to us if you have any questions about the challenge and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

Location

Ireland's fittest ICU,

SVUH ICU department, 
Dublin 4