Strava recently released its 2022 Year In Sport data report which looked at the habits of its 100 million plus members and the findings show a clear benefit for us 'running together' ! Not only that, they also show a clear love for hitting the trails and that the popularity of marathons is definitely not diminishing! 

Yes, the study showed that racing is back and marathons are the hottest tickets! The share of runners completing a marathon nearly doubled compared to 2021, evidence that pandemic-era runners continue to lace up their shoes and want to toe the start line together after years of social distancing. 

In great news for travel companies working in the sports industry, it is clear that international travel is also booming, with 101% more activities uploaded outside athletes’ home countries over the past year.  This means it is nearly back to pre pandemic levels, only 3% shy of numbers from 2019. 

The data also showed a clear trend for trail sports, with hiking and trail running both 'having a moment' - the stats indicate that some 52% of athletes uploaded trail activities to Strava in 2022. 

Probably the 'nicest' take away from the report is that after the longterm effects of the pandemic, runners are more keen than ever to run together. What shows is that community inspires longer and further activities, athletes in pairs went longer in both time and distance than when they were solo, and often longer still in a group of three or more. 

Michael Horvath, CEO of Strava commented: “Global trends in this year’s data show tremendous energy for activities we can do together. The feelings of joy and connection we get by being active together can be amplified and inspire others when we share all the aspects of our active lives with our community."
 
Image courtesy Race Nation Events on Facebook