Strava denies Canadian marathon record holder a pro athlete account

Canada’s Natasha Wodak has had an impressive career on both the track and the roads, and is considered one of the country’s greatest-ever female distance runners. She has represented Canada at two Olympic Games and holds the national marathon record of 2:23:12. Despite her achievements, the fitness tracking app Strava does not seem to recognize their significance; it denied her a pro athlete subscription for 2024.

“I am not sure what hurts more, not making the Canadian Olympic team or getting rejected by Strava for my PRO badge renewal,” Wodak wrote on her Instagram.

A Strava Pro Athlete and Verified Badge offers several benefits, including exclusive features on Strava, such as advanced analytics, performance insights and the ability to create and share custom challenges or events for free. Pro athletes are highlighted on Strava, making it easier for fans and followers to find and follow them. The badge exists to recognize public figures, noteworthy community builders and influential individuals around the world.

According to Strava, for a professional runner to be approved for a pro athlete badge, they must have achieved a World Athletics entry standard in the past 18 months or placed in the top five at a national championship (e.g. USA Track & Field or Athletics Canada). An athlete must also provide proof of financial compensation for training and athletic endeavours, whether through a travel stipend, training cost stipend or salary from notable sponsors (e.g. Brooks, Asics, Nike).

In Wodak’s case, she meets both of these verification criteria, which is why the rejection email came as a shock. She qualified and competed for Canada at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest in the women’s marathon and has won three Canadian national titles in the last 18 months. Additionally, she receives financial compensation through a professional (salary-based) contract with Asics Canada.

Wodak took three shots at making the Canadian marathon team for Paris 2024, but came up just a few minutes short of the women’s marathon standard of 2:26:50.

Strava’s pro-athlete community includes more than 2,300 athletes from 195 countries. This status not only recognizes them as professional athletes, but also provides them with a complimentary Strava subscription and access to a community of active followers.

posted Saturday July 20th