Does anyone use Strava? How accurate is it?

[MummyInTheNecropolis]

I’m fairly new to running, just about to finish couch 25k (one run left)! I use Strava to measure how I’m doing, on my last run it says I ran 5.6km in 30 mins, today it said I did 7.4km in 30 mins, however, according to the stats I did more steps in the 5.6 run than I did today in the 7.4. This can’t be right can it? Now I’m worried the app just isn’t accurate and maybe I’m not doing as well as I thought I was! Any ideas?

I love Strava but I’m not sure how it can be that accurate with steps. Are you using it via a smartwatch? If not it can’t possibly be. But it’s very accurate with distance and pretty reliable with your pace

does the map showing where you went appear correct?

I love Strava but I’m not sure how it can be that accurate with steps. Are you using it via a smartwatch? If not it can’t possibly be. But it’s very accurate with distance and pretty reliable with your pace

does the map showing where you went appear correct?

Thanks for your reply, yes the map is definitely right. I don’t have a watch I just have it on my phone which is in a bumbag when I run.

I use Strava on my phone. I have the location setting to the highest accuracy, and it has always been absolutely spot on for me. It would show where I stopped and walked two metres to a bin.
I never used it for steps. But distance is more accurate than steps anyway so go with distance.

Fab, thank you. I was just worried if it wasn’t accurate in steps then maybe it wasn’t accurate in other ways, and maybe I was getting ahead of myself thinking I’m faster than I actually am 🤣

Very relieved to know that’s probably not the case!

Occasionally if you are out of range of enough satellites strata will give you a crazy route but if the route looks right then distances etc are pretty accurate. Doubt the steps will be entirely accurate. Even with a garmin, it's an estimation and it doesn't really know your striped length etc.

7.4km in 30 minutes is an incredibly fast time - you would be in the absolute front runners of your local parkrun at that pace and better than 70% of women aged 35 (I've made a guess!!) which would put you at "regional class" in races. But 5.6km in 30 mins is also very respectable indeed.

Are you enjoying running? That is the main thing! We can all get hung up on times and stats but if you get a bit of a sweat on, and feel good after, then you're doing it right.

Thanks @TyneFilth definitely sounds like something went wrong with today’s run then. I am 41 and fat 🤣. I am really enjoying myself and have felt huge improvements over the past few weeks in my pace and fitness levels but not to that extent! I’ve downloaded the Nike running app which is supposed to be good. Will use that alongside Strava on my next run and see what happens.

It's very accurate for me but yours sounds out. 30 mins for 5.6km is fast for someone who is new to running and only just coming to the end of c2 5k. You would be more like 40 minutes. More than that in 30 minutes is extremely unlikely for an unseasoned runner.

I wouldn't worry about it too much. As long as you are enjoying it, that's the main thing.

7.4km in 30 mins is blisteringly fast for a beginner!!! Been runner 6 years and a 30 mins 5km is a challenge! The 5.6km in 30 mins sounds possibly.

if you go on onthegomap.com you can plot your route in and it will give you the accurate distance so you can validate the Strava distance.

I was told that Strava on the phone isn’t as accurate as the phone signal bounces around masts depending on which one you’re closest to. Using it via a watch is far more accurate as it’s gps/satellite. I ran the exact same route 2 days in a row, one recorded by phone and the other by Garmin and here was a good half a kilometre difference!

Thanks all. I won’t sign myself up for the olympics just yet then🤣

It's not the app itself that is accurate / inaccurate - It's down to the device you are using it on. A high end garmin will be much more accurate than GPS on a phone in a pocket. Honestly, on a phone your accuracy is never going to be great.

If you're getting into running then it's worth investing in an entry level garmin, you can pick them up fairly cheaply second hand.

Your phone will be useless at accurately recording your steps from in a bumbag so I wouldn't use those stats at all. Steps on a run isn't a useful stat anyway.

Zoom in on the map of your run, is it perfect, or does it bounce around and wobble?

Try going to a parkrun on Saturday morning. They are exactly 5k so good for you to check how much over you may be

Well done on starting running. You’re doing well!!

most people at the end of c25k do around 4k in 30 mins. So 5.6k would be impressive and 7.4k almost unheard of. I can now after several years of running run about 7.4k in 30 mins but I’m usually top 3 females at park run and 1st in my age group. That would be super impressive for a beginner. Though maybe you are just naturally very fast.

my friend showed me her times and distances when we first started to run together. She was so fast according to her stats that I thought there was no way I’d ever keep up with her. When we started running it became very apparent that her watch was set wrong and she hadn’t been running anywhere near the speed and distance she thought she had. She calibrated her watch and then was able to get accurate times. Her pace went from 6:30/min mile to 10:30/min mile.

I don’t know whether you can calibrate a phone like you can a watch but might be worth seeing if there’s anything you can do. I’d always rather have accurate info. Though maybe it is accurate and we’re just sitting here in disbelief that a new runner in their 40s could be that fast straight away.

PP says that Strava on their phone uses phone masts to track location - I don't think this is quite accurate. Strava primarily uses GPS, but does have the capability to use phone masts if necessary. If you want to be certain it is using GPS only, you could go for a run with your phone in aeroplane mode. Make sure your settings have location set to highest accuracy first.

Thanks so much for all of the advice. You’re all very kind not to laugh at me for thinking I’m the female Usain Bolt 🤣. I think I’ll stop bothering about my stats and just keep enjoying my running, and maybe sign up for parkrun.

I run with friends who use Strava, while have a Garmin watch. My experience is that when we run the same route together, their Strava mileage is consistently 5-10% higher than my Garmin. I'm fairly sure the Garmin is accurate because it comes in pretty close on measured courses.

Agree 5.6k in 30 minutes very respectable time for a beginner, and 7.4k would be exceptional