What Are Duplicate Activities?
Runna lets you connect multiple running devices and apps to support a seamless training experience. However, if you have more than one device or app linked, you may occasionally see duplicate activities.
This usually happens when the same run is recorded by multiple sources, such as your GPS watch and your phone at the same time. While many runners like having multiple devices connected, this can result in more than one version of the same activity appearing in your activity list.
How Does Runna Handle Duplicate Activities?
Detecting duplicates
Whenever you save an activity in Runna, or import one from another source, our system automatically checks for duplicates. To determine whether an entry is a duplicate, it compares key details such as time, distance, and location.
If your activities aren’t merging automatically, make sure both recordings were started within 30 seconds of each other. If they weren’t, our system may not recognise them as duplicates.
Keeping your stats accurate
If a duplicate activity is detected, Runna makes sure it doesn’t inflate your training stats. Duplicate entries may still be saved in the background, but they won’t contribute to cumulative metrics such as:
Total distance
Activity count
Total running time
Weekly mileage
Viewing and Managing Duplicate Activities in Runna
Spotting Duplicates
You can check for duplicate activities directly in your Activities tab. If an activity has been recorded on multiple sources, you’ll see multiple source icons in the top-right corner of the Activity Summary card (for example, Garmin, Strava, or the Runna app).
You will see the following when you select the workout:
Automatic Activity Merging
On the Activity Summary card, any duplicate recordings detected for the same workout will be automatically merged into a single activity.
Runna pulls the most accurate parts of each recording to create one complete workout:
If you record the same run on both a GPS watch and the Runna app, we’ll typically prioritise the watch’s GPS data, as it’s usually more accurate outdoors.
For treadmill runs, the phone recording takes priority since GPS isn’t reliable indoors.
If you record on your GPS watch and it uploads to Strava, we’ll use Strava’s correct elevation data as this is more accurate.
If your activities aren’t merging automatically, make sure both recordings were started within 30 seconds of each other. If they weren’t, our system may not recognise them as duplicates.
GPS signal is unreliable indoors. For treadmill workouts, we suggest recording your workout using the Runna App on your phone.
Issues Merging Duplicate Activities
If your activities haven’t merged as expected, try the following:
Log out and back in to the Runna app to refresh the sync.
Go to the Activities tab and pull down to refresh your activity list.
Check that your devices and apps are correctly linked in Manage Plan → Connected Apps & Devices.
Example: recording on a treadmill
If you record a treadmill run on both the Runna app and a smartwatch, Runna will typically prioritise the Runna app’s treadmill speed and distance data (as GPS isn’t used indoors).
Runna then merges both recordings into a single, complete activity that combines the most useful data from each source. This allows your watch to contribute additional stats such as heart rate, cadence, and power.
For guidance on recording treadmill workouts with your running watch for the best accuracy, please check out our guide.
Duplicate Activity Syncing from Strava
If you have Strava linked to Runna, you may occasionally see duplicate activities in your training calendar. This happens when Strava syncs activities back into Runna.
It’s most likely when:
You record your workout in the Runna app on your phone and it uploads to Strava. Strava will correct for elevation and sync the activity back to Runna as a new activity.
Your watch syncs directly to both Runna and Strava, causing the same workout to appear twice in Runna.
How to Prevent Duplicates Activities from Strava
To avoid duplicate activities from occuring:
Record your workout either in the Runna app or via the Runna workout on your compatible smartwatch (e.g. Garmin → Start → Run → Workouts) - not both.
If you complete an activity in Strava as a free run, open the Runna app and manually link it to your planned workout by selecting the workout and tapping Link Activity.
This helps ensure each workout is logged once and keeps your training data accurate.
FAQs
Why does the elevation shown in Runna differ from my third-party watch app?
If you record your run on your watch and it uploads to Strava, Runna will use Strava’s corrected elevation data, as this is generally more accurate. However, we still keep the GPS data from your watch recording for pace and split calculations, as this provides the most reliable pacing information.
Why can I see two activities for the same workout in Apple Fitness?
When you record a workout with Runna, it’s automatically saved to Apple Fitness. This is a default Apple Health behaviour and can’t be turned off. If another app, such as Strava, is also syncing activities to Apple Fitness, the same workout may appear twice. You have two options to fix this:
Disable Strava → Apple Fitness syncing. This ensures only your Runna-recorded workout appears in Apple Fitness.
Open the Strava app
Go to You → Manage apps and devices → Health
Toggle Send to Health OFF
Manually delete the duplicate activity. If you want to keep both syncs active, you can delete the duplicate workout directly in the Apple Fitness app.
Either option will help keep your Apple Fitness data tidy and accurate.
Final Thoughts
We know that keeping track of your training data is important for monitoring progress and making informed adjustments. Runna’s duplicate activity handling helps ensure your stats stay accurate, so you can trust the data you’re training with. If you ever need to edit or manually adjust an activity, you can do so in the Training Calendar section of the app.
Got any questions?
For more help, check out our Help Center or reach out to our support team via the Support tab in the app.