Runners chase popular Strava segment in Denver airport

Here's an idea of how to kill time waiting for your next flight.

Strava segments are an athlete’s best friend, and there is nothing more infuriating when you get an email about someone who took one of your crowns or local legends, especially if it’s in a place you can’t get to. This 150-meter Strava segment in Terminal B of the Denver International Airport has gained popularity online after a few runners posted TikTok videos of them sprinting through the airport, trying to beat the record.

By the looks of it, the segment named “gate change gnar” is a 150-meter sprint in Terminal B at Denver International Airport. The record time is 19 seconds and is held by Jared Murphy of Provo, Utah, and Elsa Westenfelder of Missoula, Mon., who has the women’s CR of 26 seconds. 

Segments are one of Strava’s most popular features, as it gives everyday runners a glimpse of how their times stack up against their friends and other runners. Segments are portions of popular running and cycling routes created by Strava members where athletes can compare times and see where they stack up on a leaderboard.

Most people will kill time waiting for their flight at a restaurant, bar or shop–you truly know you’re a runner (or addicted to Strava) when you’re thinking about how you can become the local legend in ‘Terminal A Sprint’ in the two hour time window before your flight to Miami. 

In a few videos, the runners received a few strange looks from security and airport patrons, which I don’t blame them for. An airport can be a great place for segment chasing because if you do get stopped by security, you could say you were trying to catch your flight. 

posted Thursday April 13th
by Running Magazine