As the fall race season reaches its peak, a significant number of runners are concerned about the ongoing legal battle between fitness tech giants Strava and Garmin. Strava has filed a lawsuit against Garmin in the U.S., alleging patent infringement and breach of contract. The dispute has raised fears among users that the functionality of Garmin smartwatches and Strava’s fitness-tracking app could be affected.
In a Reddit statement on October 2, Strava’s chief product officer, Matt Salazar, claimed that Garmin threatened to block access to their software interface. This move would prevent activities tracked on Garmin devices from being uploaded to Strava unless Strava complies with Garmin’s new developer guidelines.
For many dedicated athletes who strive for achievements like becoming a “Local Legend” on Strava, the concern is real: if it’s not on Strava, did it even happen? The news of the lawsuit has led to a wave of reactions on social media platforms like TikTok, with runners expressing frustration over the potential impact on their training routines and upcoming races.
The lawsuit, filed in a Colorado district court, centers on Garmin’s alleged infringement of Strava’s patents related to segments and heatmaps features. Segments allow users to compare performance on specific routes, while heatmaps visualize popular activity locations. Strava claims it notified Garmin of the infringement earlier in 2025, but Garmin continued to use the technology without authorization.
The legal battle could have implications beyond the companies involved. Strava is seeking to halt the sale of Garmin devices using the disputed technology, which could potentially affect users who rely on these devices for tracking their fitness activities. There are concerns that Garmin may be forced to remove features from its smartwatches, similar to a past ruling that impacted Apple’s Apple Watch features.
Furthermore, there is the added worry that Garmin may cut off access to its software interface, preventing Garmin activities from being synced to Strava. This potential disruption has users like Susan Ibach considering alternative smartwatch brands like Suunto, which has also initiated a lawsuit against Garmin for patent infringements related to various technologies.
The outcome of the legal dispute between Strava and Garmin remains uncertain, leaving users and the broader fitness community on edge about the potential implications for their training and tracking routines.
