Athletech News spoke with Jay Blahnik, Vice President of Fitness Technologies at Apple, and Strava Chief Business Officer Zipporah Allen about the fitness brands’ collaboration
Strava and Apple Fitness+ have collaborated to drive new value for their respective user bases in 2025. Fitness+ users can now share their workouts on Strava, complete with metrics, descriptions, music genres, and a thumbnail image. Strava users will also gain access to a special trial offer of three months of Fitness+, and Strava athletes will now be featured on the Fitness+ platform.
“Since the beginning of Apple Watch — nearly 10 years ago — we’ve been committed to building an ecosystem designed to be simple to use, welcoming, and inclusive to all of our users,” Jay Blahnik, Vice President of Fitness Technologies at Apple told Athletech News. “Over the past 10 years, we’ve also hugely admired the impact Strava has had in fitness, especially around community. When we were exploring ideas on how to bring Fitness+ to even more users and help them stay inspired by community, we couldn’t think of a better team to collaborate with than Strava. From the beginning it really felt like a perfect match: Strava is a leader in helping athletes stay motivated through community on a global scale, they have been integrated with Apple Watch since the beginning, and so many of our Apple Watch users and Fitness+ users are big fans of Strava.”
Strava subscribers also gain access to a special trial offer of up to three months of Fitness+. “With the trial offer, we’re thrilled Strava subscribers will have access to the largest library of 4K Ultra High Definition fitness and wellbeing content in the world, with over 6,500 Fitness+ workouts and meditations across 12 workout types,” Blahnik explained. “All they need is an iPhone to get started. And of course, those with an Apple Watch can take their experience to the next level with real-time metrics that display on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.”
Strava athletes such as Hellah Sidibe and Kayla Jeter will also be featured in Fitness+ workouts. “We’re thrilled to feature some of our beloved athletes and community builders on Strava in new Apple Fitness+ workouts coming in January,” Zipporah Allen, Chief Business Officer of Strava told Athletech News. “Hellah Sidibe and Kayla Jeter have inspired us with their efforts on Strava for years. Both of them embody the spirit of Strava and Fitness+ values— they are passionate, inspiring, and committed to sharing and motivating others through their fitness journeys.
A highlight of the collaboration is the synergies between the two platforms’ user bases. “A lot of what Strava athletes are passionate about includes outdoor distance activities like running and cycling,” Blahnik stated. “Adding activities like Strength, Core, and Yoga via Fitness+ is a fantastic way to round out a routine and support the activities they love.”
The collaboration demonstrates the consolidation and evolution of the digital fitness ecosystems. “We’ve always wanted Apple Watch and Fitness+ to help people stay active no matter what they like to do and where they like to do it. Strava shares the same goal, and what we are doing here is a win for all of our users,” said Blahnik. “From measuring and motivating, to sharing and inspiring, to premium content that helps keep you on track and pushes you further, we believe this collaboration is going to have an extremely positive impact on the world of digital fitness and sport.”
