6. Runna: the running coach set to overtake other fitness apps

Marketing Award Winner

To recognise the startups that demonstrate the most creative and effective method for building early-stage brand awareness.

Startups 100: Marketing Award

Founders: Dom Maskell and Ben Parker
Year founded: 2021
Website: runna.com

When the fitness tracking app, Strava sprinted onto the scene in 2009, its founders said they wanted to recapture the camaraderie and competition of their days as college athletes.

Sadly, that mission has resulted in the platform becoming a somewhat intimidating space for amateur runners. When your neighbour posts their third 20k run in a week on the app, it can feel embarrassing if you’ve been stuck on day one of ‘Couch to 5k’ since last June.

Runna is a new app that wants to make running training accessible and enjoyable for all. Not taken your Asics out of the box yet? Runna isn’t here to judge. Unlike existing training apps which are either too generic or tailored for elite athletes, Runna matches the user’s pace.

Say you wanted to run a half-marathon this October. Members can choose from a number of plans depending on how intense they want the programme to be. There’s even a plan for those who are training somewhere hilly (Sheffielders, you’re welcome).

For those who want a custom plan, Runna also has a bespoke tier for users to create tailorable regimes up to 26 weeks long, and over any distance between 5km and 50km. And every user has access to injury management advice, for those who overdo the morning jog.

Don’t forget the other key part of running training: mobility. Runna also provides strength training and pilates programs to help improve users’ performance and reduce injury risk.

Already compatible with wearable fitted bits (Runna syncs with most of them), the startup also launched its AI feature, RunnaAI, three months ago. The tool monitors the paces of users’ sessions, and provides personalised feedback on progress.

The tech may be individualised, but Runna is community-led. Having initially raised £500k via a crowdfunding campaign, the app has built up a huge following on Instagram, all of whom, the founders say, “connect, share experiences, and support each other”.

Not that it’s all been organic. In the competitive space of fitness apps, Runna has used smart marketing to capture audience attention (which is also why we named it the winner of our 2025 Marketing Award).

These efforts include bringing on-board backers such as ultra-athlete Joshua Patterson, and Olympic triathlete Alex Yee. Plus, by partnering with some of the biggest races in the world, like the New York Marathon, and community running groups such as parkrun UK, Runna has been able to target a broad audience of differing fitness levels.

This tenacity has paid off – Runna recently secured £5m in a venture capital round that was led by JamJar. That amount brings the total funds raised since 2021 to over £8m.

For 2030, Runna is chasing a £1bn valuation and an audience in the millions. Some of the most popular apps this decade are fitness-related, but Runna is overtaking them all.