New global data shows how Gen Z is prioritising fitness, connection, and community—plus unveils the year's top gear and new global city leaderboards.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Strava, the app for active people with over 180 million users across more than 185 countries, today released its 12th annual Year In Sport: Trend Report, revealing a fundamental shift in how younger generations are choosing to connect: they're logging off and lacing up.
Year in Sport: The Trend Report 2025
Analysing billions of activities from Strava's global community alongside survey insights from more than 30,000 people (users and non-users of Strava), the report identifies a clear trend that Gen Z is turning away from passive scrolling toward active, real-world experiences.
In 2025, this generation showed us how they move: running and racing at all distances, finding community and connection at run clubs, and lifting weights to look and feel good. They also told us what their priorities are and how they are changing - putting movement first, even while on vacation, and spending money on fitness-related expenses over dating.
Overall in 2025, people across generations turned to Strava to find connection and celebrate progress, with 14 billion kudos given this year. Strava subscribers continued to explore the world together, spending one hour being active for every two minutes spent on the app.
"More than half of Gen Z plans to use Strava more in 2026, while most say they'll use Instagram and TikTok the same amount or less," said Michael Martin, chief executive officer of Strava. "As the fastest growing demographic on Strava, we know that Gen Z is looking for real experiences, not more time staring at screens. This generation is rewriting the rules, and we're committed to building the platform that keeps people connected and moving together for generations to come."
Running rules, but walking is on the rise
Running and racing boomed in 2025. Gen Z led the charge, but also embraced walking, weight training, and multi-sport variety to stay consistent.
- Running remains the top sport on Strava, with racing on the rise. Gen Z is 75% more likely than Gen X to say their main motivation for exercise is a race or event.
- Beginners are joining in and logging personal bests. Runna data revealed that most users rate themselves as beginner (26%) or intermediate (34%) runners. This year, 86% of Runna-connected runners achieved a personal best.
- Gen Z and women are in the weight room. Gen Z is 2x more likely than Gen X to say weight training is their primary sport, with 61% more Gen Z than Gen X saying they lift for aesthetics. Women also joined in and were 21% more likely than men to record Weight Training on Strava in 2025.
- Variety is the spice of life. More than half of Strava users (54%) now track multiple activities, including walking, which claimed the second spot as the most-recorded activity type on Strava. However, people still find starting a new sport, especially skiing and snowboarding, challenging. Twice as many Gen Z as Gen X say picking up a new sport can be intimidating.
Gen Z invested their time and money in exercise
Despite 65% of Gen Z reporting being directly affected by inflation, they're still doubling down on fitness spending and finding community, connection, and even romance along the way.
- 30% of Gen Z plan to spend more on fitness in 2026, with 63% more Gen Z than Gen X citing wearables as their most significant fitness investment in 2025.
- Gen Z's dating (and spending) priorities are clear. 64% said they'd rather spend money on gear than a date, and 39% more Gen Z than Gen X use fitness to meet people who share their interests. When it comes to workout first dates, 46% of respondents say "heck yes" while 31% give it a "hard pass".
- New Clubs on Strava nearly quadrupled in 2025, reaching one million total clubs on the platform. Hiking clubs grew the fastest (5.8x), followed by running clubs (3.5x), while club-organised events rose 1.5x year over year providing the infrastructure for turning online communities into real-world gatherings.
Active travel near and far (mostly near)
International travel was out, exploring the backyard was in, and Gen Z stayed committed to working out wherever they went.
- For Gen Z, working out on vacation isn't optional - it's part of the trip. 23% more Gen Z than Gen X say fitness on vacation is non-negotiable. The most popular vacation workout philosophy? 30% of respondents said "run, sun, and snacks."
- Active people stayed closer to home. Survey respondents were 22% more likely to vacation domestically, than internationally in 2025. The exception: Brits and Germans still travelled to chase adventure abroad.
- When people traveled, it was to chase powder and summit peaks. People were most likely to travel for winter sports (65%), followed by hiking (58%), and water sports (48%).
The year in gear (ft. AI)
From running shoes to wearables, 2025 revealed clear winners across categories. This year, more users recorded their workouts on their phones, while a different running shoe claimed the number one spot for the first time. Technology also helped athletes work out smarter around the world, with Strava and Runna harnessing AI to turbo-charge performance. Strava's community-powered Routes feature - which analyses data from popular routes to generate personalised recommendations - proved especially popular, with a new route created every 19 seconds throughout the year.
- AI helps us move, but we still know our bodies best. 46% of survey respondents said they would use AI as a smart coach for sports, with Gen Z embracing AI for coaching at a higher level than other generations. Strava and Runna are already well positioned to lead on this trend with features such as Runna's Workout Insights and Strava's Athlete Intelligence.
- Fridays are for recovery and rest. This year, Runna users training for a marathon most often selected plans with four runs per week. Friday emerged as the least popular day to log a workout on Strava, making it the perfect day for recovery, rest, or activities like stretching and walking.
- Of all devices, we recorded most on mobile. This year, 72% of Strava users recorded workouts directly through the Strava app. Garmin ranked second in usage across all device types, followed by Apple Health in third.
- Apple Watch was #1 in the watch category, with COROS gaining significant traction. Non-watch wearables like Oura and WHOOP are also growing fast.
- ASICS Novablast broke the tape as the top running shoe, followed by Nike Pegasus at #2 and HOKA Clifton at #3.
City vs City: the 2025 Leaderboards
From the fastest metros to the cities where community matters most, Strava's global data revealed which cities dominated the leaderboards in 2025. Uri, Switzerland took the crown for most photo-worthy location, with 42% of activities including a photo. And weather proved no obstacle for dedicated Strava users in Riau Islands, Indonesia and Greater Reykjavík, Iceland leading the charge in scorching heat and freezing cold, respectively.
- The regional perspective: A hotspot for ramblers and hikers, Cumbria (5,663) took the crown for the region with the highest median individual daily step count, followed by London boroughs Hammersmith and Fulham (5,567) and Haringey, (5,502). Meanwhile, the most social region was Milton Keynes, where runners recorded the highest percentage (16.7%) of runs paired or in groups, followed by Norfolk (13.7%) and Durham (13.2%).
- London calling. In the UK, both the most attempted run and ride segments were in the capital. 'Forgot the GPS at start' - the Richmond Park loop - was the most attempted ride segment, while 'Matt Welsh KM' in Battersea Park was the most popular for running. London's runners also led the pack, with the fastest min/km running pace recorded in Hammersmith and Fulham (05:32), followed by Westminster (05:33) and Wandsworth (05:34).
- Globally, Copenhagen claimed the title of fastest metro area (8:52 min/mile running pace), while users in South Africa and Colombia ran in groups most frequently (18.5%). Global cities also revealed stark differences in workout timing: Yogyakarta, Indonesia has the most early birds (55.4% of activities 4-7am), while Seoul, South Korea has the night owls (11% after 9pm).
About Strava
Strava is the app for active people. With over 180 million users in more than 185 countries, it's more than tracking workouts - it's where people make progress together, from new habits to new personal bests. No matter your sport or how you track it, Strava's got you covered. Find your crew, crush your goals, and make every effort count. Start your journey with Strava today.
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Media Contact: press@strava.com
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Source: STRAVA, INC.
