Why did Strava delete millions of race records?

Strava deleted 3.5 million suspicious activities because athletes were caught cheating to climb internal leaderboards, falsely logging e-bike rides and using cars for runs.

What kind of cheating was happening on Strava?

Cheating involved recording e-bike rides as pedal bike rides and falsely reporting car journeys or cycling as runs to gain higher rankings.

What are KOMs on Strava and how was this affected by cheating?

KOMs, or 'King or Queen of the Mountain' statuses, are awarded for the fastest times on specific road segments. Cheating allowed amateurs to falsely claim these prestigious virtual titles.

Home / Technology / Strava Culls 3.5M Records Amidst Cheating Scandal

Strava Culls 3.5M Records Amidst Cheating Scandal

7 Feb

•

Summary

Strava deleted 3.5 million suspicious activities from its database.
Athletes falsely recorded e-bike rides and used cars for runs.
Cheating allowed amateurs to falsely claim top leaderboard spots.

Strava Culls 3.5M Records Amidst Cheating Scandal

Popular exercise app Strava has recently removed 3.5 million 'suspicious' activities from its extensive database. This significant cull follows revelations of amateur athletes engaging in widespread cheating to improve their standings on the app's internal leaderboards. Many users were found to be falsely registering rides on e-bikes as pedal-powered cycles, while others inaccurately reported runs that were actually completed via car or by cycling.

These deceptive practices allowed individuals to attain higher rankings than they deserved, including undeserved 'King or Queen of the Mountain' (KOM) status for specific segments. While there is no monetary gain, these virtual accolades hold significant prestige within the amateur cycling and running communities. Strava has acknowledged the issue, stating that the action was a comprehensive global effort to address long-standing anomalies pointed out by users.