Why Strava and Garmin are fighting
What's the story
Fitness app Strava has sued tech giant Garmin over patent infringement and breach of contract. The lawsuit comes at a time when many athletes are worried about their upcoming races, including the Chicago and New York City marathons. Strava's chief product officer, Matt Salazar, has alleged that Garmin threatened to revoke access to its software interface if Strava doesn't comply with new developer guidelines.
User concerns
Strava users react to the lawsuit
The news of the lawsuit has drawn mixed reactions from Strava users who rely on Garmin devices. Some, like UK-based runner Florence Thwaites, joked about giving up running altogether. Others expressed their disappointment over the rift between two major players in fitness technology. California ultra-runner Andy Glaze questioned why these companies couldn't resolve their differences amicably for the sake of their loyal customers.
Tech synergy
Who are Strava and Garmin?
Strava's app, which allows users to track their activities and share them with others, has over 170 million users worldwide. The company has been at the forefront of fitness tracking technology, enabling people to log GPS-based activities such as running or cycling. Garmin, on the other hand, is a leading manufacturer of GPS-enabled devices and smartwatches that offer advanced metrics and training plans for runners.
Legal proceedings
What does the lawsuit allege?
The lawsuit, filed on September 30 in a Colorado district court, alleges that two of Garmin's features, segments and heatmaps, violate Strava's patents and breach a written agreement between the companies. Segments allow users to compare their performance along specific routes while heatmaps visualize where people run or ride most frequently. Strava has also alleged that Garmin continued using its technology without authorization after receiving written notice of infringement in June and July 2025.
User impact
Strava is seeking damages and an injunction
Strava isn't just seeking damages, but also wants to stop the sales of Garmin devices allegedly using its technology. However, some users like Susan Ibach from Ottawa aren't worried about this part. "It's hard to imagine that Strava could force Garmin to stop selling running watches," she said. TechRadar reports there's concern that Garmin may have to remove features from its watches due to the lawsuit.
Access concerns
Access to activities tracked on Garmin devices may be cut
Salazar has claimed that Garmin threatened to cut off access to its software interface, which would prevent activities tracked with Garmin devices from being uploaded to Strava. The new developer guidelines require the Garmin logo on every activity post, screen, graph, and image, Salazar mentioned on Reddit, noting that they have until November 1 to comply. "Unfortunately, we could not justify to our users complying with the new guidelines," he said.