The fitness tracking platform Strava has become a key barometer in how everyday athletes record, share, and analyze their activity. From casual run logs to competitive segments, Strava’s data offers insight into real-world behavior, for example, consumer wearables refining product design, and urban planners using user activity to inform active transport strategy. In this article, we dive into the latest statistics (and recent years) to surface how Strava is evolving, and why it matters.
Editor’s Choice
- As of September 2025, 29% of tracked rides and runs on Strava used the Power Insights tool, according to internal user telemetry referenced in the 2025 Strava Engineering Update.
- Strava serves a community in more than 185 countries.
- Group fitness activities on Strava increased by 13% in 2024 compared to the prior year.
- Strava’s AI-powered “Athlete Intelligence” now uses 57 different factors (like speed and acceleration) to flag vehicle-based activity.
- The redesigned Record experience increased mobile activity session starts by 19% in July-September 2025.
Recent Developments
- Subscriber-only features led to a 15% boost in user training plan adoption in May-August 2025.
- The “Athlete Intelligence” update resulted in 72% fewer flagged vehicle activities post-release.
- AI-powered routing saw usage jump 24% among premium users since launch in early 2025.
- In-app activity planning updates increased activity shares by 13% month-on-month in April 2025.
- Leaderboard fairness AI updates reduced disputed segment results by 38% in the second half of 2025.
- Visualisation features drove a 17% rise in completed multi-sport plans on Strava after April 2025.
- The new self-serve analytics model delivered 3x efficiency improvement for Strava’s internal teams in 2025.
- Virtual event participation grew 20% from March to September 2025 after Athlete Intelligence integration.
Stretch Goals Remain Popular Among Strava Users
- 43% of Strava users plan to conquer a big race or event in 2025, showing that endurance challenges remain a key motivator in the fitness community.
- There was a +9% increase in the number of marathons, ultras, and century rides logged on Strava in 2024, reflecting a steady rise in participation in long-distance events.
- These trends suggest that even as athletes prioritize balance and recovery, ambitious personal goals continue to drive engagement on the platform.
- The growing interest in competitive endurance events highlights Strava’s role as both a training companion and a goal-tracking hub for performance-oriented users.
Global Reach and Country Breakdown
- In 2024, the platform registered over 12 billion activities shared.
- More than 12 million photos and videos are shared per week on the platform.
- Over 35 million segments (route portions) have been created by users globally.
- The “Year in Sport” 2024 report indicates that group workouts and Run Clubs are growing faster in many non-U.S. markets.
- Strava’s global expansion includes acquisitions (e.g., of Runna and The Breakaway) to deepen its international offering.
Strava Employee Count and Demographics
- The company Strava reported approximately 540 employees as of 2024.
- As of September 2025, publicly available data estimates about 630–640 employees working across 6 continents.
- Earlier (2022) data indicated ~290 employees as of December 31, 2022.
- One analysis noted that ~20% of the workforce is in software engineering (for example, ~108 engineers in a 540-employee model).
- The move into a new global headquarters at 181 Fremont St. in San Francisco in March 2025 signals the company’s broader talent and scale ambitions.
- The workforce is distributed globally (North America, Europe, Asia) with increasing emphasis on remote or hybrid roles.
Who Are Strava Users in the United States
- Whites make up 42% of Strava users in the United States, forming the largest demographic group on the platform.
- Blacks represent 32% of users, showing strong participation and engagement in the fitness tracking community.
- Hispanics account for 20%, highlighting growing adoption across diverse athletic segments.
- Other groups make up 6%, reflecting a smaller but increasing presence among Strava’s U.S. audience.
- Overall, the data shows Strava’s broadening inclusivity, with usage spread across multiple demographic backgrounds.
Group vs Solo Activity Statistics
- In 2024, Strava reported a 59% increase in running club participation globally.
- Activities done in groups of 10 or more participants rose by 18% in that same period.
- On average, group activities (runs, rides, hikes) were 40% longer than solo ones.
- Group workouts also had higher engagement, in some categories, up to 95% more kudos vs solo for larger group sizes.
- “Large group activities” increased by around 13% and included ~3× more downtime (e.g., coffee stops) compared with solo outings.
- 58% of survey respondents in 2024 said they made new friends via fitness groups.
- Among Gen Z users, ~20% said they had been on a date with someone they met through a fitness group.
Most Popular Activities on Strava
- Running and cycling remain the dominant sports on Strava’s platform.
- In 2024, the number of marathons, ultramarathons, and century (100-mile) rides logged on the platform rose by ~9%.
- Strength training uploads among women increased by 25% in 2024.
- Female cyclists on the platform increased their share by ~11% in that year.
- Yoga and Pilates uploads among male users rose by ~15% in 2024.
- Walking and hiking are featured as fast-growing “other sport types” in the community trends.
- The typical recorded session duration (median) in 2024 sat around 53 minutes.
Workout Duration Trends
- In 2024, the median workout duration on Strava was 53 minutes.
- Only ~16% of users indicated that their ideal workout lasted 60 minutes or more.
- More than one-fifth (≈20%) of logged workouts were “micro movements” of under 20 minutes.
- Marathon training routines included ~51% rest or active recovery days in the final 16 weeks.
- With increased group activity, there is correspondingly more “downtime” (stops for socialising, coffee) built into workouts.
- Users are shifting toward more balanced workouts and away from “go hard, burn out” models.
App Downloads by Region
- In EMEA, Strava accounted for nearly 35% of global app downloads in Q4 2024.
- The US market contributed about 25% of total downloads in Q4 2024.
- Southeast Asia represented roughly 9% of Strava’s Q4 2024 downloads.
- 22 million unique site visits were recorded in Great Britain during March 2025.
- France averaged 2.1 million app downloads annually from 2022-2024.
- Australia reached 3.8 million cumulative downloads for Strava by mid-2025.
- Strava app total installs projected to exceed 132 million by 2032.
- The download rate in Latin America grew 11% year-over-year in 2024.
Social Connections and Community Stats
- Around 51 million activities are uploaded per week.
- In 2024, ~58% of users surveyed said they made new friends via fitness groups.
- Among Gen Z, ~66% said they made new friends through running groups in 2024.
- One in five Gen Z users said they had been on a date with someone they met at a fitness group.
- There are nearly 1 million clubs on Strava globally.
- Group workouts receive significantly more kudos than solo ones (~30-95% more, depending on group size).
Trends in Premium Features or Paid Users
- As of 2025, pricing in the U.S., Strava’s subscription is $11.99/month or $79.99/year, with a “Family Plan” at $139.99/year.
- Strava announced more than 40 new features for its subscriber base in 2025, including AI-powered insights and enhanced leaderboards.
- Subscription features added in 2025 include deeper performance analytics, smart route suggestions, and wearable integration enhancements.
- Premium users are more likely to log gear and device data, increasing lifetime value and retention compared to free tier users.
- Regional pricing experiments and bundling (such as “the Strava + Runna” bundle) are being explored to accelerate premium uptake in new geographies.
Device and Wearable Usage Stats
- Garmin Forerunner 245 was used by 22% of Strava runners in 2024.
- Edge bike computers are the choice for 28% of Strava cyclists globally.
- Apple Watch holds the top two spots, worn by 31% of runners in Q2 2024.
- Over 61% of Strava sessions were tracked with smartphones, not wearables, in Q4 2024.
- Strava is compatible with over 3,200 different wearable devices as of October 2025.
- Usage of dedicated GPS watches on Strava declined 8% year-over-year in 2024.
- Riders using hardware-based trackers log 19% larger group activities than mobile-only users.
- Features like live segments increased wearable integration by 15% in 2025.
- Devices linked to accounts increased 26% for Strava users from 2022 to 2025.
- Wearable users generate 42% more kudos interactions than mobile-only recorders.
Most Popular Running Shoes
- ASICS became the most logged shoe brand on Strava with 27% of gear entries in 2025.
- Brooks holds the lead in the U.S., accounting for 32% of all logged running shoes in 2025.
- Nike Pegasus line represented 21% of Strava’s logged training shoes globally in 2025.
- Hoka Clifton models ranked among the top three brands, appearing in 18% of logged runs in 2025.
- Usage of carbon-plated “super shoes” grew 14% year-on-year for logged races in 2024.
- Nike Vaporfly series reported as top shoe for 26% of 5K/10K event entries on Strava in 2024.
- Branded shoe entries made up 92% of Strava gear logs in 2025, up from 86% in 2023.
- Repeat use of the same shoe brand was recorded for 73% of athletes who log gear details.
- The top five brands comprised 89% of all logged running shoes globally in 2025.
- User gear logs with branded shoes increased 17% since early 2023.
Personal Records and Achievement Trends
- In mid-2025, Strava reported that 42% of runners had achieved a personal best in 5K, 10K, half-marathon, or marathon distance so far that year.
- Among runners who logged a 10K in 2025, 32% had secured a personal best in that distance.
- Strava’s 2024 report noted a 9% increase in marathons, ultramarathons, and century rides logged compared to the prior year.
- Athletes training for marathons in 2024 logged that 51% of days within the final 16-week block were rest or active recovery days.
- Micro movements (sessions under 20 minutes) comprised over 20% of uploaded workouts.
- Group-based workouts show a higher likelihood of PR achievement; athletes who regularly train within clubs or groups log more segments and more personal best attempts.
Gender Based Usage Insights
- Globally, women spend less than half as much time cycling as men in comparable segments. In the U.S., women spent 45% less time cycling than men annually.
- Women were 20% more likely than men to win a KOM or QOM (segment crown) on the platform.
- In the 2025 mid-year update, 55% of Gen Z athletes named social connection as their top reason for joining a fitness group on Strava.
- Women’s uploads of weight-training activities grew by 25% in 2024.
- Women are significantly more likely to prefer training in the same gender groups. Globally, 73% of women said they would feel more comfortable riding with other women.
- The gender gap in biking and running remains sizeable but is narrowing; women’s cycling activity logged on Strava rose nearly 20% since 2019.
- Additional research suggests urban environment and infrastructure differences also influence gender usage patterns, e.g., safety, daylight hours, and access.
Kudos and Engagement Metrics
- Athletes engaged in larger groups receive up to 95% more “kudos” (likes) compared to solo activities, signaling higher engagement in social workouts.
- Over 12 billion activities have been shared globally to date.
- Engagement via comments, posts, and community challenges is increasing; 77% of Gen Z athletes say they feel more connected when they see their friends’ or family’s activities.
- Group workouts result in higher retention; athletes logging group activities are more likely to remain active 12 months later than those doing solo activities only.
- Athletes who engage in gear logging show ~20% higher engagement rates (kudos, comments) than those who only log activities.
Strava Clubs and Community Growth
- Gen Z athletes are the primary joiners of community clubs; ~55% cite the sense of belonging as the reason for joining.
- Clubs focused on walking and social fitness (not just performance runs) grew by 52% in 2024.
- Athletes associated with a club are more than twice as likely to log weekly activity as those without club affiliation.
- Branded challenges and community campaigns increasingly use Strava Clubs as activation channels; this fuels both growth and monetisation potential.
- Clubs are turning into cross-functional groups (running + walking + cycling) rather than single-sport silos, reflecting users’ varied workout habits.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
They increased by approximately 14% year-on-year.
Over 185 countries.
More than 40% of new athletes in 2024 were women.
72% of running goals and 77% of ride goals were met.
Conclusion
The latest data from Strava underscores a clear trajectory: community and connection are now as important as performance tracking in the fitness app space. From popular running shoe brands like ASICS, Nike, and Hoka, to a surge in social-driven clubs and group workouts, the platform has evolved well beyond mere GPS logging.
Gender based insights reveal both progress and persistent gaps, while monetisation via premium features remains a growth area. For brands, coaches, and athletes, the message is, lean into the social, the gear, and the subscription services that keep users engaged and moving. Dive into the full article to explore each of these trends in depth and understand what they mean for the future of digital sport and fitness.
