New Strava Data Reveals that Gen Z are Goal Setters, But Older Generations are the Goal Getters

• Strava data reveals how Americans set their goals in January

• While Gen Z and young millennials (aged 18-29) are most likely to set running goals, those aged 60+ are most likely to achieve them, followed by Strava users in their 50s, 40s and 30s

• To keep athletes motivated in the new year, Strava is unveiling nine new sport types, including pickleball and pilates

SAN FRANCISCO, January 12, 2023 – Strava, the leading platform for athletes and the largest sports community in the world, has today published exclusive data revealing goal-setting habits in the US, giving us an insight into Americans’ fitness ambitions as we head into 2023. 

January is the most popular month for goal-setting on Strava. The 2022 data – which examined the running goals set by Strava subscribers at the start of the year – shows that while Gen Z and young millennials (aged 18-29) are most likely to set goals in January, the older generations win on commitment and consistency. Those aged 60 and over are most likely to achieve their goals followed by users in their 50s, 40s and 30s. 

Goal-setting on Strava includes defining targets for distance, duration, power and elevation for every trackable activity on the app. This can be done on a weekly, monthly and annual basis or even for specific segments. In 2022 as a whole, weekly distance-based goals were the most common running goal set on the app, and the 5K milestone is clearly a target that inspires Strava athletes, with 44% of Americans on Strava running at least a 5K last year. The average American woman runs a 5K in 32:57 minutes, while the average American man takes 29:33 minutes to complete the distance. Even though the findings show women run for around 10% longer than men in January, both men and women are equally likely to reach their January goals on Strava.

To help keep athletes motivated in the new year, Strava is unveiling nine new sport types including Tennis, Racquetball, Squash, Badminton, Pickleball, Table Tennis, HIIT, Pilates and Virtual Row. According to Strava’s Year In Sport 2022 data report, athletes who upload two or more sport types in January not only had 75% more active days compared to those who stick to just one activity, but their total active time increased by 62% as well– indicating they didn’t split their time, but instead carved out more when trying new sports. With more than 40 total sport types available, Strava is the place to record and share all the ways active people like to move.  

Taking it a step further, Strava is launching the ‘When We Strava’ challenge, encouraging athletes to log four hours of activity – however they’d like to move – over the course of the month. 

What Strava Athletes Are Saying

Latoya Snell – a runner, powerlifter and chef who weaves in recipes in her blog Running Fat Chef – shares the highs and most importantly the lows of her fitness journey on Strava. She offered her tips for powering through January: 

“I sign up for a few major races throughout the year and use smaller events to hold me accountable for short and long-term fitness goals. I love seeing my personal stats post-workout to make tweaks or additions for the future. Don’t be surprised to see a lump of cross training, strength work, a long road cycling ride or a block of lap swims over the winter month – while running is my primary sport discipline, I find joy in other sport types, too.

I use my Strava community as a muse to remain consistent when I lack motivation or hit a rough part of my training.  It inspires me to push for another five minutes or at times, find inspiration from my own stats. I can give myself that figurative pat on the back when I need a bit of grace. It’s easy to think that we’re not making progress until there’s evidence that the work is being done. Whether your goal is to push through a mile a day, four days a week, or to be consistent on your next swim, there’s a community that motivates you to be the best athlete that bounces back in your mirror.”

1 According to Strava data based on US users

2 Based on median time logged running on Strava  

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