STEPN and STEPN GO kicked off the year with the launch of the #STEPNRecap25, giving players a detailed look back at their 2025 journey. Users could view their total kilometres, marathons completed, earnings, and global ranking directly in-app. Alongside the recap, the community was invited to reflect on their 2025 goals and share how they plan to approach 2026, using STEPN as a tool to support healthier and more consistent lifestyles. Players who shared their recap and 2026 targets were entered into a draw to win GMT or a Season Pass, reinforcing the long-term, goal-driven nature of the ecosystem.
To turn reflection into action, we also launched a community event: Road to Recap, a short-term community challenge where players collectively contribute kilometres to unlock milestones and rewards whilst reflecting on the achievements of the year passed and goals for the upcoming year ahead. The event encourages early-year consistency and helps set the foundation for an even stronger 2026 for STEPN and beyond. For more events like this make sure to join the STEPN Discord server, https://discord.com/invite/stepn with more community-driven activities to look forward to throughout 2026.
The Marathon Challenge entered its final phase with Round 6, running from January 5 to January 19 and officially closing out Season 1. Over the course of the season, more than 10,000 participations were recorded, with players committing to daily Energy burns across STEPN and STEPN GO. Round 6 served as the last opportunity to complete a full Marathon round, with successful participants receiving their deposit back alongside rewards. While Season 1 has now concluded, the Marathon Challenge will continue running and generating APY until Season 2 officially launches, with rewards remaining active during this interim period.
The season concluded with the launch of #STEPNathon, the final challenge of Season 1, running from January 19 to January 25. Participants were challenged to complete either 21 km or 42 km in a single session within STEPN or STEPN GO, with the longer distance automatically unlocking both reward tiers. Completing the challenge earned players exclusive badges, backgrounds, and entries into a Genesis Sneaker raffle, bringing twelve weeks of consistency and effort to a definitive and celebratory close.
January marked an important milestone for Legendary Sneakers, beginning with the release of ten Legendary Genesis Sneakers featuring special animated designs. These were distributed via auction on MOOAR from January 12 to January 15 on Solana blockchain. The auction format was intentionally chosen to ensure controlled distribution while allowing the market to determine value, as Legendary Sneakers remain in an early rollout phase.The top performing auction reached 280,200 GMT (4,928 USD) with a total of 54 bids, demonstrating the community’s excitement for the legendary rollout!
Building on this momentum, STEPN also introduced additional Legendary auctions on Polygon and BNB Chain later in the month. A Polygon-based auction featured a smaller supply of Legendary Sneakers, while the BNB Chain auction followed shortly after.
Across all auctions, the team reiterated that Legendary Sneakers cannot yet be Minted or Enhanced, with those systems planned for a later stage once the ecosystem is ready. Additional Legendary releases, including future airdrops and community rewards, were also confirmed, reinforcing a phased, long-term approach to Legendary distribution.
GGBoxes continued to play a central role in ecosystem engagement throughout January, with regular airdrops for GGUSD holders. Boxes contained a range of potential rewards, including GGUSD prizes of up to $1,000, merchandise coupons, and mystery STEPN Sneakers. Players who did not receive an airdrop could purchase boxes via MOOAR, with keys priced at $1 and payable in USDC, USDT, or GGUSD. Notable January drops included a one-of-one Resilience Genesis Sneaker on BNB Chain and a rare dragon-skinned Genesis Sneaker, highlighting the ongoing appeal of limited and high-variance rewards.
Community engagement remained a strong focus, with FSL spotlighting its Regional Leads across different regions. These individuals continue to play a key role in connecting local communities, supporting new users, organising IRL initiatives, and strengthening the link between physical activity and digital value. Their diverse backgrounds, ranging from elite athletes and coaches to designers and long-time STEPN community members, reflect the breadth and global nature of the FSL ecosystem.
In Japan, STEPN BOOST Season 4 officially began, continuing its tradition of connecting runners and supporters through major marathon events. The season includes appearances at multiple races across the country, starting with the Hirakata Half Marathon in January and continuing through events such as the Kyoto Marathon, Osaka Marathon, Tokyo Marathon, Nagoya Women’s Marathon, and the Fukui Cherry Blossom Marathon. STEPN BOOST brings participants together not only to run, but also to cheer, connect, and share the experience, reinforcing STEPN’s strong real-world community culture.
January closed with a sense of momentum across products and communities. Marathon Season 1 ended, Legendary systems continued to evolve in a controlled manner, GGBoxes maintained steady engagement, and IRL initiatives expanded further across regions. With Marathon Season 2 preparations underway and new features in active development, 2026 begins with a clear and focused direction for the FSL ecosystem.
New year, strong start 💪
Marathon Season 1 came to an end, Legendary Sneakers are being released, and GG Boxes are on fire!
This is how 2026 begins 👇
