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Marathoners doubled in 2022, according to Strava data

Strava's 2022 Year in Sport shows that its 100 million users upped their activity levels significantly this year as pandemic restrictions eased.
Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
Woman running in forest

Hiking, biking, and running on trails was popular in 2022.

Image: Strava

Strava captures an immense amount of data from more than 100 million members, and it is always interesting to check out the annual Year in Sport report. 

The world opened up more in 2022 and the data shows that people enjoyed getting out on trails and participating in events with others.

There were 101% more activities uploaded outside of an athlete's home country, compared with the previous year. 

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Congratulations to all of those new marathoners, as the Strava data shows there were nearly double the number of people completing a marathon in 2022 as there were in 2021. 

I doubt we will see such impressive growth next year, but it will definitely be interesting to see if people continue to participate in activities, as being active is vital to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

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2022 was the year of e-bikes for me here on ZDNET with more bike reviews this year than in the past four years of riding these bikes. Strava data shows e-bike riding increased 26% this year with 30% of cyclists more likely to commute on e-bikes than standard bikes.

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Strava e-bike data 2022

Older riders were more active with e-bikes.

Image: Strava

While I personally run solo when I work out, the data from Strava shows that running with a partner resulted in longer time and distance than when running solo. These metrics were even longer in groups of three or more, so maybe I need to look around and find a running group to improve my motivation. 

Motivation and encouragement are areas where a Strava membership can have a significant benefit for athletes, with segment leaderboards, shared routes, and more.

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It's interesting to view the full report and study the data, as the results can also be used to help you set goals for the next year. I plan to spend more time trail running and gravel riding in 2023, as well as continue my indoor rowing on the Hydrow as I pull for another 500,000 meters. What are you planning to accomplish in 2023?

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