The Secret Weapon for Marathon Success? Running With Friends
Strava’s data reveals how social running curbs crash outs, why millennials lead the pack and the rise of female runners
As nearly 60,000 people prepare to hit the pavement for the London Marathon this weekend, Strava has released a trove of new insights revealing how 2024’s fastest-growing social sport on its platform—running—is evolving in the U.K., as running club participation has surged 64%.
Does a sense of community fuel more than camaraderie? It looks like it, according to the social app for active individuals—and it might just be key to performance.
Here are some of the key findings from Strava, based on data from more than 30,000 runners who participated in the 2024 London Marathon.
Social Running = Strategic Advantage
Among the most compelling findings: runners who trained with friends were significantly less likely to “bonk”—a term to describe athletes hitting the wall during endurance events. Only 29% of runners who trained with others slowed during the final 10 kilometers, compared to 45% of solo runners.
The takeaway for participants, brands and coaches? Community matters—both in motivation and measurable results.
Marathon Training Trends
Strava also found that 62% of runners took a cross-training approach, integrating cycling and weightlifting into their prep. When it came to ramping up mileage during their training, runners followed a structured methodology:
- 4 months out: ~31 km/week
- 1 month out: ~45 km/week
- 2 weeks out: ~30 km/week
- Race week: ~12 km
Nearly half of the runners broke four hours, with an impressive 9% clocking in under three. Meanwhile, 79% completed the race in under five hours.
The interest in running (and training) has also led to a collaboration between Strava and Adidas, where adiClub members in the United States and Canada can access free trials of Strava’s premium subscription, which includes advanced performance tracking and training tools. A similar partnership was forged earlier this year with Apple Fitness+.
Millennials Lead, Gen Z Paces Smart
When it comes to finish times, only one generation crossed the finish line four hours on average: Millennials. With a median time of 3:59:37 in 2024 they led the pack, ahead of Gen X (4:11:15), Gen Z (4:14:47) and Boomers (4:34:07).
But Gen Z isn’t terribly far behind—and, interestingly, they’re racing smarter. While Millennials were more likely to race faster, Gen Z runners were most likely to “negative split,” pacing the second half of the race faster than the first.
Women Runners Surge
In a signal to apparel and performance brands, the share of women runners has grown 18% since 2019—driven largely by Gen Z, according to Strava.
In light of the popularity of running, the social-active app (which has grown to more than 150 million registered users) announced this month its acquisition of Runna, a U.K.-based tech company that creates personalized training plans for runners. The plan is to operate the apps separately for the time being, although Strava plans to invest in both the Runna team and platform.