Strava, the running and fitness app, has just introduced “Performance Predictions,” which gives users personalized and estimated finish times for specific distances.
The fitness app Strava has announced that it will finally implement performance predictions for subscribers.
The feature, which will provide predicted race times for 5K, 10K, half marathon, and marathon, is powered by a machine learning model.
This model “analyzes over 100 data points about the runner and draws on Strava’s insights into how similar runners perform,” Strava said.
After every run, Strava updates these predictions automatically and “adjusts during rest periods” to reflect the user's current fitness level.
The feature is only available to those who subscribe to Strava’s premium service. It will be available in the “Progress Tab” within the Strava app.
A Strava subscription will set you back $11.99 per month or $79.99 a year, plus tax.
While Strava, “the app for active people,” boasts over 150 million athletes from more than 185 countries, it is seemingly the last fitness app to get the race prediction feature.
Other competitors, such as Runna, already include race predictors and pace predictors in their apps.
However, they don’t appear to use machine learning and only estimate times based on the information that users have uploaded.
Strava recently revealed that it will be acquiring Runna, but users are skeptical about the acquisition and Runna's future under Strava.
Garmin also offers a race prediction feature based on machine learning. However, users reveal that it’s not always accurate.
On a Garmin forum, users discussed their grievances with Garmin's race predictor, saying that the information is often widely inaccurate.
After switching to a different watch model, the user said that their "race predictions dropped enormously" and after ten days the predictions are still "way off."
Other users agreed saying that even after completing their races in good time, Garmin didn't update their time.
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