With less than four weeks left in 2024, the world’s most popular fitness tracking app, Strava, has released its annual Year In Sport: Trend Report, identifying the fitness trends that shaped the active landscape this year. While some findings are expected, others might surprise you.
The training app analyzed activity data from its global community of more than 135 million members from 190 countries, alongside insights from a randomized global survey of more than 5,000 active individuals, both on and off the platform.
Welcome to the “run” club
It’s no secret that run clubs have surged in popularity since the end of the pandemic. Strava reveals that group fitness saw a significant boom, with a 59 per cent rise in running clubs on the app. These social connections also fuelled performance, as group runs averaged more kudos and more miles in comparison to solo efforts.
Run clubs have not only become a popular place to get a workout in with like-minded individuals, but they’ve become a place to meet new friends. In 2024, 58 per cent of users surveyed said they made new friends through a run club. The Gen Z demographic took it one step further, with one in five users saying they went on a date with someone they met through exercise—and are four times more likely to want to meet people working out than at a bar.
Peer pressure
Although solo efforts received fewer kudos, this didn’t stop Strava users from achieving goals. Seventy-two per cent of users reached their running goals in 2024, and the app saw a nine per cent increase in the total number of marathons and ultramarathons logged.
The trend report also highlighted a move toward more balance and sustainability in workouts. Twenty per cent of all activities were “micro-movements” under 20 minutes, with marathoners also prioritizing rest days more than in previous years (62 days on average).
Who runs the world?
Strava applauded the growing dominance of women in sports and the rapid rise of strength and weight-training activities. Weight training was the fastest-growing sport type among women in 2024, with a 25 per cent growth in uploads. Women also claimed more Strava crowns and CRs on the app than men in 2024.
Meanwhile, Boomers and Gen X led in mileage, proving that fitness has no age limit. Millennials and Gen Z will have to up their game in 2025.
Most popular footwear
Also revealed in the trend report were the most popular active gear of the year and the hottest workout wardrobe predictions for 2025. The top running shoe was the Nike Pegasus, while the most popular watch used for uploads was the Apple Watch. The Garmin Forerunner line of watches was more popular for longer distances and races.
This year saw a 14 per cent year-over-year increase in races completed in carbon-plated shoes across all distances, showing another surge in the popularity of high-performance footwear. Nike again led the way, with their Alphafly and Vaporfly models being the most popular for the 5K and marathon.
All ages agreed that co-ordinated outfits were the workout wardrobe item of choice, with the colour blue predicted to be the new black for 2025. So if you’re torn between colours for a Christmas gift for a runner, go with blue.
