Running Rivalry Statistics 2026: Why Rivals Make You Faster: Runify

Description

Running club members finish marathons up to 40 minutes faster

A 2024 PLOS One analysis of London Marathon results, titled "Smells like team spirit," found a statistically significant association between running club membership and faster finish times. Club members showed marathon improvements of up to 40 minutes compared with non-members, and the effect helped mitigate the typical age-related decline in pace.

Subject

Runify is a running technology platform and mobile application designed for recreational and competitive runners. The app gamifies running through ranked competition, performance tracking and leaderboards, integrating with platforms such as Apple Watch, Garmin and Strava. Its accompanying blog features evidence-based articles on running performance, training and sports science for an international running community.