Running for Kudos: The Double-Edged Sword of Strava's Influence
If it’s not on Strava, did it even happen?
It’s purposefully tongue-in-cheek. I get it. But honestly, it’s about as enlightened as “If I collapse, pause my Garmin.” Both statements reveal a lot about the way we experience our sport as athletes in the digital age.
For over 100 million people, Strava has become much more than just a method of recording workouts. It’s a social platform, a source of motivation, and for some, a cause of stress.
A recent study digs into the good, bad, and surprising ways Strava influences the minds of athletes. Whether you’re chasing KOMs, connecting with fellow athletes, or questioning why your easy run didn’t get any kudos, Strava might be shaping your running experience more than you think.
Today, we discuss:
What is Strava?
“If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen.”- A study of collegiate runners
Good, bad, and ugly of social networks
6 tips to take control of your social media use
What is Strava?
Essentially, Strava is a social media network for athletes. It’s a fitness app that allows users to record workouts, share data, and connect with like-minded people. Strava was founded in 2009 by Mark Gainey and Michael Horvath, who wanted to recreate the “team mentality” experienced with Horvath’s college rowing crew. Although there are 30 different activities to choose from on Strava, running and cycling are the most popular.
Strava users can upload workouts, which include details like mileage and pace, as well as physiological information like calories burned and heart rate. You can add pictures, videos, and commentary. Then, those posts are shared in a feed for other Strava users, who can give “kudos” by liking a post or leaving a comment. The app also has virtual competitions with leaderboards and trophies that are awarded for personal bests or fast times on specific segments.
And it’s very popular. Since 2009, Strava has accumulated over 100 million users.
“If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen.”
A 2022 study, “If it's not on Strava, it didn’t happen,” sought to examine the perceived psychosocial implications of Strava use on collegiate runners. Researchers conducted interviews with 18 runners from collegiate clubs across the country. Participants needed to be 18–25 years old, have used Strava for at least 6 months, follow at least 5 people, and be followed by at least 5 people. They needed to have run an average of 3 or more days a week over the past 6 months.
The findings of the study were organized into three main areas:
Self-presentation- An attempt to control how we’re viewed by others.
Social pressure- Personal comparison to others.
Motivation- Inspiring action
Results showed that while Strava was useful in connecting college runners and helping to provide motivation, there were also concerns related to social pressure that could influence mental and physical health.
Self-presentation
Self-presentation is when we try to control how others view us, but it has a lot to do with how we view ourselves. There were mixed feelings regarding self-presentation on Strava. On one hand, some athletes admitted to changing their workout, running more miles than intended, and not posting certain runs because of how they might be viewed by others.
For example, Harry said, “If it's a really slow run then maybe it's something I wouldn’t put on Strava.”
Louise said, “I don’t like posting runs that aren’t at least 3 miles because it's just kind of like a wimp-out of a run, like if you don’t finish at least a 5K to me that's not a good day. You should at least be able to do a 5K.”
Andrew felt he needed to justify a slow run by explaining that he was struggling with an injury, while Albert said there are times when he’s changed his running behavior with Strava in mind. "Sometimes I’ll run an extra mile or two, just because it looks better on Strava,” he says.
On the other hand, some runners felt that Strava provided a more accurate portrayal of themselves than a typical social media outlet. Eileen said, “I’m very open on my Strava as far as like good days and bad days… it's important to show that not every single day as a runner is going to be perfect. There's going to be days that are tough, but you’re still out there doing it. So I like to definitely highlight that.”
Social comparison
Another theme that arose was social comparison. While some athletes used comparison to other runners as motivation and inspiration, many athletes had more negative experiences.
Christine said, “I think it [Strava] can be really fun, and I think it can also have negative impacts because it can be a tool for comparison really easily. Especially when you’re a bunch of people who are competitive.”
Runners talked about friends with injuries who’ve needed to step away from Strava, because it made them feel sad or anxious when they couldn’t run. They also admitted to feeling pressure to run even when they knew they shouldn't. Also, they felt pressure to train as much, or like, other runners. They also said that if they had a bad day, seeing others’ great performances made them feel worse about themselves.
But their responses indicated that it had a lot to do with who they were comparing themselves to. For example, the performance of a professional runner was viewed as “motivating” or “inspiring,” but comparison to runners that were closer to their own ability was viewed negatively.
Christine said, “There's a small subset of people who I’m basically on a very similar level… and sometimes in-person interactions, it can feel like a competitive tense thing, so those are the people I mute [on Strava] because I’ve decided it's not good for me to be comparing myself to them.”
Motivation
It also became clear that Strava provides motivation in two main forms: social connection and personal progress. Many athletes enjoy looking at activities of others for inspiration. Others said that having an “audience” for their workouts provided a sense of accountability. Many runners found that the self-tracking features of Strava were encouraging when they saw tangible improvements in fitness or set new personal records.
Harry said, “I like that I can track what I’ve done in the past and see how you improve over time.”
Harriet said, “Honestly, it's a lot of motivation that I can see, visually see all these numbers change as I keep running.”
A majority of runners said seeing personal improvement over time was their favorite feature of the app and a big source of motivation. Although not mentioned in the study, Strava has brought out the creative side of athletes who make “Strava Art” by planning routes that result in elaborate trace images on a map. Check out these great examples of Strava Art. My favorite is the T-Rex and the tiger!
The good, bad, and ugly of social networks
Full disclosure, I’ve managed social media accounts for various companies and businesses for over a decade. So that colors my impression of social media somewhat.
Whereas most people view it as entertainment, connection, ect. I view it from purely a business standpoint. This also means I’m privy to the behind the scenes of social media and the less savory aspects that can result. (You’d be shocked by the hate and vitriol that appears in DMs to companies, individuals, ect.)
Long story short is that any social network can be used for both good and evil, whether it’s Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or Strava. Now Strava is a bit different in that it’s fitness-focused, but it’s still a social network.
In fact, Strava’s tagline is “community-powered motivation.” Research has shown that fitness trackers with the ability to “like” or comment help create a sense of community. This type of engagement satisfies our need for connection and can provide a powerful source of motivation and inspiration.
But while some athletes are motivated by opportunities for competition and social comparison, it can make others feel worse if they don’t think their own performance measures up. Another wrinkle happens when people engage in unsafe behaviors (like not stopping at an intersection on a bike) in an effort to gain attention or snag an elusive KOM.
Others go as far as to intentionally modify or misrepresent data in order to gain social recognition. Just read this article about a “Strava Jockey” in Indonesia or this one about “Strava Mules.” Yes, people are paying runners to log their workouts for them...
The goal of the study was to determine how runners perceived the impact of Strava on their psychosocial wellbeing. Here’s what they discovered.
Good
Runners thought that using Strava positively impacted their motivation for running.
Runners enjoyed the social networking aspect and visual progress tracking features of Strava.
Runners thought they were more authentic on Strava than other social media outlets.
Not So Good
Runners checked Strava multiple times a day and thought about Strava while running.
Runners often engaged in negative forms of social comparison on Strava.
Runners worried how they were perceived by followers, which led them to modify training or posts in order to control their Strava image.
Now, we have to take this with a grain of salt, because the study had a small sample size, didn’t include runners who’ve stopped using Strava, and was based entirely on self-reported perceptions. For example, while runners thought Strava improved their motivation, this study didn’t look at any objective measures to support this claim.
Still, it provides an interesting snapshot into the world of “Strava culture,” fitness tracking in the digital age, and how our use of social media can have an impact on real life.
Read More: 13 Things Mentally Strong Athletes Don’t Do
6 Tips to Take Control of Your Strava (Social Media) Use
In 2023, there were an estimated 4.9 billion social media users worldwide. The average person spends 145 minutes (2.5 hours) on social media every day. (UC Davis)
Why is social media so addictive? When you log in to your favorite app or check notifications on your phone, it signals a dopamine release in your brain. These are neurotransmitters associated with pleasure. But the feeling is temporary, so you keep going back to the source for more.
This can be an enjoyable activity or helpful distraction in some cases, but it can easily get out of hand. Even if it doesn’t progress to full blown addiction, there are many downsides of social media including:
Low self-esteem and anxiety
Increased loneliness and isolation
FOMO (Fear of missing out)
Cyberbullying (In 2020, 44% of internet users said they’ve experienced online harassment.)
But you don’t need to delete all the apps on your phone (unless you want to). There are 2 simple steps to take control of social media use: recognize warning signs and set good guidelines for use.
For Strava, ask yourself the following questions:
Do you frequently modify your intended workout solely because of how it will appear to others on Strava? (ie. running rest intervals harder than advised to result in a faster average pace, not doing swim drills because it makes your overall pace appear slower, ect.)
Do you feel “lazy” when you take a rest day but see others logging workouts?
Do you constantly think about checking social media and feel anxiety if you can’t?
Do you scroll for long periods and easily lose track of time?
Do you experience FOMO because you see group workouts you weren’t invited to or couldn’t attend because of work, school?
Do you constantly compare your performance to others with negative thoughts like, “I’m so slow,” “I’ll never be as good,” ect.
If you answered yes to any of these questions, it might be time to curb Strava (social media use).
Here are some tips:
Turn off notifications- Unless you’re a social media manager, you don’t need a constant barrage of notifications popping up on your phone throughout the day. Turn off notifications so you only see them when you log into the app.
Track your time- Newer phones will tell you how much screen time you log per day/week, ect.
Set aside a specific time of day to use social media with a time limit for use.
Have specific offline times where you don’t check apps, email, ect.
Unfollow or mute any accounts that make you feel worse about yourself.
Take a digital detox or break from using social media for a week or month and see how you feel.
Like with anything in life, while some is good, that doesn’t mean more is better. Also, things are rarely all good or all bad.
Just use some self-reflection, stay grounded in reality, and remember that life happens offline.