New research, commissioned by Saucony, has revealed that the average adult scrolls the equivalent of three marathons a year on their phone.
The research saw more than 1,000 Americans surveyed on how technology impacts their ability to enjoy the great outdoors. It found average person scrolls on their phone a distance of 78 miles. The study also found that 60% of people surveyed reported that their daily smartphone usage has increased year over year.
Saucony is calling for ‘an end to doom scrolling and to beat the algorithm by moving your feet more than your feed.’ It has launched The Marathumb Challenge, which is billed as a first-of-its-kind app to help users outpace their thumbs with physical steps.
The app measures the distance users scroll and pits it against the number of steps taken each day/week. For Android users, the platform uses a proprietary formula to pull metrics on screen time and actively compares scrolling distance to stepping distance for a real time view into how users are stacking up.
For iOS users, the platform compares steps to the average national distance scrolled per day/week. The first weekly challenge will kick off on Monday, January 22 and will continue for six weeks.
With each new Marathumb Challenge, if a user moves physically farther than they scroll, rewards in the form of Saucony merchandise will be up for grabs.
Within the platform, users can track their daily and weekly progress, check out past wins… ‘and motivate others by sharing completed challenges on their social media channels, tagging Saucony.’ [Although, Saucony might arguably be adding to the feed scrolling of others through the social element here!]
“With people scrolling the distance of three marathons a year on their smartphones, we’ve identified a fun and creative opportunity to challenge consumers to move their feet more than their feed,” said Rob Griffiths, Saucony Brand President.
“The launch of the Marathumb Challenge underscores Saucony’s belief in the transformational power of movement, and we look forward to continuing to encourage everyone to live a better life by shifting the balance between screen time and step time.”
Saucony also unveiled its Ride 17 running shoe, specifically designed to encourage consumers to swap screen time for run time. The Ride 17 is a lightweight running shoe for both everyday movement and longer runs. Equipped with the latest PWRRUN+ midsole, the Ride 17 provides a combination of cushioning and responsiveness.
The new Ride 17 product is now available at the retail price of £135 / €155 / US$140.
