Help with Strava please?

[Susieq174]

I’ve hardly run this month with one thing and another so I’ve just been out again to do another 4K run. I use strava on my phone to record my runs. The last run I did I followed a route and got to a certain point and had done 4.3k. Today I have done the same route apart from I cut a corner which was prob about 400m less. When I got to the end point of my run I had only done 3k?! I carried on till strava said I had done 4K.

When I finished I paused it and it said I’d been running for 36 minutes and at a pace of 8k which sounds about right but when I saved it and uploaded it it has recorded that I ran for 24minutes and at a pace of 6k. Am I going mad or does this happen with Strava??

Any light on the matter gratefully received! 😊

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10]

I use my Garmin.. so cannot advise on this really... I have found it accurate when synced... but I am sure someone will answer your query

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

Thanks oldfloss. I’m not very technically minded so haven’t a clue with this kind of thing 😊

[Richard7 Graduate10]

Below is my understanding- based upon some reading and personal experience. I think that this can happen depending upon things like GPS signal/device capabilities. What Strava does from my understanding is that it will fill in gaps in data based upon “known routes/tracks” so if you deviate slightly from a known path and the GPS signal is not strong it can increase or decrease what you have done. Additionally when you upload to Strava it will adjust the time based on what it thinks you spent moving. So if it thinks you stood still it will automatically remove that time. On the Web view you see Moving Time when this happens.

I think if you disagree with the info you can get it adjusted. Apparently if you change your run to Race it will revert the time to the actual time!!

I did a run recently recording with my Garmin and uploaded to Strava and because my watch does not have a barometer and Strava’s elevation data is wrong it said I spent a good part of my run going downhill when it was uphill!! So it could be a simple matter of your phones capabilities or just that on that run it could not pick up/maintain GPS signal.

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Richard7]

Thanks for that. Sounds very technical to me but you’ve confirmed what I thought about it not being quite right 😊

Shame really as I wish I had done the run as fast as it said I had! 🏃‍♀️

[ju-ju- Graduate10]

That is odd. I use my Garmin which automatically syncs with Strava and sometimes there are odd anomolies but on the whole its good.... i would keep using it as this may have been a blip or Strava was having a bad day....

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to ju-ju-]

I know! I can’t stop going on about it and my other half has just rolled his eyes at me again!

I will keep using it. I’m going to ask for a running watch for my birthday so that might help with more accurate results 😊

[Richard7 Graduate10 in reply to Susieq174]

It happened to me also on my first Post Grad run strava.com/activities/12637... .. being the geek that I am I downloaded the raw data and tried to fix the problem as it had me getting ridiculous personal bests!!

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Richard7]

Yeah I’ve gotten 3 new personal bests today too. So sad they’re not real!

[Janej74 Graduate10 in reply to Susieq174]

I had the same problems with Strava directly on my phone, ended up using map my run which I found much more reliable. Since getting my Garmin for Christmas I now use that to synch with Strava and find that's much more reliable. Love my watch!!

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Janej74]

My birthdays not till April so will have to carry on with my phone until then. I might try mapmyrun then as well 😊 thanks for the advice!

[Ajs07 Graduate10]

I always use 2 running apps on my phone when running. I start Runkeeper as soon as I leave the house, which includes warm and cool down walks, then use Strava to record the run itself that way I always have some data to work with if one fails x

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Ajs07]

I might try runkeeper too. I’ve not heard of that one before but using two could be the way forward 😊

[Langley-Loper Graduate10]

I think it varies by phone. I have used Strava for several months. I run with a friend sometimes. We both have Samsung phones but different models. Mine always says we have run slightly faster. Hopefully over time the anomalies will be few.

Samsung Health in the background always says I have run much further and faster than Strava. I think if you want to do comparisons you need to pick one app and stick with it and ignore the odd weird recorded run due to technical glitches.

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Langley-Loper]

I think my phone might have a lot to do with it. I’ve used Strava for a while now and haven’t noticed anything wrong with it until Monday. Maybe it’s just a one off! 😊

[Flash13]

I use runkeeper on my phone. Just the free edition. It works really well.

[Sandyscroll Graduate10]

Mine tells me that my elevation goes 27m up and 30m down, but I start and finish in the same place. If I use the elevation my phone or watch records, it looks like I've run over the bumps in a freshly ploughed field, and increases my mileage and speed accordingly. Map my run used to plot me as having run through people's living rooms, gardens and across the canal and other large expanses of water. My watch seems much better with the route and at least the elevation data is consistent, even if it's a bit inaccurate.

[Susieq174 Graduate10 in reply to Sandyscroll]

Yeah when I looked at the map on this run on Strava I have run through a pub and a lot of houses as the crow flies from one point to another. That should’ve given the game away that something was wrong! 😂