Strava’s 2024 Annual Report Indicates That Social Runs Are Trending—While Burnout Is Declining

The year’s end has arrived—and no, we’re not referring to the festive holiday countdown to Christmas. We’re speaking about that unique moment in December when Strava, the preferred app for over 135 million athletes spanning more than 190 nations, unveils its yearly Year in Sport report.

Released on Wednesday, the 2024 Year in Sport report highlights the trends and fitness habits that shaped the active environment globally over the preceding 12 months. For this year’s analysis, Strava utilized data from billions of distinct activities uploaded by its worldwide community—including runs, cycle rides, strength sessions, among others—between September 1, 2023, and August 30, 2024. It also included insights from a random global survey of over 5,068 active individuals, encompassing both Strava users and non-users.

The report portrays an optimistic outlook for the 2024 fitness landscape and, as the data suggests, the running segment is particularly thriving. Here are some unexpected findings we discovered…

Running clubs are growing in popularity.

As confirmed by Strava’s latest trends analysis, social running surged in 2024, especially among young Gen Z athletes. In fact, 66 percent of Gen Z respondents (compared to 58 percent of the overall respondents) reported forming new friendships through a fitness group in 2024, and 55 percent of Gen Z respondents (versus 48 percent overall) stated that their primary motivation for joining a fitness group was to forge social connections. This trend is likely to persist, or even expand, in 2025.

Strava notes that running ranks as the fastest-growing social sport on its platform—and it’s easy to see why. Over the past year, the number of running clubs on Strava grew by 59 percent, and among the surveyed Gen Z athletes, one-fifth mentioned having gone on a date with someone they met at a group fitness event. So, if you’re seeking romance, you might want to ditch that dating app—and instead, join a running group.

In addition to the social (and possible dating) advantages, group activities have also demonstrated effectiveness in enhancing running performance and motivation. On average, group workouts were longer and received more kudos than solo training sessions, and 89 percent more women joined a fitness group on Strava in 2024 than in 2023.

However, perhaps the most fascinating and hopeful aspect? Athletes’ attitudes towards alcohol.

According to Strava’s 2024 research, nights out have increasingly been substituted with mornings spent with companions on the track, roads, and trails. Individuals are now four times more inclined to wish to meet new people through a fitness group (59 percent) compared to at a bar (14 percent)—and overall, 92 percent of the surveyed individuals indicated they have decreased, or would consider reducing, their alcohol consumption to achieve their fitness goals. That statistics escalates to 96 percent for Gen Z individuals.

The era of the “no pain, no gain” philosophy is fading, with extreme pushing once regarded as the most effective—if not glamorous—form of staying active. As suggested by Strava’s report, 2024 marked a year when individuals adopted a more sustainable approach to fitness, wherein shorter workouts and designated rest days replaced the pressure to go all out every time—especially regarding marathon training.

A little over half of the respondents (57 percent) indicated that their ideal workout time ranged from 45 minutes to an hour, with the average duration of a Strava activity in 2024 recorded at 53 minutes. Despite the notion that everyone is engaging in multiple long runs weekly, only 16 percent discussed preferring to exercise for over 60 minutes in a single session.

Conversely, a higher number of individuals completed shorter workouts lasting 20 minutes or less, and they were still faithfully logging their activities on Strava (because if it isn’t logged, did it even happen?). In fact, one-fifth of all uploaded activities in 2024 fell into the sub-20-minute ‘micro-movements’ category, with the most popular—representing 43 percent of all recorded activities—being the stair stepper. It certainly gets your heart rate up, to be fair.

The report also demonstrated that marathon and half marathon training regimens don’t solely revolve around running. On average, 2024 marathon trainees contributed activities to Strava for just 49 percent of the days in the 16 weeks leading up to their race—meaning 54 days of that block were likely spent (presumably) resting. Additionally, Strava discovered that 2024 half marathon participants documented runs on only one-third of the days in the same 16-week timeframe, resulting in 62 rest (or non-Strava) days during that period.

The average running pace for 2024 was determined to be 10:15 minutes per mile, revealing that individuals across various running capabilities and experience levels—and not just elite record-holders—are engaging in the sport and utilizing Strava to monitor their developments.

By prioritizing a more balanced approach to training, emphasizing rest and bite-sized workouts, people are enabling themselves to remain healthy and active longer—and warding off the dreaded burnout.

Nonetheless, this doesn’t suggest that active individuals lack ambition. On the contrary, Strava reported that 72 percent of running objectives were achieved in 2024 (alongside 77 percent of cycling aims, if you’re into cycling). Furthermore, there was a 9 percent rise in the number of marathons, ultramarathons, and 100-mile rides being recorded on the platform this year.

Fitness aspirations remain elevated as we look toward next year, with 43 percent of Strava users aiming to participate in a major race or event in 2025. However, to achieve such aims, these users do not plan on simply logging high mileage. Instead, they aspire to enhance their overall wellness in a more holistic manner: 19 percent wish to emphasize stretching and mobility as their primary health and fitness objective for 2025, while 14 percent aim to enhance their diet and another 14 percent desire to perfect their sleeping habits. These minor adjustments can yield significant outcomes when preparing for your target race or event.

That said, prioritizing and enhancing mental well-being was the top health and fitness goal for 2025 among survey participants, with 65 percent of Gen Z athletes prioritizing this over anything else—and more than any other generation. Meanwhile, Gen X showed the most inclination to enhance its longevity (63 percent, compared to 52 percent for Millennials and 47 percent for Gen Z), with longevity being this group’s main target for the upcoming year.

In 2024, Strava inquired active individuals about the challenges they faced when engaging in exercise—similar to its approach in 2023. Although barriers to physical activity persist, the findings revealed a positive trend, with women and older athletes achieving Strava milestones at a higher rate compared to other genders and age groups.

Starting with gender, inspired by the landmark 2024 Paris Olympics, which marked the first occasion of equal participation between men and women, 61 percent of the active respondents expressed optimism about gender equity in sports.

Related StoryYet, even when women engaged in physical activity over the last year, they did so exceptionally well. According to Strava’s 2024 findings, women were 20 percent more likely than men to secure the fastest time on a Strava segment, demonstrating that women are continuing to excel in their chosen sports.As for running, women’s participation is drawing closer to men’s rates as well. While men recorded more marathons than women on Strava (8 percent versus 5 percent, respectively), half marathon participation was nearly equal, with 16 percent of women and 17 percent of men logging a 13.1-mile running activity in 2024. StravaOutside of outdoor running, women also dedicated considerable time to gym-based activities. Weight training emerged as the fastest-growing activity type among women in 2024, indicated by a 25 percent increase in uploads to Strava—and women’s runs and rides were 40 percent more likely to take place indoors compared to men’s. This does suggest that treadmills were well-utilized over the past year, yet raises questions as to why women showed less enthusiasm for outdoor exercise—and what needs to be addressed to enhance the appeal and safety of outdoor activities, especially during the bleak winter months.

Men, on the other hand, witnessed a 15 percent rise in uploads related to yoga or Pilates activities, indicating a renewed commitment to improving strength, flexibility, and mobility beyond mere cardio exercises.

As for age dynamics, Boomers and Gen X athletes captured Strava crowns at a greater rate (12 percent) compared to Millennial and Gen Z athletes (8 percent), shedding light on a more competitive nature among older demographics. Boomers also covered more distance than their Gen Z counterparts, with the former averaging a weekly running distance of 14km (9 miles) in 2024, whereas the latter averaged 9km (6 miles) per week.

Rachel is Runner’s World UK‘s Senior Content Writer, overseeing a range of topics related to running, from training tips and gear assessments to race recaps and elite runner interviews. Previously, she has held positions as a Website Content Editor and Content Manager at London Marathon Events and The Running Channel, respectively, and is well-versed in the running community and understands the intricacies of organizing some of the most significant running events globally. A marathoner with a personal best of 2:50, she prefers covering the 26.2 miles over participating in a 5K and has completed 11 marathons, including five of the Abbott World Marathon Majors in under three hours. She now aims to compete in the Tokyo Marathon to complete her Six Star Finisher badge.