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Strava\u2019s growth has coincided with a boom in running<\/a>, particularly among Gen Z consumers, as people increasingly pursue healthier lifestyles.<\/p>\n More than 1.1mn people applied to run the 2026 London Marathon, a 31 per cent increase on last year, and the organisers of the New York City Marathon said in March that applications had grown by 22 per cent to more than 200,000.<\/p>\n Major sportswear brands \u2014 including Nike and Adidas \u2014 operate rival fitness-tracking apps. But Strava emerged as the \u201cclear leader\u201d in the growing market during the Covid pandemic thanks to its community focus and social networking features, according to Mintel retail analyst Bridget McCusker.<\/p>\n Martin, who previously ran Nike\u2019s \u201cconnected fitness\u201d apps, took over from Strava co-founder Michael Horvath in 2024. He said his main focus had been on adding tools to boost user growth and paid subscriptions, which make up the majority of the company\u2019s revenues.<\/p>\n Sensor Tower estimates that, in the year to September, consumers spent more than $180mn on Strava Premium, which costs $11.99 a month or $79.99 per year. Strava declined to provide figures but said the amount was \u201cfar greater\u201d than the estimate. The company also makes money through sponsored challenges and brand partnerships.<\/p>\n Strava has acquired rivals to add features to its app. This year it bought Runna, a UK-based coaching app, and cycling training platform The Breakaway \u2014 two purchases that \u201cresolved a big weakness for Strava, which was its lack of personalised training plans\u201d, said Mintel\u2019s McCusker. <\/p>\n But while Strava has snapped up some upstart rivals it is locked in competition with athletics giant Garmin, the $50bn smartwatch and GPS-tracker company.<\/p>\n Millions of amateur athletes use Strava and Garmin Connect, an app that links to the company\u2019s smartwatches, simultaneously by sharing workouts recorded on their Garmin watches with their network on Strava. But that compatibility is now under threat. <\/p>\n Strava\u2019s chief product officer Matt Salazar said on Reddit<\/a> this month that Garmin had threatened to cut off access to its software from the beginning of next month unless Strava complies with new developer guidelines. These require it to display Garmin\u2019s logo on activities recorded using its devices, which Salazar described as \u201cblatant advertising\u201d.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/https:\/\/d1e00ek4ebabms.cloudfront.net\/production\/55f82a63-8d90-4d8b-8f0a-d74fe117c464.jpg\")
A runner jogs past the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco, where Strava was founded \u00a9 Justin Sullivan\/Getty Images<\/p>\n