
What are Segments?
Understand how segments work and how challenges can engage users running on them
Every segment exists in real life on a road or track, accessible to anyone.
If you have Strava on your device and you move through a segment, you’ve completed it. It’s that simple.
Complete a segment the most times in a period, you become a Local Legend. Fastest ever? You get a KOM/QOM.
Why Sponsored Segments?
IRL to Digital
No other activation allows you to completely connect digital engagement with real-life locations and accomplishments.
Activate on the ground
Turn a segment of real road or track into a branded activation where the user gets rewarded for their activity.
Perfect for major events
Segment challenges are ideal for activating around major races allowing you to create a branded experience on the same course that event participants use in real life.
Local to Global
Whether activating around individual retail locations or major events, to multiple cities around the world, Segments allow you to target from hyperlocal to worldwide.
- STRAVA
- STRAVA
How Segment Challenges work
Sponsored Segments work much like Challenges, but use Segments as the challenge goal.
A Strava user discovers the segment via their feed or our dedicated gallery.
The user joins the segment and automatically promotes to followers via their feed.
User works to achieve the goal.
User completes the goal and automatically receives notification to claim reward.
User completes the reward flow on the brand partner's site, whether a discount, signup or a charity donation.
How brands like yours have done it
Learn from brands using Segment Challenges in innovative ways
The North Face
An award-winning campaign from The North Face combined Segment Challenges with digital OOH to provide live updates across European cities
Chipotle used segment challenges around the US to create a running movement – with legs.
Clif chose the Boston Marathon for their Segment Challenge to build brand authenticity
Frequently Asked Questions
View our full list of FAQs here.
Sponsored Segment: This allows brands to highlight specific segments on Strava, turning them into branded experiences. It's ideal for activating around major races or events, enabling brands to engage with athletes on the actual course used during the event.
Sponsored Challenge: This involves a brand incentivizing Strava users to complete a specific activity—like walking 50km in a month—in return for a reward, such as a discount or prize. It's designed to drive large-scale awareness, engagement, and conversion.
Strava doesn't support traditional retargeting through third-party cookies but offers in-feed promotions and native advertising solutions.
Strava allows for refined targeting based on activity types and geographic locations, but not specific training habits or goals at this time.
Yes, Strava allows for geographic targeting, enabling brands to focus on specific regions or cities.
No, Strava doesn't offer programmatic advertising through ad exchanges or DSPs. Their advertising solutions are centered around Sponsored Challenges or Segments and in-feed promotions.
Yes, Strava collaborates with agency partners directly to help their clients achieve their goals through Sponsored Challenges and other activations.
Yes, Strava has collaborated with charities for Sponsored Challenges. For instance, the mental health charity Mind ran a 50km challenge to raise funds and awareness.
Yes, Strava offers a public API that allows developers to access various data points, including activities, segments, and athlete information. Brands interested in integrating Strava's API into their campaigns should refer to the Strava API documentation and check with our team to explore potential collaborations.
Strava prioritizes user privacy, providing aggregated data insights to brands and ensuring personal user data remains confidential.
Strava's Client Partners assist throughout the campaign, from planning to execution, ensuring alignment with brand goals.
Yes, Strava offers reporting on campaign performance, including metrics like impressions, joins, and completions.
Strava provides guidelines for creating effective assets for Sponsored Challenges, covering visuals, copy, and more. Visit our Resources page for more details.
Strava doesn't support traditional retargeting through third-party cookies but offers in-feed promotions and native advertising solutions.
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