We’re finally starting to see the effects of the Strava acquiring Runna, and the news isn’t great. Recently, Strava announced it will discontinue its web-based running training plans feature, and will now redirect users to Runna for (paid) training plan services.
In other words, a feature previously covered by your subscription fee is being yanked away—and Strava users are rightfully peeved. This move represents an ongoing trend in the subscription economy: the gradual erosion of what you’re paying for, without a price drop to match.
No more training plans under Strava
Going forward, athletes can no longer create new running training plans directly on Strava’s website. If you’re currently following a Strava training plan, the good news is you will be able to complete your current program. After that, you’ll need to migrate to Runna for any new plans.
To ease the transition, Strava is offering all users—both free and premium subscribers—a promotional code (STRAVA-TP) that provides an additional week of free access to Runna’s services beyond their standard one-week free trial. So, two weeks total. An important caveat: Users who have previously used Runna’s free trial are not eligible for the extended trial period.
Notably, the change affects only running training plans. Cycling training plans, which are provided through Carmichael Training Systems, remain available directly through Strava’s platform
What this change means for Strava users
Is this the end of the world? Not exactly. Strava’s training plans were in no way the primary selling point of what is still a top tier running app. Still, removing features shortly after consolidating your market share is never a great look.
Strava subscribers were paying for a service that included training plans. Now, mid-subscription cycle, Strava has decided you are no longer entitled to those plans. It’s like your gym suddenly announcing that the weights are now operated by a third-party company and you’ll need a separate membership to use them.
Of course, Strava didn’t invent this sort of subscription rot. Unfortunately, you’re probably getting used to getting ripped off like this—more and more companies are gradually stripping away features while maintaining their prices. It’s subscription rot in real-time.
I’m also not crazy about Strava’s messaging when it said, “These plans will now be powered by Runna.” Powered by? They’re owned by Runna. This is corporate speak for “we’re cutting costs by eliminating features and making you pay extra to get them back.” And you no longer get a seamless experience of having your training plans integrated within the same app you use to track your runs.
Better alternatives for training plans
Runna does have great training programs. If you like using it, $17.99/month is a reasonable price to pay for a program that holds your hand and keeps you on track. However, there are other training plans I’d recommend checking out before you default to running to Runna:
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Hal Higdon’s Training Plans remain the gold standard for free marathon and half-marathon training. His website offers dozens of plans for every level, from beginner 5K to advanced marathon training. These plans have guided millions of runners to successful races without costing a penny. I’ve used some DIY-adjusted-version of these plans for all six marathons I’ve run—and I’m using one for marathon number seven right now.
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Nike Run Club offers free guided runs and training plans with audio coaching.
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TrainingPeaks is popular with the professionals. At $19.95/month, it’s more expensive than Runna, but offers sophisticated training load analysis, power meter integration, and plans from real coaches. I put it here because if you’re going to pay, pay for something serious.
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Garmin Coach comes free with Garmin devices and offers adaptive training plans that adjust based on your actual performance. If you’re already invested in the Garmin ecosystem, this is far superior to paying for a separate service. My colleageu Beth Skwarecki has a full review of her experience with Garmin’s training plans here.
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McMillan Running offers detailed explanations of why you’re doing each workout. That educational component helps make these plans worth the $39.99/month for athletes truly serious about their sport.
Whatever training plan you choose, consider educating yourself first so that you really understand why you’re doing each workout. Like with Hal Higdon’s plans above, you can learn a lot just from poking around similarly free plans offered by Runner’s World, Hanson’s, and more.
The irony is that by pushing runners toward Runna, Strava may have inadvertently introduced many of them to better, cheaper, or free alternatives they never knew existed.