How to Transfer Runs from Nike+ to Strava

I have been using Nike+ for a couple of weeks now and found it to be pretty good. You can set goals, access training programs, and connect with a large and active community – all of that for free. Then I started using Strava to record my morning bike rides and runs.

That’s why I wanted to transfer my runs from Nike+ to Strava and found it to be a challenge.

I realized that Nike+ is a closed platform. So it is hard to export data to use outside its ecosystem. There are quite a few web and mobile apps that claim to move Nike’s health and fitness data. However, Nike made several changes a few years ago which rendered these apps unusable.

After some research, I found two apps that still work, but with a catch. The data is slightly off but still not a deal breaker. Let’s see them in action to learn more.

Prerequisites

If you have used your Google or any other social media account to create and sign in to Nike+ and Strava, you need a password. The apps that I have shared below will ask for login details, and your social media account password will not work. Open Strava and tap on the menu to Log out. Then, tap on Forgot Password to receive an email with a link to create a new password. Standard process.

Now repeat the same process for Nike Run Club and create a new password for that too. Note them somewhere handy and move on to the next step.

1. SyncMyTracks

SyncMyTracks is an Android app that connects and works with many health and fitness apps including Strava and Nike Run Club. The UI is rather straightforward. Select Nike+ Run Club under the Export from option and enter your email ID and password here.

The free version of the app will not export weight, store data locally in SyncMyTracks app or let you export data by date. You can select the number of activities (max is 40) though. Choose Strava in the Import to option and enter ID and password there. When you are ready, tap on Start on the upper-right of your screen.

You will see a log screen with the details of app connecting with the Nike+ servers, exporting activities one by one and then finally importing it to Strava. Depending on the number of activities you are exporting, it will take some time. Let’s see how the data looks in Strava and how accurate it is.

The date, GPS location, map data, and color burned data gets exported correctly. However, distance covered, average pace, and duration data can be slightly off. I don’t think it is a deal breaker unless you are an athlete or into competitive sports. I am just happy that I have something to show for all the hard work I put into my runs. Sure Strava says I ran a few meters less than what I did and the pace is a little slower, but it is not all that bad. It is just a means to an end.

In another comparison, distance is right but time is again a little off. When I checked my other runs, the distance and pace data were off but only by a margin. If you can live with that, go for it. You can also edit these imported runs in Strava by tapping on the menu. That will allow you to correct these marginal errors.

The paid version of SyncMyTracks will cost you $3.49. For that price, it will let you keep all activities in sync between Nike Run Club and Strava, export data selectively based on date, remove ads, and remove the number of activity limit.

Download SyncMyTracks

2. RunGap

RunGap is a popular app for syncing workout related data across many fitness apps and devices. It is only available for iOS users. Download the app and launch it. Tap on the menu icon and select Accounts & Settings.

Now tap on Nike+ and Strava options and sign in using your user ID and password that you earlier generated.

The moment you sign in to Strava after signing into Nike+, RunGap will begin syncing your data. RunGap notes that the sync may not work for everyone as Nike has discontinued its API. I was able to view my Nike Run Club data under Tracks section in the app.

Did you notice something peculiar in the screenshot above? If you are unable to import Nike data to Strava, export it using RunGap to Dropbox or your email ID. After that, you can import that file to Strava.

Download RunGap

3. Manually

None of the above methods work out but still want your data? If there are just a handful of activities in your Nike account, you can consider uploading these entries manually. Click on the link below and sign in to find the manual mode option.

While this is certainly a way, adding hundreds of runs can turn out to be tedious and time consuming. That’s too much hassle. Maybe just your best runs? That one time when you broke the record or won a bet?

Add Manually

Run for It

As noted earlier, Nike has decided to shut down its API making it difficult for third-party apps to provide data transfer services. These are some of the ways that are still working in some capacity. Try them out to see if they work for you too. If you like more control over your data, you need to move away from Nike ASAP.

Next up: Are you using a Samsung mobile and want to track your fitness activities? Learn which is a better fitness tracker between Google Fit and Samsung Health.