RiseUP Elevation Challenge 2026: 68 Participants, 549 Miles, 104,995 Feet and One Community Rising Together
For 30 days, the RiseUP Elevation Challenge asked one simple question:
How will you rise?
Throughout September, individuals and teams across the U.S. answered that question in their own way: walking, hiking, running, climbing, strolling, rolling, fundraising, sharing their stories, and inviting others to be part of something bigger.
Now that the 2026 RiseUP Elevation Challenge has officially come to a close, we are proud to celebrate what this community accomplished together.
The 2026 RiseUP Elevation Challenge by the Numbers
This year:
- 68 participants joined the Challenge
- 549.22 miles were logged in distance
- 104,995 feet of elevation were recorded
- $7,648 was raised during the Challenge
Every one of those numbers represents more than a statistic.
Behind every mile was a person choosing to move with purpose.
Behind every foot of elevation was someone pushing toward a goal.
Behind every donation was a supporter choosing to invest in community, inclusion, and opportunity.
And behind the entire Challenge was a growing network of participants, families, nonprofit partners, sponsors, volunteers, donors, and supporters who showed what can happen when people decide to rise together.
More Than a Distance or Elevation Goal
The RiseUP Elevation Challenge was designed to be flexible.
Participants could work toward 5,000 feet of elevation or 15 miles of distance throughout the month of September, completing the Challenge in ways that worked for them.
Some took on Colorado trails and mountain climbs. Others walked neighborhoods, logged miles, climbed stairs, or found their own ways to participate.
That flexibility reflected something central to RiseUP’s mission: there is no single path toward growth, independence, participation, or belonging.
Everyone’s goals may look different.
Everyone’s journey may look different.
What matters is creating opportunities for people to participate, contribute, connect, and be supported along the way.
104,995 Feet of Elevation — Together
To put this year’s Challenge into perspective, participants collectively logged an incredible 104,995 feet of elevation.
That number represents thousands upon thousands of individual steps, climbs, decisions to keep going, and moments when someone chose not to stop.
Participants also logged 549.22 miles of distance, demonstrating that the Challenge was never limited to one kind of movement.
Whether someone climbed a mountain, walked a trail, rolled through their community, or added miles one day at a time, every contribution helped build the final total.
$7,648 Raised Through the Challenge
The Challenge was also about turning movement into impact.
Together, participants and supporters raised $7,648 during the 2026 RiseUP Elevation Challenge.
Those funds represent people choosing to support organizations and communities working to create greater opportunity, inclusion, connection, and support across the U.S..
For RiseUP, fundraising helps strengthen the work we do alongside individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and neurodiversity.
Through programs and services in Colorado Springs and Denver, RiseUP works to create communities where people of different abilities can build skills, develop relationships, participate meaningfully, pursue greater independence, and thrive.
A Challenge Built Through Community
The 2026 Elevation Challenge would not have been possible without the many people and organizations who helped bring it to life.
Throughout the campaign, RiseUP worked alongside nonprofit partners, community organizations, sponsors, volunteers, participants, donors, families, and supporters.
Some joined us on hikes.
Some helped introduce the Challenge to new audiences.
Some donated.
Some created teams.
Some shared participant pages and social posts.
Some simply told another person what the RiseUP Elevation Challenge was all about.
Every one of those actions helped expand the reach of the Challenge and the conversation around inclusion in Colorado.
Thank You to Our Participants, Sponsors, and Nonprofit Partners
We also want to extend a heartfelt thank you to our sponsor, Hawesome Technologies, and to each of our nonprofit partners who helped share the Challenge, engage their communities, and strengthen its impact. Your collaboration helped us reach more people, build new connections, and show what can happen when organizations come together around inclusion, opportunity, and community.
