What if running became a game? Higow takes on the challenge

Within a few clicks, our character is ready to explore the trails of Mont-Blanc or take on the paths of Mount Fuji. Enter an email address and password, answer a few questions and choose a username. “Coureusestyle” or “Traileuraddict” will do nicely. Once that’s done, all that remains is to choose a character to represent us, then connect the app to Apple Health, Strava or Garmin Connect. The app’s creators are planning to add more services, including Google, Suunto and Coros, so users can connect their devices or fitness apps without having to switch platforms. From there, it’s up to the player to make the experience their own. Several worlds are available, with distances ranging from S, between 10 and 30 kilometres, to XL, meaning at least 120 km.

They can set off wherever their motivation takes them. By running in the real world, they move their character through the virtual one. If the first checkpoint is six kilometres from the start, a runner might decide to cover that same distance in real life to reach the virtual stage and earn rewards. There’s no need to walk around with a phone in hand, eyes fixed on the progress of a character taking part in a virtual flagship event. Once the run is over, the kilometres are automatically uploaded to the app through the connected fitness platforms. Fun, immersive and innovative, Higow has all the ingredients to win over beginners and experienced runners alike. The idea came from one particular enthusiast: Nicolas Sensey.

Running, with a gaming twist

He describes himself as both an ultra-gamer and an ultra-trail runner. Higow’s founder has set a target of 100,000 users by the end of 2026, while the app already has 16,000, just months after launching last June. The idea is for characters to rack up running kilometres in the virtual world, while customising their look with new running outfits or medals displayed in their showcase. Running for fun is the creed of this first running video game, and perhaps the best way to encourage people who are intimidated by running to give it a try.

More than half of Higow’s users currently fall into the beginner and intermediate categories. That suggests gaming can help people take their first steps as runners. Using gaming mechanics to encourage users to maintain an active lifestyle appears to be working, if the figures are anything to go by: 40 to 45% opened the app at least once in the past 28 days and, more importantly, between 16 and 20% of those who downloaded it on 1 August were still active during the week beginning 1 September. “That’s huge. More than anything, this is the stat that shows we’re creating something that makes players stick around,” Nicolas says, fully committed to this two-year-old project aimed at combating sedentary lifestyles and making running more accessible.

The links between gaming and trail running are stronger than you might think. Some of the mechanisms at work in ultra-trail even echo those found in video games. “Pushing yourself, reaching the next pass, the next aid station, feeling yourself progress, that’s pretty powerful,” he says. No comparisons, no guilt trips. In real life and in virtual worlds, everything should happen gradually, so runners do not lose their enjoyment of the sport or their motivation over time. “What I really wanted was for people to get a kind of dopamine hit at the end of a run, to think, ‘I’m glad I went out because it’s good for me and my health, and on top of that I’m being rewarded for the effort. I can see that I’ve progressed along a route, earned rewards and moved up the rankings.’ I wanted people to remember that feeling of satisfaction and want to do it again the next day,” he says with a smile.

Higow goes from strength to strength

Away from the real-world miles, the aim of the game is to keep moving forward, collecting coins to buy items in the “shop”, explore the world and gain experience points. “Our key feature is the worlds we’re developing. We start with an existing route and recreate its environment in 3D, then adapt it into three different sizes. For example, the Mont-Blanc world is based on the official UTMB route,” explains the app’s creator. Around 200 km are available to run for free, with new worlds added regularly. Users who want to cover more ground can take out a premium subscription to unlock additional routes.

The pleasure of playing, whether as part of a community, with friends or solo, quickly takes hold. “There’s a game mode that lets you invite your friends to do the same route as you, race each other, overtake one another and see who’s ahead,” Nicolas adds. For those who are not competitive at all, exploring a world alone, watching it evolve, completing it and earning its world medal may be a better fit. “We want everyone to find something in it,” he says.

The good news is that Higow is on the rise. It has caught the attention of both gamers and investors keen to back new projects. Guillaume Villard, son of Hoka’s co-founder, a creative explorer and specialist in sports and outdoor equipment, is one of them. This collaboration could lead to projects with the brand. “We built the app to become a new activation channel for brands, giving them access to engaged players like ours, who are on the app every week.” The idea is to faithfully reproduce brands’ products and make them available to players, unlocking them through dedicated challenges.

The same principle is being rolled out with sponsors, brands and races. That is already the case with the Avignon Marathon, scheduled for 27 September, Higow’s first official race partnership. The app adopts the event’s visual identity, with a simple challenge: run 42 kilometres during September. Rewards are handed out every 10 kilometres, including a finisher T-shirt for avatars at the 30-kilometre mark and the official medal at 40 kilometres. “It’s the medal you would earn if you did the race for real, but in 3D. It’s a faithful recreation of the Avignon Marathon medal,” Nicolas explains.

The grand prize comes at the end: the app’s lottery also offers the chance to win On Running shoes and outfits. More partnerships with races in France and abroad are on the way, giving users the chance to discover major events across the world from a distance. For now, the details remain under wraps. One more thing is worth noting: the app will be available in English across Europe from October.

Could Higow become a truly collective-use app? It might, if it can move beginners from one run a week to two, or from five to eight kilometres per outing, simply because the app makes them want to run more. Without pushing them too far, but by returning to the very essence of Higow: running.

The next few weeks could be decisive: the team is considering a funding round before the end of the year to expand its workforce, enrich the experience and support the app’s rollout.