If you’re an experienced runner and a user of Strava, you’ll be used to feeling good about the run you’ve just uploaded to Strava, only to be humbled as you scroll through the fitness app and see an endless procession of GPS maps showing runs that are a lot faster than yours.
However, a recent report states that those speedier runs you’re seeing may actually have been bought by individuals who want to be perceived as better at running, cycling, swimming and so on than they actually are.
Strava, for those not in the know, is one of the best fitness apps for runners. It’s a combination of training diary and social network, which allows athletes to upload their runs and rides by syncing the information from their best running watches and smartwatches to be sent directly to their Strava account. Other Strava members that follow you can check out your workouts, view any pictures or videos you’ve taken, and offer you ‘Kudos’ (Strava’s version of a ‘Like’. You can also view a diary of all your sessions on your Strava profile.
However, a recent article in Canadian Running magazine highlights the rise of so-called ‘Strava Jockeys’ in Indonesia. Strava Jockeys, as they are referred to, are individuals who log runs on other users’ accounts: clients provide them with their Strava account login information, and the Strava Jockey will run routes of impressive distances and even more impressive paces. Prices seem to vary by kilometer and pace, with faster runs commanding higher rates: this Indonesian X user advertises a “cheap price” for their services.
The phenomenon isn’t new, nor is it restricted to Indonesia: we found some American users on X as far back as July 2023 advertising their services as Strava Jockeys, but this is the first time the concept has become widely discussed, as far as we’re aware. TechRadar has reached out to Strava for comment on the phenomenon.
UPDATE: Following our request for comment and the subsequent publication of this article, a Strava spokesperson has replied with the following:
"Part of the platform’s magic comes from the authenticity of our global community in uploading an activity, giving kudos, or engaging in a club. As required by our Terms of Service, Strava athletes agree to create only one account for their personal use and not share their account or Strava credentials with others.
"Accounts found violating the Terms of Service, including through sharing account information or misrepresenting the athlete and/or activity, will be suspended from the platform. This is important to safeguarding and respecting the progress and work of our athletes as they lace up every day."
Analysis: Why bother?
In a post-truth, AI-infested world, it’s safest to adopt a position of “trust, but verify” when discussing and analysing content produced by strangers on the internet. However, paying someone else to run your Strava account for you seems hilarious, vain and harmless in equal measure. If anyone really cares about running clout that much, let them do it, right? After all, they’re not getting any fitter.
Unfortunately, it’s not all harmless fun: where this trend could become somewhat harmful is when influencers get in on the act, using their fake Strava times to project an unrealistic image of their success to their followers, or use ersatz times to enhance their public image, which they use to court lucrative sponsorship deals or free trips that could be otherwise picked up by a more deserving, legitimate runner.
If an influencer sells products to the public and bases those products on their athletic success, cheating also calls the legitimacy of those products into question, like bodybuilders who sell supplements whilst denying steroid use.
It doesn’t seem to be a common trend at the moment, but still - if your mate’s 10K times are looking a little suspect, maybe offer to lace up your best running shoes and go running with them next time to see how fast they are for yourself…
