Runners on Strava are ‘paying mules’ to impress followers with fake workouts

People are tricking an app used to track exercise by paying so-called ‘Strava mules’ to complete workouts.

More than 100,000,000 people around the world use Strava to record time, distance and location data from their jogs, runs and cycles.

They can then share this with friends who may well gift them a ‘kudos’ for their athletic efforts.

But it turns out not everyone is being honest about their exploits.

Some users would rather pay others known as ‘mules’ or ‘jockeys’ advertising their services on social media, than exercise themselves.

One such ‘mule’ is Wahyu Wicaksono, from Indonesia, who does an average of one or two runs of various lengths each day for his 76 regular customers.

He told ITV News: ‘Running has been my hobby since childhood, and I often take part in running championships.

‘I can earn a good amount of money from being a Strava jockey, so I thought, why not?’

Mr Wicaksono advertises his 70p – or 14,000 Indonesian Rupiah – per kilometre on Instagram, with higher fees for races and marathons.

Once a customer has commissioned him, he logs into their Strava account and completes the run.

Some people can’t run due to injuries, while some don’t have time to do it themselves, he said.

But users could be banned from Strava if the platform discovers they’re falling foul of its rules.

So what do they get from it, aside from keeping up appearances by looking active on the app?

Well, you could win a ‘King’ or ‘Queen of the Mountain’ badge for your profile if you come top of a leaderboard.

If you’re especially prolific, you could even make money, according to podcaster Adrienne Adhami, known as Adrienne LDN to her large Strava following.

She said: ‘They might be offered brand deals or spots in competitive races with limited spaces, so it becomes a lot more serious once those kinds of rewards are offered.’

The use of ‘mules’ has exploded in Indonesia, and it exists in the UK too.

A London-based IT expert called Gil cashed in on the trend for some fun during the extra free time he found working from home. Now he has dozens of clients.

He said: ‘I thought, I have some time on my hands, and I’d love to go for a cycle ride.

‘And it would be great for someone to pay enough for my coffee, my isotonic drink and my banana afterwards.’

Despite his it raising ‘serious ethical concerns’, he puts the responsibility on customers to decide how they use the data.

With the pool of potential customers rather small in cities like Bradford, for example, Gil doesn’t let geography stop him from making the most of it.

Using forums like LetsRun and RunningAhead to link up with other jockeys, he can outsource the actual exercise to people in the same area as clients.

He did that for one client in Manchester, charging them £16 for a 100-mile bike ride from the city centre.

Usually a 5km run costs £2.50, but Gil is pondering a subscription programme offering three 10km runs a week for £42 a month.

That comes out at 32p per kilometre, less than Mr Wicaksono charges in Indonesia

But like Mr Wicaksono, it’s the special events where the money is made, and not just because, as Gil said, many customers want something ‘to brag about’.

A marathon costs £200 – nearly £5 per kilometre – while ‘Everesting’ a Strava trend of cyclists gradually climbing 8,848 metres, the height of Mount Evererst, costs £500.

That’s more than £56 per kilometre.

It speaks to the social status associated with having a healthy, active lifestyle, according to Ms Adhami.

She said: ‘It’s a way to signal to other people online that you’re getting up to run 10k before work because you’re fit, focused and disciplined – even if you’re actually still in bed.

‘It’s a sign of the extreme lengths people will go to in order to impress others online.’

In a statement, Strava said: ‘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.

‘As required by our terms of service, Strava athletes agree to create only one account for their personal use and not share their account or Strava credentials with others.

‘Accounts found violating the Terms of Service, including through sharing account information or misrepresenting the athlete and/or activity, will be suspended from the platform.

‘This is important to safeguarding and respecting the progress and work of our athletes as they lace up everyday.’

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