My Block, My Hood, My City - Neighborhood 5K
Jahmal Cole's nonprofit fights Chicago segregation by physically moving young people across neighborhoods. The 5K randomly assigns each run group a different neighborhood to run through; Explorers takes after-school cohorts from one South/West Side block to enrichment activities in other parts of the city.
Explicit cross-neighborhood mixing. Your South Shore squad gets assigned to run in Pilsen this week; another group is assigned to Bronzeville. The 5K leaderboard creates friendly comparison between neighborhood routes (which one drew the most participants/best times).
Each block-based 'run group' (formed by your home neighborhood) trains together, travels together, debriefs together. Building deep peer bonds. Within each home neighborhood, Explorers cohorts grow across years.
Counter-segregation framing makes this distinctive: the COMPETITION is structured as compulsory CROSS-NEIGHBORHOOD EXPLORATION, while the SUPPORT is intra-block. Rare in fitness/walking world and very BelongHub-flavoured.
Others in the same family
Street Tag
A mobile app that turns local streets, parks and landmarks into a virtual playground. Teams of up to six collect location-based tags and activity points by walking, running, cycling or rolling, then climb a seasonal community, school or workplace leaderboard.
WOW - the Walk to School Challenge (Living Streets)
Pupils log their daily mode of travel on the WOW Travel Tracker; those who actively travel at least once a week for a month earn a themed collectable badge (recycled plastic, made in Cornwall). Schools achieve 59% fewer car journeys and 18% more walking on average.
Munzee Clan Wars
Players capture physical and virtual 'munzees' at real-world locations. Each month, clans (player teams) battle in Clan Wars with rotating monthly requirements (capture types, regions, point totals). Levels 1-6 with reserved tiers for premium players.
INTVL
Self-described as a hybrid running tracker + neighborhood territory game. Smart GPS overlays let runners chase 10K PBs while 'holding down your neighborhood' against other community members.
Beat the Street
Intelligent Health turns a whole town into a 6-week board game. ~60 contactless 'Beat Box' sensors are mounted on lampposts; residents tap an RFID card/fob between boxes (must be within 1 hour) to score points. 1.9-2M players to date across 200+ places; £321.80/adult social value (2025).
GoodGym - Community Missions & Group Runs
Runners meet weekly at an Area base, run to a community project (sheltered housing garden, foodbank, park), do manual work for an hour, then run back. Area Activators are paid local coordinators; missions are solo runs to do a task for an older neighbour ('coach run').