Runna Snapped Up By Strava in Multi-Million Pound Deal

From £80 training plans to a multimillion-pound exit, here’s how Runna sprinted into Strava’s ecosystem.

Strava has officially made its first UK acquisition—and it’s a big win for two university mates who turned a personal coaching setup into one of the fastest-growing fitness platforms in the game. The US-based fitness giant has acquired London-based running app Runna, and although the price tag remains under wraps, the word is that early investors could be getting up to 30 times their money back. Not bad for a business that started as a side hustle.

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Runna, launched in 2022 by co-founders Ben Parker and Dom Maskell, offers personalised running plans with real coaching support. What began with Maskell paying Parker £80 a month for tailored running advice has evolved into a full-blown app with over 3,000 paying users and backing from big names like Jam Jar Investments, the VC fund from the Innocent Drinks founders.

Strava CEO Michael Martin said the app’s personalised approach fills a gap in Strava’s current offering. “For runners, it’s about their goals—and they want personalised guidance,” he said. “Strava hasn’t historically been strong in that space. Runna is a standout platform, with best-in-class features and a brilliant team.”

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Strava, which has 150 million users globally, logged over one billion runs last year, with running now its fastest-growing category. So, scooping up a coaching-first platform like Runna fits perfectly into their bigger strategy: moving beyond passive fitness tracking and towards something a lot more proactive.

Runna’s business model is refreshingly no-nonsense. The app is priced at £15.99 per month or £99.99 annually and has been profitable since 2023. Despite raising £8 million, the team has barely touched the cash. “We’ve had multiple offers to raise bigger rounds, but we’ve turned them down,” said Maskell. “Big funding pushes you to overspend and grow inefficiently. We prefer to hire only when there’s a real need.”

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That lean approach has paid off. Their latest accounts (filed January 2024) showed cash reserves of £8.2 million. Not too shabby for a company that built its growth off subscription revenue and stayed grounded while scaling.

Post-acquisition, Runna will remain based in London and continue to expand internationally, with eyes on the US market. A small team is already in Boston, and a West Coast office could be next.

For Strava, 2024 is already its most successful year yet, with 50 per cent year-on-year growth in new users. And for Runna? It’s proof that a smart idea, careful scaling, and a bit of running geekery can go a very long way.