DKU Moves: Get active, go the distance

A young woman is sprayed with colored powder as she competes in the DKU Color Run

The road to fitness and a healthy lifestyle can be a long one. DKU Moves helps pave the way, providing you with the tips and tools to be more active, no matter how busy your schedule.

Get moving and take DKU around the world – one kilometer at a time.

DKU Moves is a landmark program by DKU Athletics that aims to motivate students, faculty, and staff at Duke Kunshan University to prioritize daily exercise, which can help combat stress, improve sleep quality, sharpen concentration, and provide many other health benefits.

We accomplish this through competition and cooperation, by promoting a strong sense of community spirit, and by offering a range of fun activities and incentives.

Two teams of students take part in a game of Ultimate Frisbee

So, how does DKU Moves work?

DKU Moves invites everyone in our campus community to log their daily exercise using our real-time online platform, which can be accessed via the DKU Athletics WeChat channel. (If you don’t already follow us, scan the QR code to get moving.) Any and all exercise counts, whether it’s personal recreation or taking part in a university activity such as a PE class, open fitness session, or sports club event.

After entering your data, our platform will convert the time you spent exercising into kilometers – taking you along a virtual route that passes Kunshan, the mountains and rivers of China, historic European cities, Duke University in the United States, and other exciting destinations around the world. This allows you to clearly track your progress by seeing just how far you have traveled on your fitness journey.

Rankings show which participants have moved the furthest over the past month. Plus, to evoke a strong sense of community spirit, our platform combines everyone’s kilometers to “move” the entire Duke Kunshan campus along the same virtual route.

DKU Moves shares weekly personalized exercise logs with participants on email, allowing you to review and set personal targets, while updates on upcoming events and incentives are regularly available via the DKU Athletics website and official WeChat channel.

Two competitors cross bamboo canes during a kendo match

A group of young people participate in a dance class

Points mean prizes

At the end of every seven-week session, each participant receives points based on their total distance. These points can then be redeemed to claim prizes such as bandanas, sports towels, DKU hoodies, sports watches, Bluetooth speakers, earbuds, and other goodies

And to add a competitive edge, community members who have traveled the furthest will receive our Superstar award – as well as bragging rights among their friends.

“The real rewards of taking part in DKU Moves are the profound and long-lasting mental and physical health benefits that come from taking regular and routine exercise,” said Zarko Krkeljas, director of DKU Athletics. “Our aim is to inspire individuals to develop healthy personal habits while also promoting the knowledge that we can go forward together as a community – I move, we move, DKU Moves.”

Runners of all ages take off after starting in the DKU Park Run

DKU Moves has brought together a strong community of fitness fans since its launch in early 2022. This includes several superstars who within the first year clocked up enough kilometers to travel around the globe twice!

To encourage individuals to take part in new and varied athletic activities, we also organize events and special campaigns throughout the year to promote sports and recreation including running, badminton, cycling, swimming, dance, and more.

Keep up to date on DKU Moves through DKU Athletics News and the DKU Athletics WeChat account. Scan the code to follow us on WeChat: