Running News Daily

Skeezy New Trend: Strava ‘Surrogates’ Are Making Money by Logging Runs for Other People

Want to make some money on your next run? An Indonesian teenager has found a lucrative way to do just that by, well, running for other people. 

Wahyu Wicaksono, 17, has become what’s known in the country as a “Strava jockey,” logging running achievements for others on the app for a fee. 

“I am active on X and it is booming there,” Wahya told Channel News Asia. He charges 10,000 rupiah (about 62 cents) per kilometer for running at a “Pace 4” (one kilometer in four minutes). For a more leisurely “Pace 8” (one kilometer in eight minutes), the fee is 5,000 rupiah per kilometer. Clients pay upfront, and Wahyu tracks his runs by logging in to the buyer’s account. elling data from runs or bike rides has gone viral in Indonesia. Another Strava jockey who spoke to CNA is 17-year-old Satria, who charges 5,000 rupiah per kilometer. “I have taken part in marathons before, so running is my hobby. I’ve got nothing to lose,” he told the outlet.

Except maybe his Strava account. 

“Strava’s mission is to motivate people to live their best lives. Part of the platform’s magic comes from the authenticity of our global community in uploading an activity, giving kudos, or engaging in a club,” Linh Le, Strava’s director of corporate communications, told Runner’s World, adding that sharing accounts or credentials is a violation of the app’s terms of service. “This is important to safeguarding and respecting the progress and work of our athletes as they lace up every day.”

Strava has more than 100 million subscribers across 190 countries, but the publicized trend seems largely isolated to Indonesia for now. Still, with the ever-increasing desire for validation in the form of likes and other engagement, it doesn’t seem outside the realm of possibility that overworked runners desperate to “earn” that final segment might pay a fast neighborhood kid to crank out some miles on their behalf.

After all, as Strava’s motto goes, “If it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen.” elling data from runs or bike rides has gone viral in Indonesia. Another Strava jockey who spoke to CNA is 17-year-old Satria, who charges 5,000 rupiah per kilometer. “I have taken part in marathons before, so running is my hobby. I’ve got nothing to lose,” he told the outlet.