A new app called 'Fake My Run' is allowing users to fabricate running routes and upload them to fitness tracking platforms like Strava, sparking outrage among genuine athletes. The app, created by Amsterdam-based developer Arthur Bouffard, lets users draw custom routes anywhere in the world and adjust pace, date, and start time to make the fake runs appear realistic.
Bouffard said he was inspired after seeing a surge in 'Strava mules'—people paid to run for others to improve their stats. 'There has to be an easier way,' he explained on X. The app aligns drawn paths to roads for believability, and users can download the file to upload directly to their chosen fitness app.
Social media reaction has been mixed. Some users find it amusing, with one tweeting, 'insane, i hate it and i love it. great work.' However, others are furious, comparing it to 'cheating at Solitaire.' One user vented, 'Who would care, really? It's like cheating at solitaire. You run/bike/workout for yourself, in the first place, right?'
Bouffard, himself a runner, said he created the app to challenge the shift in running culture from personal challenge to social status. 'Every activity can be turned into an Instagram story, every marathon can become a TikTok video,' he said. 'Running posts can be faked. As a way to challenge the culture shift around running.'
