Strava's Verified Segments Explained

Strava, the ubiquitous platform for athletes to track and share their activities, has introduced a 'Verified' badge for certain segments. This move aims to enhance the accuracy and reliability of the segment data, ensuring a fairer and more enjoyable competitive experience for all users. But what exactly does this badge signify, and why has Strava implemented it? Let's dive into the details of this significant update to the Strava ecosystem.

The Need for Clean Segments

Strava's segments are the heart of its competitive features, allowing users to race against their past performances and the best times of others on specific stretches of road or trail. However, over time, the segment database has become cluttered with issues such as duplicate segments, segments with inaccurate GPS data, and 'impossible efforts' that skew leaderboards. These inaccuracies detract from the integrity of the competitive aspect of Strava, leading to frustration among users who strive for genuine personal bests.

The platform acknowledges that the state of segments was far from perfect. Duplicate segments, sometimes with slight variations in start or end points, and segments with poor GPS data made it difficult for users to find and compete on the most relevant and accurate routes. Furthermore, the presence of 'impossible efforts' – times that are physically unattainable for human-powered locomotion – undermined the credibility of leaderboards.

Key Changes Introduced by Strava

To address these issues, Strava has rolled out a series of changes designed to clean up and improve the segment experience. These changes focus on three main areas:

1. Leaderboard Clean-Up

Strava has implemented an upgraded auto-flagging system to identify and remove 'impossible efforts.' This system is designed to detect activities that are clearly not human-powered, such as those recorded in vehicles or with significant GPS errors. The goal is to remove a substantial percentage of these inaccurate efforts, making leaderboards more reflective of genuine athletic performance. Strava estimates this will result in a 33% reduction in impossible efforts on cycling leaderboards, which translates to removing hundreds of thousands of inaccurate times.

The auto-flagging system is also being applied to older activities, meaning that users might see their rankings improve on leaderboards as previously illegitimate efforts are removed. This ongoing process aims to create a more dynamic and accurate competitive environment.

2. Verified Segments

This is where the new 'Verified' badge comes into play. Strava is identifying its most iconic and popular segments and assigning them this badge. A segment earns the 'Verified' status when its distance and elevation statistics have been thoroughly checked and confirmed by Strava. This signifies that Strava, and often the community, recognizes this segment as the official segment for that particular stretch of road or trail.

Why is this important? When you're chasing a KOM (King of the Mountain) or CR (Course Record) on a segment like the famous 'Hawk Hill,' knowing it's the verified, official version provides a greater sense of accomplishment and certainty. It means the length and elevation are accurate, so your effort is being measured against a reliable benchmark.

How Segments Get Verified

Strava selects segments for verification based on several factors, including:

• Popularity: Segments with a high number of user views on leaderboards, attempts, stars, and goals.
• Fame: Segments that are well-known as proving grounds for professional athletes and enthusiasts. Iconic climbs or challenging routes often fall into this category.

If you believe a segment deserves to be verified, Strava encourages users to star it. Segments with the most stars are more likely to be reviewed and potentially added to the verified list. Currently, Strava has around 500 verified segments globally, with plans to regularly add more.

3. Segment Decluttering

Strava is actively working to declutter its segment database by identifying and removing duplicate and unused segments that have poor GPS data. This process ensures that users can find the segments they care about more quickly and easily, without being overwhelmed by redundant or inaccurate options. The platform aims to delete approximately 610,000 duplicate segments worldwide.

What happens to your stars and goals? Strava assures users that their existing stars and goals will be transferred to the primary segment when duplicates are removed. If a segment you've starred has poor GPS data, the live segment functionality may be lost, but Strava is making efforts to avoid marking starred segments as private unless absolutely necessary for leaderboard accuracy. Similarly, achievements like KOMs or Top 10s on deleted segments are intended to be preserved on the remaining, equivalent segment. However, achievements on segments with irrelevant or poor GPS data might be lost to maintain leaderboard integrity.

Impact on Users and Community Feedback

The introduction of these changes has generated discussion within the Strava community. While many users welcome the efforts to clean up leaderboards and improve segment accuracy, some concerns have been raised:

Concerns about Segment Creation and Deletion: Some users have reported issues with creating new segments or finding that their own created segments have been deleted or consolidated. There have been instances where segments are blocked from creation with vague error messages, and users feel that local knowledge of safe or better routes is being ignored by automated algorithms. The deletion of 'unused' segments has also been a point of contention, as some users value these for personal tracking even if they aren't widely used by the community.

Algorithm Accuracy: Questions have been raised about the accuracy of the algorithms used for auto-flagging and duplicate detection. Users have pointed out that algorithms might not always distinguish between genuine efforts and legitimate but unusual circumstances, or that they may incorrectly identify duplicates. The suggestion of involving local moderators or a community flagging system for duplicates has been proposed as a more nuanced approach.

Definition of 'Unused': The definition of an 'unused' segment remains a point of concern for users who maintain private routes for personal progress tracking. The fear is that these valuable personal segments might be deleted simply because they don't have a high number of attempts or stars.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1: Why does Strava have a 'Verified' badge?
The 'Verified' badge signifies that a segment's distance and elevation data have been officially checked and confirmed by Strava, ensuring accuracy and establishing it as the official segment for that route.

Q2: How are segments chosen for verification?
Segments are chosen based on their popularity (leaderboard views, attempts, stars, goals) and their recognition within the athletic community as significant routes.

Q3: What happens if my starred segment is deleted or made private?
If a segment you starred is deleted as a duplicate, your star will be transferred to the remaining segment. If a segment has poor GPS data and is made private, you will lose the live segment functionality for it.

Q4: Will my achievements (KOMs, etc.) be deleted if the segment is removed?
Strava aims to preserve achievements by transferring them to the equivalent segment that remains. Achievements on segments with poor GPS data may be lost to maintain leaderboard integrity.

Q5: How can I find new segments to compete on?
On the mobile app, navigate to the 'Maps' tab and select 'Segments'. On the web, go to strava.com/maps and enable the 'Segments' layer. You can filter by activity type to find segments relevant to your sport.

Q6: Can I get my favorite segment verified?
Yes, by starring segments you believe are worthy of verification. Segments with more stars are more likely to be considered.

Conclusion

Strava's initiative to introduce 'Verified' segments, clean up leaderboards, and declutter the segment database is a significant step towards improving the platform's core competitive features. While there are ongoing discussions and some user feedback regarding the implementation, the overall aim is to provide a more accurate, fair, and enjoyable experience for all athletes. By focusing on data integrity and user-driven improvements, Strava continues to evolve as the go-to platform for tracking and celebrating athletic achievements.