Strava’s 2024 Year in Sport report shows big changes in the world of running watches. The Apple Watch Series and Apple Watch SE have claimed the top two spots for runners globally, dethroning Garmin’s long-standing dominance in this category.
This is a shift from past years when Garmin’s Forerunner series ruled the rankings. The Garmin Forerunner 245 now ranks third among runners. But Garmin maintains its lead in cycling, with its Edge 530 and 830 bike computers taking the top two positions.
“The top running shoe was the Nike Pegasus. 5k runners tended to opt for an Apple Watch, while the Garmin Forerunner was more popular for longer distances” – Strava
Apple’s success boils down to a few key things: its stronghold on the wearables market and some solid software upgrades. The latest WatchOS updates make running metrics super easy to use, even for beginners.
While fitness watches remain the preferred choice for longer distances, the report notes that 25% of 5K runners use their phones for activity tracking. Additionally, 72% of all uploaded activities on Strava come from mobile apps.