The folks at Strava get a lot of data on users’ exercise habits and trends. Every year, it compiles all that information, assesses and analyzes it, and releases its “Year in Sport: Trend Report” announcing the findings. This month, it released the report for 2024. Many of the findings caught us by surprise — and in a good way.
“This year’s report underscores that fitness is becoming more inclusive, social, and sustainable,” Brian Bell, VP, communications and social impact at Strava, told GearJunkie.
To compile this report, Strava analyzed activity data from September 1, 2023, to August 30, 2024, for more than 135 million people across 190+ countries. It also pulled insights generated from a global survey of 5,068 active people both on and off Strava.
Here are some of high-level highlights we took away from reading the report. If you want to dive into the full report yourself, you can download the Trend Report for the U.S. from Strava’s website. The full report is 25 pages, and it has a lot more information than you’ll find here. These are just some of the findings that stuck out to us.
Let’s dive in.
Strava Year in Sport: Trend Report 2024
According to Bell, the most prominent themes from 2024 were the rise of social connection in fitness, the prioritization of “balance over burnout,” and greater participation.
“People are leaning into group activities, shorter workouts, and recovery as part of a more sustainable approach to fitness,” Bell said. “People are coming together on the platform to celebrate and achieve personal fitness milestones.”
Running Club Boom
Strava saw a 59% increase in running clubs this year and 18% more runs logged by users running in groups of 10 or more. Running clubs are blowing up right now. It is the fastest-growing sport on Strava — and one that people apparently like to do together.
Over half of those who responded to Strava’s survey said they made new friends through fitness groups. Walking clubs are hot right now, too. Strava reported a 54% growth in walking club participation.
Overall, it seems that females are more inclined to run in groups. And, surprisingly (or perhaps not, considering the Strava user base), four times more people said they want to meet new people through a fitness group, rather than at a bar.
Apparently, this social aspect of group fitness isn’t just appealing to people because it’s fun, either. Of those who responded to Strava’s survey, 34% said that exercising in groups helps keep them accountable to their training.
“This connectivity extends beyond the app,” Bell said. “[It’s] facilitating real-world relationships and building a healthier social ecosystem where people motivate each other to stay active.”
Balance Over Burnout
While Strava often seems to be full of manics running ultramarathons and pushing the limits of the human body, more people are starting to prioritize balance, according to this year’s Trend Report.
Most survey respondents (57%) said the ideal workout is between 45 and 60 minutes. The median activity duration recorded on Strava in 2024 was 53 minutes.
“People are redefining what it means to be active,” Bell said. “[They’re] prioritizing consistency, mental health, and meaningful connections over extreme training.