2025 Running Wrapped (Stats You can’t Find on Strava)
“Running teaches us that we are capable of so much more than we ever imagined.”
As the year comes to a close and many apps are giving annual wrap-ups and recaps with runners’ stats for the year, I have mixed feelings about the data given. Yes, it is so impressive to see how many miles we’ve run this year, our total elevation gain, your favorite segment, who gave you the most kudos, how many days you were active over the year, and how many “legend” titles you hold - but this is all data that is only accessible 1) if you are a paying subscriber of Strava, or 2) these are the only points that you consider when deciding what kind of runner you want to be. What happens if we put these very calculated stats aside, and instead focused on some other benchmarks when looking at our running accomplishments over the year?
TOTAL MILES RUN = FAVORITE MILES RUN
Setting a mileage goal for the year is an awesome way to track your distance (and to celebrate some big distance achievements) but instead of focusing on the total miles run, what if we considered our favorite miles we ran this year? According to my Strava app, at the time I’m writing this, I’ve run 2,664.9 miles this year, but most of these weren’t very memorable. They were spent run commuting to and from studios downtown and in Back Bay or running a quick loop around Charlestown before or after a Crossfit class. Instead of focusing on the big number, I am looking at some of my favorite runs this year. My top runs were: the Boston Marathon in April because, well, duh - this race means so much to me; the Catamount Mountain 50k Ultra in Vermont in June (32 miles of pure, mountainous, solo, quiet, forest-y bliss); and the beachside miles I ran with my wife and my dogs in Maine all summer, taking in the beautiful ocean views in Maine and spending quality time with my family.
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN = FAVORITE PLACES TO RUN IN OR TO
Elevation gain is cool and all, but what if you live in a flat city? What if hills simply aren’t your jam? This was always an interesting but weird stat to me. According to Strava, I’ve run a total elevation of 47,729 feet, but to me, this number really means very little to me. Instead, I’ve thought about some incredible places I’ve had the privilege of running in this year. Some of my highlights include running the LA Marathon again in March and seeing the beautiful rolling Hollywood Hills; exploring and searching for bears in Asheville, North Carolina, and navigating some beautiful and steep trails with amazing views in Salt Lake City, Utah.
TOTAL DAYS ACTIVE = TOTAL DAYS YOU DID SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOURSELF
Tracking the total days active for the year is an amazing way to celebrate fitness streaks or giving yourself props for committing to staying active, but what about instead focusing on days that you did something really good for yourself? Maybe it’s a day that you got up and out the door and ran even when you didn’t want to. Maybe it was a day when you ran further or longer than you ever had before. Maybe it was even a day that you decided to cut your mileage short or pivot your plan because your body or mind wasn’t really feeling it. Instead of celebrating how many days you were active, let’s instead focus on the days that you did something that really counts toward your fitness. For me, Strava said I was active 337 days of the year. Instead of focusing on the 337 days I was active, I’m instead focusing on the days I wasn’t logging big miles. As a runner who is recovering from being hard on myself for taking rest days or going lighter on mileage when I’m tired and sick, this is a new stat that is important and pivotal for me.
TOTAL TIME = GRATITUDE FOR THE SPORT
Looking at the total time spent running this year broken down by hour is actually insane when you think about it. My Strava total for the year was 470 hours running - that is 28,200 minutes! However, instead of focusing on the time spent running, I am taking a moment to express gratitude for the ability to run so much and so far. No matter how many minutes or hours you were able to log miles this year, be sure to take the time to be proud of yourself for making time for yourself and the sport you love. Some other milestones to think about that can’t be tracked on an app: how many sweet treats you got after long runs; how many times you thought about skipping your run but didn’t; how many times you listened to the same song on repeat; how many times you cursed out your coach for hill workouts; how many times you said you were proud of yourself for your efforts; and, most importantly, the one that can’t be tracked but probably should be: how much fun you had while out running.
Thank you all for a great 2025. I am so honored to a small part of all of your running journeys, and can’t wait to keep this going into 2026.
Have a wonderful holiday season, and the KJWC RUN CLUB blog will be back in the new year!
Xo
Coach Kelly