Strava has set its sights on running coaching app Runna

Strava, a mobile app that tracks sports performances, plans to acquire competing sports service Runna. The financial details of the acquisition haven’t been disclosed.

Strava has entered into a definitive agreement with Runna, a subscription-based app that’s been developing personal running training plans and provides personal coaching for millions of users.

Both companies want to use the merger to offer a “compelling value” for their users and shareholders. In addition, they want to compete in the fitness community and running training space, which is fiercely competitive.

“Coming off Strava’s accelerated innovation and unprecedented growth last year, it was the right time to look for complementary businesses that could create even greater value for our users,” Michael Martin, CEO of Strava, said in a statement.

A study conducted by Strava shows that running is the fastest-growing sport globally, and Gen Z in particular is turning to running to connect and engage in a community. A total of 43% of Strava users indicate they want to improve their running skills with the help of personalized guidance.

“We are delighted to become part of Strava as we continue to focus on bringing the world the most customized and personalized training plans available. We have spent many hours together with Strava senior management and we couldn’t be more excited to be on the same team,” Dom Maskell, co-founder and CEO of Runna, says about the acquisition.

Both Strava and Runna will be kept as separate apps in the foreseeable future to invest in growing the Runna team and accelerate the development of the Runna app.

The acquisition still needs to be approved by market regulators before it can be completed. No financial details were shared regarding the takeover or how subscription plans will work in the future.

Strava is a mobile application that tracks sports performances and workouts. The software allows users to record sports performances via GPS, upload them, and compare them to other users. Users can follow other people, give out kudos, create online clubs, share photos, take on sports challenges, and post comments. Strava has over 150 million users in 185 countries.

Runna, a subscription-based app that offers personalized training guidance, was launched in March 2022 and is currently available in over 180 countries. It was selected as one of three finalists for Apple’s App of the Year in 2024.