Celebrating Our Hub Superusers: Meet ​@VikK

Today, we’re excited to continue our series highlighting some of the incredible individuals behind that spirit and behind the Strava Community Hub: our Community Hub Superusers.

In this spotlight, we’re proud to introduce ​@VikK, a dedicated runner from the UK who brings extensive experience, a love for exploration, and a passion for helping others to the Strava Community Hub. Whether he’s sharing insights, troubleshooting issues, or encouraging fellow athletes, his presence helps make the Hub a welcoming space for athletes everywhere to connect, learn, and grow.

Tell us a little about yourself!

I'm based on the edge of southeast London in the UK, which means I'm super close to the countryside, the coast, and loads of hilly terrain – plenty of options for exploring!

These days, I run four days a week, mostly at a super slow pace to stay injury-free. I like to vary my routes so it's not always the same, and I'm currently working on a few challenges. One is to do my Sunday long run around the England Coastal Path, which is "only" 2,700 miles long. I've got 2,650 miles and many, many Sundays to go! My easier challenge is to do a 5k at a different parkrun location every Saturday. If you've never heard of parkrun, they organize free timed 5k events in various countries. So far, I've managed over 160 different venues in six different countries.

When did you first start using Strava, and what keeps you coming back?

I joined Strava way back in 2012 because a lot of people I knew were using it. Once I discovered segments, I was hooked! The stats and social aspect definitely keep me coming back. I haven't seen GAP (Grade Adjusted Pace) analysis anywhere else, which is super useful for me since I live in a hilly area. It's also nice to get encouragement from Kudos and comments. I really like how Best Efforts has been redone too; it helps me gauge where I am relative to myself, especially as I'm not getting any younger and personal bests become less important.

What inspired you to become a Superuser in the Community Hub?

I like finding out about new and interesting ways people are using Strava. If I can help share my experience and knowledge, that can only be a good thing. It's how I started to learn how to fix my own GPS issues, so the Community Hub is a great way to pay it forward.

Can you share a time when you felt especially connected to the community?

I love seeing the new features that people are coming up with in the Hub – I frequently check the ideas section to see what's trending. Having seen a number of these ideas actually implemented, I think it's a great way for the community to influence the direction of Strava. I know some people are a bit cynical about whether it has an impact or if popular ideas will happen, but I hope they persevere and start to see things do actually get done.

If someone’s new to the Hub, what advice would you give them?

Just jump in and say hi, and remember there are no dumb questions! We all started with zero knowledge, and the more you can describe your problem, the easier it is for others to help. The other thing to remember is it shouldn't all be about issues and problems. If you just had a great recommendation for routes in a foreign city, we’d love to hear that too!

What’s your go-to activity or route when you need a mental refresh?

I love running in the woods or along a river. During the summer, it's much cooler, and in winter, the trail shoes come out for the slippy mud. Running along a river makes it harder to get lost, as I tend to get lost a fair bit when trying new routes – now you see why I'm doing a coastal challenge! Turn one way, and I'll be in the sea; the other way, I won't be able to see the sea! 😂

One of my favorite routes takes me via the house Napoleon lived at, through the woods, and into a country park. You can see some pictures of what it looks like here: https://www.strava.com/routes/2783754378647364774

What Strava Achievement are you most proud of?

I have two achievements I'm particularly proud of: Completing the London Marathon despite annoyingly cramping halfway! You can see the activity here: https://www.strava.com/activities/557057576/overview

The other would be the 80k bike ride I did from London to Brighton with no training, just two months after that marathon! Check it out here: https://www.strava.com/activities/614921882

Quickfire Round!

• Coffee or tea? - Tea
• Morning workouts or evening wind-downs? - Morning workouts
• Favorite post-activity snack? - A banana
• One word your friends would use to describe you? - 2,700 miles?!? Crazy!

Anything else you’d like to share with the Strava community?

A big shout out to all those who have worked hard to put the community board together, and of course, my fellow Superusers!

​@VikK contributions offer a fantastic look into what makes the Strava Community Hub so special: a dynamic space built by individuals passionate about connection and learning. His path, from his early days finding segments to his current pursuit of epic challenges like the England Coastal Path, highlights the rich tapestry of experiences within our community. Our sincere thanks go out to ​@VikK  for his unwavering commitment and for helping to cultivate the supportive environment that defines Strava. Keep running, keep exploring, and keep inspiring us all!