If you're a runner who tracks your miles on Strava, this won't come as a shock: Nike dominates the leaderboard.
According to Strava's freshly released 2024 Year in Sport Trend Report, the Nike Pegasus continues to be the running shoe of choice across all training distances, while the Vaporfly Next% reigns supreme for racing.
According to the social platform, the only exception is marathons, for which most people will don the Nike Alphafly. No surprise there, either!
Fun fact: 44% of all marathons uploaded to Strava in 2024 were run in carbon-plated shoes – an impressive testament to how high-performance tech has trickled down to the masses.
As much as we love the simplicity of just lacing up and hitting the road, tech plays a starring role in every Strava user's routine.
The Apple Watch SE 2 and mainline Apple Watch took the top spots for 5K runners, possibly because of their sleek integration with Strava's mobile app.
Meanwhile, the Garmin Forerunner series proved itself indispensable for endurance athletes, dominating uploads in the half marathon and marathon categories.
Unlike last year, Strava didn’t disclose which Forerunner Strava athletes prefer. We can only guess it’s probably the Garmin Forerunner 245 or Garmin Forerunner 255.
One particularly quirky insight: while 72% of Strava users upload via their phones for everyday activities, longer races like marathons saw an overwhelming 92% of uploads coming from GPS running watches.
After all, no one wants to juggle a phone mid-stride while hunting for a gel pack!
While the Pegasus and wearables stole the gear spotlight, Strava's report revealed bigger cultural shifts in how we approach fitness.
Running clubs saw a 59% increase in participation this year, and morning group runs are the new happy hour. Social workouts aren’t just a passing fad – they're keeping athletes accountable and extending training sessions by an average of 40% longer than solo efforts.
Perhaps the most telling stat? The days of "no pain, no gain" are behind us.
Strava users leaned into balance, with marathoners taking an impressive 51% of their training days off in the lead-up to race day.
While Gen Z is leading the charge in making fitness social, Boomers and Gen X consistently logged the highest mileage on Strava.
Boomers, in particular, clocked an impressive 9 miles of weekly running and 38 miles of weekly cycling, leaving younger generations in the dust.
From Nike loyalists to occasional Strava scrollers, The Year in Sport Trend Report offers plenty of food for thought (and miles).
One thing's for sure: as we head into 2025, expect blue workout gear, group runs, and the continued dominance of super shoes to lead the charge.
You can sign up for Strava for free.
