Strava, a fitness tracking platform that has over 150 million users worldwide, announced on Thursday it had entered into an agreement to acquire Runna. This UK-based tech firm is known for its personalized training plans and coaching.
The move signals Strava’s growing ambitions within the booming running market and its intention to broaden its offerings beyond workout tracking.
Strava confirmed that the transaction is still subject to the usual closing conditions.
Strava taps in to the growing interest in running
The acquisition comes as global interest in running is surging.
Strava’s own data shows that in 2024, more than one billion runs will have been logged, making running the fastest growing sport worldwide.
Gen Z users are not only interested in running for fitness, but also to find a sense of community and purpose.
Michael Martin, Strava’s chief executive officer, said: “After Strava’s unprecedented growth and innovation last year, we felt it was time to find complementary businesses that would create even more value for our users.”
“Runna’s mission of giving every runner a customized plan to achieve their goals is a perfect match.”
The company stated that 43% of their users plan to complete a major event or race in 2025. This has led to a surge in demand for personalized training plans.
Runna will remain independent for the time being
Runna was founded in 2021, by Dom Maskell, and Ben Parker. It has grown quickly, and is now one of the top-rated running apps on iOS and Android.
The app was launched officially in 2022 and is now available in 180 countries. It was a finalist in Apple’s App of the Year award in 2024.
Strava intends to keep Runna as a separate application for the foreseeable, while investing in its growth.
Martin said, “I am very impressed with Dom and Ben as well as the Runna Team.”
He said that the plan was to keep the Runna apps separate in the near future, invest in the Runna team to accelerate the development and to grow the Runna app.
Dom Maskell, co-founder of Strava, expressed his excitement about the acquisition. “We are thrilled to be part of Strava,” said Dom Maskell.
Ben Parker, co-founder of Runna, said that they have spent a lot of time with Strava’s leadership and are thrilled to be part of the same team. The partnership will enable Runna to improve its services for runners all over the world.
Open fitness ecosystem: a broader commitment
Strava also aligns the deal with its efforts to strengthen their developer ecosystem.
Strava’s open API is integrated with over 100 training apps. The company has stressed that the acquisition will not change its commitment to be an open platform for developers.
Martin said: “Strava is a community for all active people, regardless of sport, skill, location, app, or device.”
“We are proud to invest in and recognize an API developer such as Runna.”
Strava’s acquisition of Runna is part of its strategy to provide a more personalized and goal-driven experience to its users.
This post Strava to buy Runna amid surge of demand for personalized training could be modified as new information becomes available
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