Catch me if you can

Running surged in popularity during the pandemic, and the momentum hasn’t faded since. The share of marathon runners on Strava doubled in 2022 compared to the previous year and New York Road Runner, the organizer of the New York City Marathon, reported unprecedented demand for its races in 2023. Every January, Strava releases its Year in Sport report, leveraging activity data from its platform and surveys to identify trends shaping the world of exercise. Running remained the most uploaded sport and saw a 4% increase in the share of athletes uploading runs. Gen Z posted the fastest running times, beating Boomers by an impressive average of one minute. Gen X athletes recorded the longest runs. The Hoka Clifton were the most popular running shoes for both female and male Strava athletes. Hoka shoes also recorded the highest use growth, followed by the Asics Novablast. The Garmin Forerunner 235 was the top device used by Strava athletes to record their activities.

Source: Strava Year in Sport, January 2024.