Younger generations are choosing to connect — they’re logging off and lacing up. Those are the takeaways from Strava’s 12th annual Year In Sport: Trend Report, which reveals that fundamental shift in how younger generations are choosing to connect.

Analyzing 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.

The best news for run specialty: 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 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,” says 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 they 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 percent 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. Data revealed that most users rate themselves as beginner (26 percent) or intermediate (34 percent) runners. This year, 86 percent 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 percent more Gen Z than Gen X saying they lift for aesthetics. Women also joined in and were 21 percent more likely than men to record Weight Training on Strava in 2025.

• Variety is the spice of life. More than half of Strava users 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 percent 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 percent of Gen Z plan to spend more on fitness in 2026, with 63 percent more Gen Z than Gen X citing wearables as their biggest fitness investment in 2025.

• Gen Z’s dating (and spending) priorities are clear. 64 percent said they’d rather spend money on gear than a date, and 39 percent more Gen Z than Gen X use fitness to meet people who share their interests. When it comes to workout first dates, 46 percent of respondents say “heck yes” while 31 percent 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), Meanwhile club-organized 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 percent more Gen Z than Gen X say fitness on vacation is non-negotiable. The most popular vacation workout philosophy? 30 percent of respondents said “run, sun, and snacks.”

• Active people stayed closer to home. Survey respondents were 22 percent more likely to vacation domestically than internationally in 2025. The exception: Brits and Germans still traveled to chase adventure abroad.

• percent When people traveled, it was to chase powder and summit peaks. People were most likely to travel for winter sports (65 percent), followed by hiking (58 percent), and water sports (48 percent).

The year in gear

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 analyzes data from popular routes to generate personalized 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 percent 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 percent 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 tops in the watch category, with Cooros gaining significant traction.

• ASICS Novablast broke the tape as the top running shoe, followed by Nike Pegasus at number two and Hoka Clifton in third.

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.

• Boulder earned hall of fame status by sweeping the US leaderboards with most steps per day (6302), longest average runs (4.4 miles), most weekly moving time (3:09:58), longest median streak (39 days), and highest share of runners earning PRs (57 percent).

• The coastal rivalry: New York vs. Los Angeles. New Yorkers run faster, lift more weights and do more yoga than Angelenos. LA counters with more walkers, longer hikes and earlier risers. Two coasts, two different styles, one commitment to staying active.