Even though the bikes are stationary, it didn’t stop Binghamton University from passing the competition.
For the second year in a row, BU competed in the annual Fall Frenzy contest hosted by Interactive Fitness. In the competition, schools across the country go head-to-head to determine who can bike the most miles on Expresso stationary bikes.
BU advanced from the Sweet Sixteen to the Elite Eight, beating Salem State University with 914 miles to their 498. BU will now be competing against SUNY Oswego, who rode 1,386 miles in the past round. BU made it to the finals in last year’s competition, losing to Louisiana State University. Jenna Moore, the program coordinator of Fitness and Wellness at BU’s Recreational Center, said she believes the University has a good chance at winning it all this year.
“Last year was very exciting,” Moore said. “Every round builds momentum and gets the students more and more excited to be involved in it. We came really close, we put in good effort, so this year we’re really trying to take it all the way home and win.”
According to Sadie Schwartz, a Campus Recreation employee and senior majoring in neuroscience, the top riders from BU receive gift bags of gym accessories and other prizes and it’s free to bring a friend to Fit Space during competition hours.
Many participants said they chose to compete for personal fitness, fun and to support BU in the competition.
“I feel this is a good way to get people motivated,” said Matthew Pereira, a senior majoring in biochemistry. “People are primarily motivated by competition so this is definitely a good way to get people interested in exercise and being healthy.”
Matt Shapiro, a sophomore majoring in biology, was the first-place rider at BU this week with a total of 107 miles. The second-place biker logged 106 miles. Shapiro said while he was riding for a good workout, he also hoped to encourage others to help BU attain the winning title.
“The competition looks tough so far, but I think the school as a whole can get a lot more people in here,” Shapiro said. “There’s definitely not as many people as there could be, so even if you just come down for one mile it really adds up. Try and share it among your friends.”
According to Moore, the Recreational Center ultimately chose to participate in the Fall Frenzy to make fitness fun and bring the campus together.
“Both our staff and our patrons get really excited about working together for a common goal: to ride those miles, to get to the next round,” Moore said. “A little friendly competition against other schools always makes it exciting.”
The Elite Eight round will take place from Oct. 21-22.