Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Madeleine Orr, Assistant Professor, Sport Ecology, University of Toronto
If it feels like everyone around you (physically and digitally) has taken up an affair with running in the past few years, you’re not imagining it. Since 2023, running has been the most uploaded activity on the exercise app Strava, according to their annual Year in Sport reports from 2023, 2024 and 2025.
For many of us, running is one of the most accessible forms of physical activity. It is something we can do on our own or with friends. It requires minimal gear and does not rely on a specialized training facility. All we have to do is lace up and go.
However, the seemingly simple practice of running is entangled with complex environmental dynamics. Rising global temperatures and air pollution are making it physically harder and unsafe to run outdoors, and some of the digital tools that many runners rely on carry their own environmental costs.
Strava’s 2023 Trend Report noted that: 75 per cent of athletes said extreme heat affected their exercise plans, while poor air quality affected 27 per cent. We now have to reckon with the reality that, due to warming temperatures, running will become less accessible and safe.
Add to that the rise of “runfluencers,” running fashion trends and a new market of consumer products designed to help runners cope with heat, and it becomes increasingly clear that the relationship between running, climate change and consumption is wickedly ironic.
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The dangers of heat
Running in the heat increases the risk of exertional heat illness and heat stroke. Additionally, running in the heat can increase the risk of acute kidney disease due to insufficient cooling and dehydration during exercise-related heat stress.
For those keen to hit new personal bests, running in hotter conditions can impair performance. For example, an analysis of race data uploaded to Strava identified the average finishing time of the New York City Marathon was approximately 12 minutes slower in 2022 — when the temperature was 23C (plus humidity) — compared to 2021, when temperatures were around 13C.
And that’s just a few of the temperature-related risks associated with summer running. In addition to extreme heat exposure, the safety of summer running is also compromised by smoke and poor air quality.
Runfluencer culture
In addition to the climate-driven shifts affecting our daily jogs, the recent running boom and surrounding culture is also shifting how we run.
As runners adapt to rising heat, poor air quality and smoke-filled summers, the pressure to buy, track and optimize intensifies, further entangling running with the very environmental forces that threaten it.
If your social media algorithm is anything like ours, you might have noticed some targeted ads and sponsored content from “runfluencers” highlighting their new favourite running-related products and apps, such as Runna, a British-based coaching app known for its personalized training plans and AI-assisted pacing.
Runna was first launched in 2022, and its online presence jumped significantly after the app was acquired by Strava in April 2025.
Apps like these can help provide structure and prepare for races. However, they have also faced criticism, with experts noting concerns about the intensity of the AI-assisted training plans in regard to training spikes and risk of overuse injuries. Runna has said they “don’t use AI to generate training plans” but to “monitor a runner’s progress throughout their plan.”
While these apps promise efficiency and personalization, they are part of a wider digital infrastructure with their own environmental footprint. GPS tracking, constant data uploads, cloud storage and AI-assisted analysis all rely on energy-intensive data centres.
As running culture becomes more data-driven and automated, even a traditionally low-impact activity becomes entangled with the emissions and the energy demands of digital technology.
Beyond apps, runfluencers are also using their platforms to share their running esthetic — trying out new shoes, participating in the latest running fashion trends and showing off race day outfits.
That, in turn, promotes a culture that normalizes over-consumption under the guise of self-improvement and dramatically increases the environmental cost of what should be a low-impact activity. Such a focus can make running feel less appealing and appear less accessible.
Staying safe on a run
If you are someone with the flexibility to choose when you participate in races, consider pivoting to springtime training rather than slogging through increasingly risky summer training blocks. Not only will your training runs leading up to the race be cooler, but you can also expect more optimal marathon temperatures (2 to 13C) on race day.
For example, in the Canadian province of Ontario, races like the Mississauga Marathon in April and Toronto’s Sporting Life 10K in May offer runners safer racing temperatures and, potentially, improved performance compared to summer training and fall races.
Think about how you engage with running culture and be a smart consumer. Avoid over-consuming products and programs that you don’t need. Remember, running is one of the most accessible forms of exercise we have. You don’t need a bunch of gear and apps to participate.
As climate change intensifies and summer temperatures continue to rise, running will become less safe on hot days. Runfluencer culture and over-consumption in running fashion are dramatically increasing the environmental cost of what should be a low-impact activity.
To counter these trends, opt for spring races, listen to your body, seek advice from human coaches and pick durable gear over following the latest fashions.
These choices matter not because individual runners are to blame, but because they push back against a running culture that increasingly equates health with optimization, constant consumption and digital surveillance, even as climate change makes the sport itself more precarious.
The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Hurdles to a hobby: How climate change and ‘runfluencer’ culture impact our daily jog – https://theconversation.com/hurdles-to-a-hobby-how-climate-change-and-runfluencer-culture-impact-our-daily-jog-279537