GU Energy Labs: Meeting Athletes Where They Are

When GU Energy Labs (GU) teamed up with Strava for its first-ever branded Challenge in August, something clicked. What started as an experiment to reach international running communities turned into a powerful mix of brand building, customer acquisition, and data-driven marketing. It was a strong signal that GU’s core and growth audiences live on Strava.

We sat down with GU Energy Labs’ Content Marketing Manager, Annalisa Romero, to learn about the brand’s marketing strategy.

Who is GU Energy Labs — and why they matter in endurance nutrition

GU Energy Labs has deep roots in the endurance world. Founded in 1993 by biochemist Bill Vaughan in California, the brand is widely recognized as one of the pioneers of the energy-gel concept.

From the classic GU Energy Gel to chews, hydration tablets, drink mixes and high-carb “Roctane” formulas, GU has built a science-backed suite of products to fuel athletes during endurance training and events.

The brand’s mission has revolved around helping athletes “go faster and longer,” and over time the brand has evolved, keeping one foot in its legacy of endurance sports, while expanding reach across different types of athletes and geographies.

Why GU decided it was time for Strava

GU has a small (but mighty) marketing team. As explained by Annalisa, their reach beyond the US is based on a distribution model: in countries outside the US they rely on local distributors — around 80 countries worldwide — managed by an international sales manager.

“I’ve been at GU for three and a half years and we had never done a Strava Challenge. At least as long as I can remember,” Annalisa says. “This year we finally set aside a budget. It was something we wanted to invest in as our international business was more of a priority.”

The choice of geographies for the Challenge — USA, New Zealand, and Australia — was no accident. Australia, in particular, was singled out because GU had recently sponsored the Sydney Marathon, which had just become part of the elite Abbott World Marathon Majors, and because Australia was already GU’s largest international market after Canada and Mexico.

In short: GU wanted to show up where their athletes already were — mid-funnel, performance-oriented runners and cyclists who care about nutrition and recovery.

The First Strava Challenge — Execution & Ambition

In August, GU launched its first official Strava Challenge, aiming to “reach the world” across multiple key markets, to engage both loyal existing customers and potential newcomers.

Most participants of the ‘GU Energy Labs Down Under’ Challenge came from the US — aligning with the brand’s larger social presence there — but the global intent clearly resonated around the world, especially in the target geographies. As Annalisa explained, “We felt like we were the only nutrition brand not on Strava or not doing [a] Challenge. We knew we had to get on there because that's where our people are.”

What made the Challenge especially noteworthy was the fact that this was unfamiliar territory for GU. They had previously relied on organic club management and traditional channels (Meta, Google, etc.), so the decision to “invest and test” Strava was both strategic and courageous.

Results — Beyond Expectations

When GU set the goal for the Challenge, they conservatively estimated around 48,000 participants. In the end, the campaign blew far past expectations with over 86,500 people globally joining in.

How Strava fit into GU’s broader marketing mix

GU hasn’t abandoned traditional channels like Meta or Google. But Strava played a different role. It complemented and amplified their overall marketing strategy. “Strava fits more like mid-funnel,” as Annalisa put it. “Our audience and the Strava audience are so in sync, it makes sense to speak to them.”

In a crowded sports-nutrition space, having that “mid-funnel home” proved invaluable. For GU, Strava was both a brand-building exercise and a performance channel. Their expectation going in wasn’t necessarily high conversion — more visibility, participation, credibility. But with the results from this first Challenge, trust in the channel among GU’s executive team is now stronger than ever.

Moreover, the Challenge helped GU expand beyond its traditional core demographic — often middle-aged male cyclists — toward newer audiences, including first-time runners, younger athletes, and people dipping their toes into endurance. As Annalisa explained, the company uses consumer research and external insights agencies to inform campaigns and product development.

“Nutrition can be an intimidating space. We’ve been expanding into folks who are running their first 5K, for example.” So Strava became a way to meet those people where they are: active, social, motivated.

Lessons Learned and What’s Next

Launching a Strava Challenge taught GU several things about their audience, their marketing strategy, and how to scale internationally.

• The barrier to entry matters. GU originally structured the Challenge around “run seven times” during the period — a logical nod to the “seventh marathon major” (Sydney), but that requirement may have been too high for some potential participants. For future Challenges, GU is considering lowering the threshold or expanding beyond running to include other endurance sports.

• Even in a crowded nutrition marketplace, being visible in the right places counts. By showing up on Strava, GU joined the community in a meaningful, participatory way.

• Challenges can serve dual purposes — building brand awareness and fan-base, while also delivering real performance marketing value (new customers, first-party data, conversions).

• For global brands with distributed markets, Strava offers a flexible and scalable platform: a single global campaign, relevant in multiple geographies, with localized execution via regional marketing teams or distributors.

Going forward, GU is planning more frequent Strava Challenges. The goal: continue to grow their community on Strava, convert new users, and ultimately turn one-time participants into long-term customers loyal to GU’s nutrition philosophy.