With more than 14,000 miles logged, University of Iowa faculty, staff, and student participants competed against each other to gain the most miles traveled to the university via bicycle.

The UI Office of Sustainability, in collaboration with the Bicycle Advocacy Committee and the Urban & Regional Planning Student Association, hosted the first Bike Commuter Challenge this semester.

The challenge started April 1 and ended May 3. There were 229 participants compiled into 31 groups from different departments across the university.

The winner of the challenge was the UI Inflammation Program’s Team Myelo with a final average of 155.5 miles. The Recrational Services group, Ridin’ Recsters, came in second with a final average of 128.5 miles.

“I was delighted with the number of participants for the challenge,” said Kehla West, a second-year graduate student and a founding member of the Bicycle Advocacy Committee. “We hope next year to get more students involved, though — to expand the challenge to everyone.”

While this was the first year for the challenge, officials from the Bicycle Advocacy Committee are planning a challenge for next year, said George McCrory, a communications specialist at the Sustainability Office.

“We talked about what we could improve on for next year at our Bicycle Advocacy meeting,” he said. “We know the Office of Sustainability will continue to be involved and help support with the challenge.”