Strava Wankers

[KateBlush]

Posting this gripe here because I'm not confrontational enough to call it out IRL. Strava cheats! You know the sorts: massive discrepancy between their moving and elapsed time; much slower segment paces than for their overall run. Always accompanied by self-congratulatory run descriptions 'I was really zooming today!' and back-slapping comments.

No you weren't 'on fire'. You actually spent 50 mins completing your 25 minute run by stopping every few mins and pausing your watch. Does my head in. I have a good handful on my feed. Great that people are getting out to run - at any pace - but don't misrepresent, especially when it's so blinking obvious you're cheating about your speed. (They must think I'm really mean for never returning kudos). Anyhow, feel better for getting that out there. As you were X

It’s very hilly where I live and I know a few people who always do a predominantly downhill run. ie they finish their run at a lower elevation than the start. Does my head in as they obviously don’t want to run back up the hill as it would slow their overall pace down so just stop their watch at the bottom and walk up.

I hadn’t realised that was a thing. Fukwits. What really fucks me off is men who record their rides as women and anyone using an ebike, but not categorising their ride as such so they appear on the leader boards. I’ve not sat there flagging (honest).

Am I a Strava cheat? I pause when having to wait for use of a slim alley, or when a train is coming and I can't cross. Will people think I'm cheating? I've no idea. I dont delve too deep into the stats.

You aren’t a cheat if you pause a bit. But some people post a 21 minute 5k saying 5k pb yay !!!!!!!! When actually it took 25 min elapsed time and was downhill

I have never thought about this before but have been disheartened when I've seen people run 6 minute miles compared to my 10/11 min miles! Will need to look more closely in future!

How do you find these people without studying their record closely... why do you want to use your time to do that?

Gosh I am just not that interested in anyone's strava.

Exactly @Toomuchleopard. The biggest serial offender on my feed is always out for twice as long their elapsed time shows! If you're bothered (probably best not to be) the elapsed time and elapsed average pace appears under 'analysis'.

The downhill thing is irritating too.

@joebidenisgreat - my motives are pure - honest! I get loads of great route ideas from other people's Strava/ training plans etc - they're all local mates/acquaintances. It's motivational encouraging one another. I try and peg myself against similar runners, so tend to notice when they turn in an astonishingly fast pace

Their pace is surely correct, it’s just that they maybe stop for a 5 min rest in the middle of the run.
I grab a costa if I’m out on a long run so that adds an extra ten mins to my elapsed time, never thought it was cheating though. My Apple Watch pauses automatically if I stop

I have a friend who did a 47 min 10k over 1,000ft elevation, I was very impressed (we're in our 50's and not fast runners in case that seems spectacularly slow!) until I realised it was a Scottish race and you basically get bussed to the top of a mountain and just leg it down for 6 miles. Everyone was applauding her on her PB and she never once put them straight. Only time I've ever noticed or been annoyed but it was just so disingenuous

Savoretti Yes I do the same but am slow and run for 3/4 hours at a time so I don't think it matters overall. If you were saying you'd run a 7 min mile but had kept stopping to get your breath and stopping your Garmin too then it makes you look a helluva lot faster than you really were.

What a weird thing! I can’t imagine having self esteem so fragile I tried to impress strangers via Strava. Pity them OP.

Parkrun will be back soon anyway, harder to cheat at that

Oooh I thought I was a Strava wanker because first priority when I fell and broke my arm was stopping my watch 😭😭 but I don’t think you mean my sort!

My mistake @Savoretti. I meant twice as long as MOVING time shows

What I mean is if they run a 7 min mile then stop for 5 then run a 7 min mile back, their pace is still 7 mins/mile.... ok it’s easier than running 2 miles straight but I don’t really get the problem myself. Don’t think it’s ‘cheating’ the stats personally

Strava pauses when you stop though. While your pace will benefit from pausing to catch your breath, any segments show elapsed time in total so include any stoppages (sneaky or otherwise).
But fundamentally, not sure why you care- you do you...

Ha pleased it's not just me, I run have done since leaving school but never have I been tempted to use Strava. Everyone I know who does just wants clapping for every run. Whether it be distance, speed or running in tbr shape of a crocodile. Who cares running is a personal thing, but cheating it is beyond stupid!

Thanks to this thread I've found you can click through to another screen on Strava!

Oh gosh, you're right!

I thought you meant the Twitter account OP! If you don't know it, have a look.

But yes I know exactly what you mean. I have a couple on my Strava who bang on about getting a PR for 5k or whatever, but they've not tagged it as a race so it's measured on moving time only. It's like they think we're a bit thick

Not necessarily as egregious as some of these other examples but it's not really in the spirit of it if you haven't included the pauses at three sets of traffic lights. I think it's a bit of insecurity tbh.

Surely it is up to them what they do. It isn't as if you need to validate your achievements by comparing yourself to them.

I'm quite new to Strava having taken up running almost two years ago. I love seeming where other people go and how fast they are but it would never occur to me to analyse their performance.

Oh wow, I pause mine a lot as I'm just getting back into running and I have never of it as cheating. I mean anyone can click on the analysis and see the details, so I'm hardly hiding it.
For eg I ran 5k today but at the moment I can only run for 10 mins solidly at a time so I run for 10, walk for 3, until I reach 5k. I pause it because I want to see what my pace is when I'm just running.
If this is classed a cheating, fine by me

@captainprincess

Oh wow, I pause mine a lot as I'm just getting back into running and I have never of it as cheating. I mean anyone can click on the analysis and see the details, so I'm hardly hiding it. For eg I ran 5k today but at the moment I can only run for 10 mins solidly at a time so I run for 10, walk for 3, until I reach 5k. I pause it because I want to see what my pace is when I'm just running. If this is classed a cheating, fine by me

You see I would measure 5k from when I start running and the time is whenever I have covered 5k, so if I walk or slow down then that affects the overall time it takes me to run it. Otherwise you could sprint for 200m, then walk with it paused, start it again to sprint then pause over and over again, but 25 sprints added together would not really be the time you can run 5K in.

I really wouldn’t worry about it. My local mtb trails have Kom times that would mean riding it at approximately 70mph; ie 400 metre runs completed in 10 seconds or so.
Clearly nonsense. There are all sorts of ways you can manipulate the data too if you’re that much of a saddo

I only ever look at my segment times to compare to myself. Pretty useless for anything else these days imo.

Why do you care?! Block and move on.
Honestly the things people get wound up over