Greyhounds and Rabbits

[willwhuff]

There could be a mode that users opt into where any time you pass someone you're not doing an activity with, you are awarded a Greyhound badge. The person that gets passed would receive a Rabbit demerit. If the Rabbit doesn't achieve a new PR on a segment in the next few days, the demerit stays on the account. 

This could be a fun way to encourage a friendly rivalry with strangers. It could be a fun motivator to see if you can catch up to the next person you see, or encourage you to keep up the pace if someone is coming up behind you. You never know who else might be on Strava. Even if you do get passed, the motivation is there to do your best on your next activity. 
If user names are shared when someone passes you, or you pass someone else, it could be an introduction to people you share routes with.

[danw]

I would not want to see a feature like this implemented as it would encourage unhealthy and potentially dangerous (injury-inducing) training habits by emphasising speed above all else. It could also be seriously confidence-harming to those who are new to their chosen sport and are therefore not very fit yet and easily overtaken.

Here's a specific example. If I am running an ultra marathon, I am going to be running at a pace at which many athletes out to do a 5k on the same path would be able to overtake me. Why should I receive a demotivational badge if this happens? It says nothing about the fitness of either runner and purely comes down to the fact that we each set out to do a different type of run that day. 

[ChrisBerry]

I hate this idea. I have no interest in creating a rivalry every time some random stranger passes me during a ride. 

[willwhuff]

Just to reiterate, this would be an opt-in mode. It would not be default for everyone. Users would have to choose to enable this mode.

[Jan_Mantau]

I don't get the relation between overtaking and segment PR. What has the last to do with the first?

And what if there are many passings in someones activity - is that some net value from passing and being passed that determines if I'm a rabbit like when I overtook 4 riders and was overtaken by 5 riders?

And how is that determinded anyway if someone is passed? The flyby shows that Strava isn't really able to do that correctly with their assumption that some hundred meters distance and a hill and a river between two people constitutes an encounter.

[Anthlis]

I don’t like this idea and wouldn’t opt in to using it. Sorry, but I think there are other ideas Strava with their limited resources could look at instead. 

[optimisticprom]

This is indeed a really bad idea, even if implemented as an opt-in as reiterated. There is already a perfectly fine mechanism to compete with strangers on the internet - see segment leader boards.

Why would you need to compete with every single stranger out on the trail or road, many of whom likely would never want to opt into this type of program, and many of whom may not even be on Strava. I hope you aren't doing this already in your daily runs or rides -  it would be incredibly rude to be secret racing other people while they are probably just trying to have a relaxing outdoor activity. Leave people alone and just compete against the leaderboards if you desperately need that validation.

Even for people who would be interested in opting into this, it would be a bad idea. There is already a huge problem with athletes on Strava not taking any rest days because they think everybody is analyzing every workout they upload (hint: they aren't). If someone did opt into this, it would give them one more reason to go way too hard on a rest day just because some stranger is coming up behind them.

Calm down man. Not everything needs to be a competition.

[LandonE]

If i am doing zone 2 ride and some guy sprints past me, I dont care/im not looking for extra motivation to pass him again. We have different goals on that day. The only place where this would, in theory, make sense is races, but its already a race, so you know what i mean. So potentially redundant and dangerous

[Jane]

Hello @willwhuff 

Thank you for your submission.  

Your idea has been shared with the product team. Right now, we aren't exploring the possibility of adding/implementing this feature, and your suggestion will be archived.  Please understand that we  receive a very high volume of feature requests, and only those that align with our current focus can be considered.  Thank you for taking the time to submit your idea and we look forward to your continued engagement in the Community Hub