Strava, the app for active people that boasts over 135 million athletes in more than 190 countries, has released its annual Year in Sport: Trend Report, which highlights the trends that shaped the global active landscape in 2024. Strava combined the unique activity data of its global community with insights generated from a randomized global survey of more than 5,000 active people, both on and off the Strava platform. Key findings reveal that:
- Run clubs and fitness clubs are the new nightclubs.
There was a 59 percent increase in running club participation globally in 2024. Run clubs allow people to make social connections and have become a major motivator for people to exercise. More than half of respondents (58 percent) made new friends via fitness groups and nearly 1 in 5 Gen Z respondents went on a date with someone they met through exercise.
- Pushing to the extremes is no longer trendy, replaced by balanced workout.
In 2024, the leading idea of an “active lifestyle” shifted, according to the report. People no longer seek to push to the extremes and prefer a more sustainable approach to fitness, made of shorter workouts and rest days. Over one-fifth of all workouts were micro-movements, lasting under 20-minutes, and recovery became a priority for runners training for marathons. This focus on balance did not hold back progress, though: 72 percent of 2024 runing goals were met, as were 77 percent of cycling goals.
- Boomers and women led the way.
Boomers and Gen X (the cohort following baby boomers and preceding Millennials) outpaced Millennials and Gen Z in both mileage and achieving King/Queen of the Mountain crowns. Meanwhile, women were 20 percent more likely than men to catch a crown on Strava. There was also an 11 percent increase in the share of female cyclists on Strava in 2024.
- Democratization of high-performance running shoes.
There was a 14 percent increase in races completed in carbon shoes across all distances in 2024 compared to 2023.
The full Strava Year in Sport: Trend Report 2024 is available for download from the Strava website.
