Foursquare and Runkeeper partner to reward you for running — without checking in

I don’t think it’s any secret that I love foursquare’s badges. They’re just pixels on a screen, but they’re a perfect way to reward people for doing certain things. Foursquare’s newest badges, though, are the ones I’m most excited about. Continuing their recent health kick, foursquare has partnered with RunKeeper to offer badges that encourage people to run.

These badges are the first in a series of badges that you’ll be able to unlock without checking in. Foursquare plans to work with a few select partners to offer these badges as rewards for doing things that aren’t necessarily location-based.

RunKeeper is an app that tracks your runs using the GPS in your iPhone or Android phone. You link your RunKeeper account to foursquare on the Sharing page of the RunKeeper settings.

The first badge from the partnership is “Warm Up,” which can be earned for completing three runs with RunKeeper. The unlock text reads:

Congratulations! That’s 3 activities completed with RunKeeper. But don’t stop now… You’re just getting warmed up! Try tracking an upcoming race or some other activities with RunKeeper to earn more badges.

There will apparently be badges for running 5Ks and marathons. There are likely more that haven’t been spotted yet.

As a RunKeeper user, I can’t wait to earn these badges. I’ve already signed up for a 5K this weekend that I wasn’t planning to run. The marathon badge just might inspire me to finally get off my duff and start training!

I can’t wait to see what other badges come out of this new initiative. It certainly opens up many new doors for foursquare partnerships and rewards for activities that don’t rely on location.

What other things can you envision foursquare offering badges for?