Strava sues Garmin: what the clash means for your smartwatch and cycling computer

Strava and Garmin have been uneasy bedfellows for years, but they have somehow managed to make their relationship work, much to the relief of countless cyclists and runners who sync their rides and runs between the two platforms.

Now, the uneasy part has boiled over: Strava has filed a lawsuit against the smartwatch giant in the U.S., alleging patent infringement and breach of a cooperation agreement dating back to 2015.

This follows a tremendously busy year for both brands. Strava announced the acquisition of training app Runna and rolled out many updates to its popular app, including an overhaul of the Live Segments experience on the Apple Watch.

Garmin has launched a ton of wearables, including the world's first microLED smartwatch, the new Fenix 8 Pro, as well as models such as the Forerunner 970 and Venu X1.

Patents in motion

The case, lodged in the District of Colorado, focuses on three Strava patents.

Two cover the way aggregated GPS data builds “popularity heatmaps” to suggest the most travelled routes.

The third is the crown jewel, Strava’s Segment system, which lets users compare times on defined stretches of road or trail.

Strava claims that Garmin’s own versions of these features breach the 2015 Master Cooperation Agreement (MCA) agreed upon between the companies and infringe its intellectual property.

If you’ve ever chased a local KOM or followed a highlighted “popular route” on a Garmin device, features that are available on all of the best Garmin watches, you’ve brushed against the core of the complaint.

Strava argues Garmin has been treading on patented ground with its Trendline routing, Garmin Connect heatmaps, and even its own take on Segments.

The company isn’t just asking for damages; it’s also seeking an injunction to stop Garmin from selling watches (!) that use the contested tech.

Ripples on the road

For now, nothing changes when you upload your Sunday ride: Strava has said it doesn’t plan to break Garmin data sync.

But if the case moves forward, it could reshape how segment leaderboards and routing suggestions work on Garmin devices.

This fight also shines a light on the shifting relationship between the two companies.

Garmin’s push into subscription services with Connect+ puts it in more direct competition with Strava, which has doubled down on its premium features.

Add in Garmin’s controversial API branding rules, requiring third-party apps to display its logo, and it’s easy to see why tensions have spilt into the courtroom.

Garmin hasn’t filed its response yet, but expect a hard pushback: the company has long argued it introduced heatmap-style features before Strava’s patents were granted.

Legal battles like this often end in licensing deals or settlements rather than all-out bans, but with two fitness giants squaring off, it’s worth keeping an eye on.

For everyday athletes, it’s unlikely your watch will suddenly lose key features tomorrow.

Still, this lawsuit is a reminder that the digital training tools we take for granted are built on fragile partnerships, and those can change fast when lawyers get involved.

[via GadgetMatch, The Verge, DC Rainmaker, Garmin Rumours, Reddit]