Starting March 9, 2026, Oregon State University is joining a six-week challenge that combines movement, community, and ocean conservation. OSU will compete against 46 other colleges and universities across the United States and Canada in the EcoAthletes Collegiate Cup, logging as many hours of physical activity as possible before Earth Day on April 22.
Whether you walk to campus, bike to class, lift at the gym, go for a run, swim laps, erg, hike, or participate in sport-specific training, it all adds up. Any movement counts!
The challenge is sponsored by Protect Where We Play, which ties every sign-up and logged hour directly to ocean impact. For every individual who joins the challenge, Protect Where We Play will remove half a pound of plastic from oceans and beaches. For every 10 cumulative hours logged, they will remove an additional pound. The more our community moves, the more plastic is removed from vulnerable ecosystems.
Participation is open to anyone! That means OSU students, Corvallis High School students, alumni, family members, friends across the country, etc., can join Team OSU. Many fitness trackers, including Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Watch, Polar, Suunto, Wahoo, and Strava, will automatically sync workouts to the app, making it easy to track activity without extra effort.
Get Involved:
- Download the Climategames app
- Create a free account
- Select “Collegiate Cup 2026 with Protect Where We Play” from the list of climate events
- Sign up for Oregon State University!
Follow @osusustainable on Instagram for reminders and updates throughout the competition. If you have questions or ideas, reach out to isabella.mitchell@oregonstate.edu.
For six weeks, every step, mile, and minute will matter. The winning school earns a Collegiate Cup Banner, an additional ocean clean-up held in its honor, and, of course, bragging rights. Go Beavs!
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