Strava just bought the AI run coaching app Runna — here's what it means for you

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Two of the most popular fitness apps have joined forces

female runner checking her running watch
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sports tracking giant Strava has announced it has bought Runna, a U.K.-based app that provides AI-powered training plans to its users.

No further details on the deal have been published, and for now nothing is set to change in how you use either app, with them remaining separate entities with separate subscription options.

For now nothing is set to change in how you use either app, with them remaining separate entities with separate subscription options.

As a keen runner who uses Strava daily, it’s easy to imagine how Strava can benefit from this deal, because the app doesn’t offer personalized training plans for users, while Runna gets significant investment and a chance to tap into the biggest user base of any fitness app.

“We are delighted to become part of Strava as we continue to focus on bringing the world the most customized and personalized training plans available,” said Dom Maskell, co-founder and chief executive officer at Runna.

“We have spent many hours together with Strava senior management and we couldn’t be more excited to be on the same team.”

“I have been deeply impressed with Dom, Ben and the Runna team,” said Michael Martin, chief executive officer at Strava, “our plan is to keep the apps separate for the foreseeable future, to invest in growing the Runna team and further accelerate the development of the Runna app.”

Two of the biggest fitness apps

An iPhone and Apple Watch with the Runna app

(Image credit: Runna)

Runna was started in 2021 and has grown rapidly, picking up an additional $6.3 million in funding since it launched. It offers AI-powered training plans for runners targeting events like 5Ks or marathons. In fact, we awarded it the title of best running app in last year's Tom's Guide Fitness Awards.

Both Strava and Runna are on iOS and Android and the apps link up easily with each other as well as the best sports watches from all major brands, including Garmin and Apple.

You can use Strava for free but subscribing to Strava Premium for $11.99 a month or $79.99 a year unlocks a raft of extra features, while Runna costs $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year for its coaching plans.

What will change for users?

a photo of the Runna app on the Apple Watch

(Image credit: Future/Tom's Guide)

As of now, nothing will change for users of either app. The apps and subscriptions will remain separate, but as the apps integrate more closely in the future I’d expect training plans to become a feature offered within the Strava app.

How much that will cost users is the key question, and one that won’t be answered imminently. The recent introduction of subscription services from Garmin and Polar have made users concerned that more and more fitness features will be locked behind paywalls in the future.

Runna has always been a subscription-based service, but even so the two apps will need to move forward carefully to avoid a backlash from both of their user bases as a result of the deal.

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Nick Harris-Fry
Nick Harris-Fry
Senior Writer

Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.


Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 and became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 25min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.


Nick is an established expert in the fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.

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