Strava Activities: Combining Walks, Limitations, and Best Practices

Can you combine two walks on Strava?

While Strava does not offer a direct, built-in feature to merge two separate recorded activities, advanced users can employ third-party tools to combine activity files and then re-upload them. However, for most users and for optimal data integrity, logging walks as separate activities is generally recommended.

Understanding Strava's Activity Philosophy

Strava is designed around the concept of recording individual, continuous activities. Each upload represents a single, unbroken effort with a distinct start and end time. This fundamental design ensures the accuracy of various metrics, including average pace, total time, segment matching, and leaderboard integrity. When an activity is recorded, Strava processes a stream of GPS, heart rate, power, and other sensor data linked to that specific timeframe.

The Direct Answer: Strava's Native Limitations

To be unequivocally clear: Strava's platform, as of its current design, does not provide a native function to merge two distinct, separately recorded activities directly within the application or website interface. This design choice is primarily rooted in maintaining data integrity and preventing manipulation of activity data, which could impact leaderboards, segment times, and overall training analysis.

Why Might You Want to Combine Activities?

Despite Strava's limitations, there are several common scenarios where an athlete might wish to combine activities:

• Accidental Pause/Stop: Forgetting to resume a paused activity or inadvertently stopping a recording mid-walk.
• Battery Failure: A device running out of battery during a long activity, resulting in two incomplete recordings.
• Multiple Short Sessions: Performing two short walks in a day that the user wishes to view as a single, cumulative effort for personal tracking.
• Data Correction: Attempting to fix gaps in an activity where data was temporarily lost.

Workarounds and Solutions

While direct merging isn't possible on Strava, advanced users can employ external methods:

Manual File Editing (Advanced)

This method involves downloading the raw activity data, merging it using a third-party tool, and then re-uploading the combined file.

1. Export Activity Files:
   • Navigate to each activity on Strava.
   • Click the "wrench" icon (or three dots on some interfaces) and select "Export GPX" or "Export Original" (which is usually a .fit file). GPX is generally more universally compatible for merging, but .fit files contain richer data (HR, power, cadence).
2. Use Third-Party File Merging Tools:
   • Several online tools specialize in merging GPS data files. Examples include:
     • FitFileTools.com: Offers a "Concatenation" tool specifically for merging .fit files. This is often the best choice for preserving all data fields.
     • GPSies.com (now AllTrails): Historically offered merge functions for GPX files. Check current capabilities.
     • Online GPX Editors: Search for "merge GPX files online" to find other utilities.
3. Merge the Files: Follow the instructions of your chosen tool. You will typically upload the first file, then the second (ensuring they are in chronological order), and the tool will generate a new, combined file.
4. Re-upload to Strava:
   • Go to Strava.com.
   • Click the "+" icon (top right) and select "Upload activity."
   • Choose "File" and select your newly merged GPX or .fit file.
   • Important Considerations:
     • Data Preservation: Merging GPX files may strip out non-GPS data like heart rate, power, or cadence. Using .fit file merging tools (like FitFileTools) is crucial for preserving these metrics.
     • Timestamp Integrity: Ensure the merged file has continuous and accurate timestamps. Discrepancies can lead to errors in Strava's processing.
     • Segment Matching: Merged activities can sometimes confuse Strava's segment matching algorithm, potentially missing segments or creating inaccurate times.

Editing Start/End Times on Strava (Limited Correction)

This is not a merging function, but it can be used to slightly extend or shorten an existing activity if you missed a small portion at the beginning or end.

1. Access Activity Details: Go to the activity on Strava.
2. Click "Edit Activity": Select the pencil icon.
3. Adjust Start/End Time: You can manually adjust the start and end times. This will re-crop the existing data within the recorded file. This is useful if your device started recording early or stopped late, but it cannot add data that was never recorded.

The "Don't Combine" Approach – Log Separately

For the vast majority of users, the most straightforward and data-integrity-preserving approach is to simply log each distinct walking session as a separate activity on Strava.

• Clarity: Each activity accurately reflects a single effort.
• Segment Accuracy: Ensures proper segment matching and leaderboard participation.
• Training Load: Strava's training metrics (e.g., Fitness & Freshness) are designed to interpret individual activities.
• Manual Summation: If you need a daily total, you can manually sum the distances/times or use the activity description to note the combined effort.

Implications for Training Analysis and Data Integrity

Manually combining activities carries potential downsides:

• Segment Disruption: Merged files can sometimes interfere with Strava's ability to accurately detect and match segments, potentially affecting personal records and leaderboard standings.
• Pacing and Metrics Skew: If gaps existed between the original activities, the combined file's average pace, speed, and other metrics might be artificially lowered or skewed.
• Training Load Accuracy: Strava's algorithms for calculating training load and fatigue might interpret a manually merged file differently than two distinct activities, potentially affecting the accuracy of your Fitness & Freshness scores.
• Data Loss: As mentioned, merging GPX files can lead to the loss of richer data such as heart rate, power, and cadence, which are vital for comprehensive training analysis.

Best Practices for Recording Activities

To minimize the need for merging or correcting activities:

• Ensure Devices Are Charged: A fully charged GPS watch or phone is crucial for uninterrupted recording.
• Verify Recording: Always double-check that your device has started recording before you begin your walk.
• Utilize Auto-Pause: If your device has an auto-pause feature, ensure it's configured correctly to prevent gaps during stops.
• Familiarize with Device Controls: Know how to pause, resume, and stop your activity quickly and efficiently.
• Manual Entry for Small Gaps: For very minor missed segments (e.g., a few minutes), consider manually adding an activity on Strava for that small gap rather than attempting complex file merges.

Conclusion: The Trade-offs of Combining Walks

While the desire to have a single, continuous record for a day's activities is understandable, Strava's architecture prioritizes the integrity of individual, recorded sessions. Direct merging is not a native feature, and while third-party tools offer a workaround, they come with caveats regarding data loss, segment accuracy, and potential skewing of training metrics. For most fitness enthusiasts and trainers, maintaining separate activity logs ensures the most accurate and reliable data for performance analysis and community engagement on Strava.