Based on a survey of 25,000 athletes, Strava has released a white paper – ‘Why We Run’. The findings are available via an interactive web page.
Strava points to a number of findings from its study:
- Successful runners don’t hit snooze: morning runs are hard for everyone, but 45% of US runners say part of their success is that they never hit the snooze button.
- Runners strive for the finish line: it might be no surprise, but 72% of US runners feel that their favourite part of the run is the finish line. It even beats out post-run food/drinks (40%) as the high point.
- Strength is a top motivator to run in the US: nearly half of respondents (48%) said building strength was a core motivator to run.
- Improving body image is a motivator to run: 34% of US runners reported they run to improve their body image (Germany was at 47%, with the UK and Canada at 35%)
Female-focused findings
- Guilt is a top motivator for young women runners: 26% of US female runners under 35 years old say guilt is a compelling factor to run.
- Women value planning and social aspect of running: more than half (54%) of US women runners say having a workout plan is a compelling factor to running, and 36% are motivated to run if they’re meeting a friend or group.
- Women run to build strength: more than half of US women runners (54%) reported they run to build strength.
