What if you could run a sub-3 marathon tomorrow without breaking a sweat?
Plot it on a map, set your pace, pick a date, and voilà, you’ve got yourself a fake run file, ready for Strava. That’s the premise behind FakeMy.Run, a cheeky new website that lets anyone generate realistic-looking GPS activities with just a few clicks.
It was built by Arthur Bouffard, a longtime runner and coder who, like a lot of us, has been watching the culture around running change. He says running used to be personal, something you did for your mental health, to train for a race, to explore a new trail. Now, it’s starting to feel like a performance. And Strava is the stage.
So he built a way to fake the whole thing.
believe nothing. not even people's runspic.twitter.com/tvYjzZbhZF
— Pedro Duarte (@peduarte) May 20, 2025
The App That Spoofs Your Splits
Here’s how it works: go to the site, build out a route anywhere in the world, align it to streets or trails, set your pace (go wild, Kipchoge pace is an option), then download a .gpx file you can upload to most fitness platforms. It’s clean, simple, and absurdly easy.
Bouffard shared the project on X, writing:
“Will I get sued for this?”
“Strava mules have gone viral recently for charging $10–$20 to run for other people and improve their stats, which made me think there has to be an easier way.”
He’s not wrong. In the past few months, stories about “Strava mules,” runners who take on miles for someone else, then upload the effort under a different name, have started cropping up online.
It’s not just a joke: people are literally paying others to complete their virtual races or maintain their segment crowns.
Bouffard figured there was a simpler way. Why pay someone when you can just draw your run?
The idea might sound silly, but Bouffard’s reasoning isn’t.
In his post, he talks about how social media has warped the way we interact with running. It’s not just about training or racing anymore — it’s about optics. Every workout becomes a chance to flex. Every split is content. And Strava is the receipts.
“Like social media though, running posts can be faked. Which is in part why I made Fake My Run,” he wrote. “To challenge the culture shift…to prove the good old saying that you shouldn’t trust what you see on the internet.”
In other words, if the game is broken, why not show how easy it is to cheat?
Strava users under more scrutiny than ever
William Goodge’s Trans-Australia Run
In May 2025, British ultrarunner and social media influencer William Goodge claimed to have set a new world record by running across Australia in just 35 days, covering approximately 3,800 kilometers from Perth to Sydney.
His feat surpassed the previous record of 39 days set by Australian Chris Turnbull in 2023.
His run was documented extensively on his YouTube channel and social media platforms, garnering significant public attention.
However, skepticism arose regarding the legitimacy of his record-breaking attempt.
Critics pointed to irregularities in his data, including unbelievably low heat rate and implausible pacing.
Some observers questioned whether Goodge had adhered strictly to the route and whether his support team had provided unauthorized assistance. As of now, Guinness World Records is reviewing his claim, and the running community remains divided over the authenticity of his achievement.
READ MORE: Too Goodge to Be True? Ultrarunning World Divided Over Australia Record Attempt
Russ Cook’s Run Across New Zealand
After running the length of Africa, Russ Cook — aka the Hardest Geezer — set out to run the full length of New Zealand, backed by 100% Pure New Zealand tourism.
But midway through the project, fans noticed something odd: a 13-day gap in his Strava uploads, followed by stripped-down posts with no GPS, heart rate, or cadence data.
Cook cited syncing issues with his Garmin watch, but skeptics pointed out inconsistencies in earlier data — flat heart rate lines, improbable stride lengths, and sudden shifts in pace. When followers asked questions, many were blocked or dismissed as “watch nerds.” The missing data, coupled with Cook’s promotional tone and lack of transparency, led some to question whether the run is being completed as claimed.
For an athlete whose brand is built on daily proof of outrageous endurance, the lack of receipts is raising eyebrows — and damaging trust.
READ MORE: The Internet Has Questions About the Hardest Geezer’s Run Across New Zealand
Now, we’re not saying either Goodge or Cook used this site during their respective runs. However, both have been clouded in controversy.
How Far Is Too Far?
Here’s the part where things get murky. Bouffard insists the tool was made for fun, a satirical project to poke at how much people rely on digital records. And his site includes a disclaimer asking people to be respectful of app Terms of Service.
Still, the tech is out there. And once something like this exists, it’s only a matter of time before someone uses it to cheat. Maybe they’ll claim a virtual Boston Qualifier. Maybe they’ll “win” a Strava challenge and take home a prize. Or maybe they’ll just rack up likes from people who think they ran 20 miles before breakfast.
We reached out to Strava for comment on the rise of fake activity tools like Fake My Run, but as of publication, they haven’t responded.
*Strava replied to our request to comment on Friday, May 23, 2025, “Strava’s mission is to motivate people to live their best lives, and part of the platform’s magic comes from the authenticity of our global community in uploading an activity, giving kudos, or engaging in a club. Accounts found violating the Terms of Service, including through manipulating or fabricating activity data, will be suspended from the platform. Strava is committed to safeguarding and respecting the authentic progress, and work of our global community as they lead an active lifestyle.”
For what it’s worth, Strava’s Terms of Service clearly ban uploading “fabricated, false, or misleading data.” But enforcement has always been a little fuzzy unless someone gets called out in a big way.
Where Does That Leave the Rest of Us?
Most runners aren’t cheating. Most people on Strava are just logging their daily miles, chasing goals, and maybe hoping a few friends will give them kudos. But the existence of FakeMy.Run forces a question: how much do we trust what we see on platforms like Strava?
And maybe more importantly: should we?
Strava isn’t just a training tool anymore. For some, it’s a résumé. For others, a brand. In a world where mileage can be monetized, the temptation to fake it is real, and now it’s ridiculously easy.
As for Bouffard? He’s not pretending to be above it all.
“Maybe this is a flawed reasoning to a real problem,” he wrote. “I’m just another runner guilty of the very things I am criticising here.”
