Strava Adds Five Sports — But the Bigger Story Is What Comes Next

Strava has expanded its activity roster by five disciplines — padel, basketball, volleyball, cricket, and dance — bringing the total number of trackable sports on the platform to more than 50. The announcement, dated 19 February, allows athletes in those disciplines to log efforts under a dedicated category rather than the generic “Workout” label. In isolation, it is an incremental product update. Against the backdrop of a confidential IPO filing submitted on 2 February, it’s a move to improve the product, retain and increase the customer base.

The San Francisco company counts more than 180 million registered athletes across 185 countries, the majority of whom are drawn to Strava through running and cycling. The five additions signal a deliberate effort to court demographics that the core disciplines do not reach. Padel is the fastest-growing racket sport in Europe. Cricket commands an enormous following across South Asia and the Commonwealth. Dance edges the platform towards the recreational fitness market, long dominated by Peloton, Apple Fitness+, and others. Each choice reflects a calculated broadening of the total addressable market ahead of a public listing.

The sport additions are one thread in a broader pre-IPO narrative Strava has been assembling since the start of the year. The company has simultaneously announced an expansion of its San Francisco headquarters, new offices in New York and London, 30 new headcount positions, and a community activation partnership with the Burrito League(!), a grassroots running club network spanning multiple countries.

For runners and cyclists, one question is whether a broader platform serves the product they pay for. Strava’s subscription revenue remains anchored among its most committed athletes, who predominantly run and ride. Segment competition, route intelligence and training load tools are unlikely to be deprioritised. What changes is the size of the audience the company can credibly claim when it publishes a prospectus.

A Thought

The platform is methodically building competency across new categories. Think how it will serve them – we will never get cricket segments, but we could get cricket socialisation communities who can be served ads to generate revenue.

Last Updated on 22 February 2026 by the5krunner

the5krunner

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.