Strava’s Audience Isn’t What You Think

Historically, when marketers heard “Strava,” they would picture elite cyclists and ultramarathoners clocking record‑breaking miles. But these days, the platform has a much broader audience and a broader purpose. For over 150 million people it is the very center of their active lives. A way for them to measure their progress, connect, and motivate their friends and celebrate their successes.

For brands and marketers, this presents a powerful opportunity to connect with a broader, more engaged audience than they might expect. In this post, we’ll explore what makes that audience so valuable, and how your brand can reach them.

Strava hosts a global community of 150 million+ users. We’re a rapidly growing platform, especially popular with Gen Z, yet far more diverse than the high‑performance elite stereotype. While running remains the most tracked activity worldwide, 96% of users participate in multiple sports, and 93% cite health as a primary motivator for being active.

If you ever need a sense of Strava’s scale, just take a look at our global heatmap. In country after country, it’s hard to find a patch of ground that hasn’t been lit up by people who love to get moving.

This isn’t about chasing QOMs or KOMs – Queen or King of the Mountain titles awarded to the fastest times on popular Segments like climbs or trails – or competing for podium spots. It’s about everyday people logging walks, runs, and local loops - building habits, finding balance, and connecting through movement.

To truly understand who’s on Strava - and why it matters for marketers - you need to look at the data. Strava’s Year in Sport trend report is built on data from our global user base and a 5,000‑person survey, offering a valuable snapshot of how people move, connect, and engage on (and off) the platform today.

In essence, people want movement and connection across fitness levels - not always performance by medal standards.

From weekend hikers to midweek runners, Strava’s user base is filled with health-driven, tech-savvy, and socially motivated individuals, many of whom are micro-influencers in their own circles. These aren’t just casual participants, they’re early adopters and brand advocates who actively shape consumer behavior in fitness, wellness, and lifestyle categories.

According to research from GWI, a leading audience insights platform, Strava users are significantly more likely to buy a premium product, and shop for activewear online. That makes them a high-value, high-intent audience for marketers looking to connect with consumers who are not only engaged, but ready to take action. For brands in fitness, nutrition, apparel, travel, and beyond, this presents a unique chance to meet customers where they’re already motivated, active, and in many cases, actively looking for products to help them on their fitness journey.

As we can see, Strava’s audience is engaged, intentional, and open to brands that add value to their experience. For marketers, that means leaning into formats that feel native to the platform and authentic to the community.

These campaigns highlight how brands can align with users' real motivations (social, health, balance) while also driving actionable engagement and ROI.

2. Clubs & Ambassadors: community-first growth

Brands that actively manage Strava clubs benefit from high organic engagement rates. Posts in clubs receive thousands of reactions, comments, and a longer shelf‑life, without paid boosting.

Pairing Sponsored Challenges and Segments with ambassador storytelling amplifies momentum. Strava’s platform encourages users to share experiences, achievements, and content that builds trust and community around your brand presence.

3. Strategy fuelled by real user data

Strava’s Year in Sport report provides actionable insight for positioning: understanding the shift toward balance, mental health, group exercise, and longevity helps brands tailor messaging. CLIF BAR used these insights to expand from race‑fuel to “everyday energy” messaging, targeting the 45–60‑min workout window with authentic storytelling.

Strava’s audience isn’t what you think, and that’s a big opportunity. It’s not just elite athletes pushing limits, it's everyday leisure, health-focused people using sport to connect, unwind, and thrive. The platform’s strength lies in authentic engagement, diverse active behaviors, and powerful social dynamics, all grounded in data.