A Year In Strava
As Christmas and the year-end approach, some companies turn to reviews of their year in stats and Strava is no exception. This year’s themes were MASSIVE GROWTH and WALKING. So perhaps not as exciting data as in previous years.
Strava ’21
Perhaps surprisingly, the pandemic-led boom went from strength to strength with continuing growth in participation. Strava reports a 38% increase in the number of activities compared to the prior period. I have to say I’m very disappointed in humanity in 2021. I get it that you guys are all trying really hard and that there are an impressive number of you who are cranking out new PRs/PBs across all the standard distances. But…c’mon people, get working on those 5Ks 😉
Everyone Loves A Challenge
Well, not everyone loves a challenge. But about 140 million of you do. Awesome job.
UK & USA vs The World
Average men ride and run further than average women, at least on Strava they do. Average men also spend more time doing it.
At first glance at the national stats, it seems that Brits run and ride further than Yanks. However, in the UK we run in kilometres whereas in America you run in miles. Those of you who are well-versed in your 1.6093 times table will immediately be able to do the comparison. Americans run for over 35 minutes whereas Brits don’t.
British women anomalously run for 54 seconds longer than British men…on average. British men get their own back when it comes to lycra as on the bike they cycle, on average, a whopping 6 minutes longer than their average, female counterparts — interestingly the time to swiftly order an instant coffee, cake and consume them is also about 6 minutes but I’m sure there is no link there whatsoever.
Obviously, average American cyclists cycle for longer than average British cyclists because America is bigger and you have further to go. The stats clearly validate this.
Stravistic Morality
The moral of these stats is: Don’t be average. Ever.
Interesting Average Fact: Take 20 aspects of the average American and work out each one’s average value. There will probably be no-one in America who has each and every one of those 20 average characteristics. See…you’re not average in any case.
Last Updated on 28 May 2026 by the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Kineon MOVE+: Red light therapy for niggles. It works.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
I’m a UK based runner and an fairly adept at mentally converting miles to kilometres… But why do you show the US data in miles and the UK in kilometres? That’s just poor presentation of data!!
it’s a strava image (composite)
Such a shame they do this. Even in the App there’s often a mismatch. Oh well.
Thanks for the article though, very interesting 🙂