It’s that time of year again, and I’m not talking about Spotify Unwrapped or Advent Calendars, no it’s Strava’s Annual Year in Sport Trend Report. This gives us great insight into the latest workout habits, fitness trends and popular gear.
Strava analysed data from more than 135 million users between September 2023 and August 2024 to reveal 4 key themes: exercise is getting more social; rest & recovery is an increasing priority; barriers to exercise still exist; and the most popular gear continues to change.
Getting Social
People are increasingly turning to sport to find community. In fact, 58% made new friends through fitness groups with 48% intentionally joining fitness groups to make friends.
Gone are the days of going to the pub to meet up with friends. This year four times more people wanted to meet people through a fitness group than at a bar. Not only that but the most popular time to go on a group run is between 6-7pm and 1-in-5 people end up going on a date with someone from their fitness group.
The number of running groups continues to grow with Strava recording a 59% increase in number of listed run clubs. Women are more likely to exercise in groups than solo and group activities may have greater fitness gains as they tend to last longer in duration than solo runs.
Check out my list of local running groups I have worked out with over the last few months!
Balance over Burnout
2024 saw a shift towards more moderate and sustainable forms of exercise than the traditional pushing it to the max. Mental health and life longevity are increasingly more popular exercise goals.
To enjoy long-term fitness gains you need to workout consistently and this is far easier to do through shorter, less intense exercise. Only 16% of Strava users want to workout more than 60 minutes each day and the ideal workout length is 45-60 minutes. The average run pace on Strava during 2024 was 10:15min/mile (6:22min/km).
Rest is increasingly being prioritised but 10% more Strava users hit their goals in 2024 than 2023. On average, half marathon runners only uploaded runs on one third of days in the 16 week build-up to race day.
Despite this big race objectives continue to boom with 43% aiming for a big race/event in 2025. There has been a 9% increase in demand for marathons and ultra-marathons. To get them there in one piece, in addition to more rest, many are incorporating stretching, mobility and strength work into their fitness programmes to build a strong foundation.
Barriers Still Exist
Fortunately there is increasingly more parity in terms of participation numbers and opportunities to participate. The overall attitude is also more positive.
Women got out and exercised in record numbers during 2024. Their half marathon participation (16%) was almost on par with male participation (17%). But 1-in-4 do still say their schedule lacks the flexibility to be active and 40% of their runs are more likely to be indoors than men.
The Gear
We know why and how people are working out but now for the all important question: what are they working out in?
Black is the most popular colour to exercise in followed by blue. 60% of people endorsed colour co-ordinated workout outfits. Gen Z are far more likely to workout in accessories like headbands, scrunchies and jewellery.
One of the biggest debates was around sock length with younger athletes tending to prefer higher cuts. Gen Z are far more likely to hit the roads and trails in high or crew length socks whereas Millennials and Gen X are more likely to wear no-show or ankle socks.
So there you have it, the most important report of 2024, Strava’s Annual Year in Sport, summarised! If you haven’t got Strava, get it, and if you do then join the Kinisi Run Hub Strava Group but most importantly remember to STRAVA IT OR IT DIDN’T HAPPEN!