From Strava to Eternal: Alex Mather on Running, Growth, and Investing in Your Health

A Runner First

Before founding companies, Alex Mather found identity and clarity in running. Long miles gave him structure, grit, and the mental reset he needed while building some of the most influential platforms in endurance sports and media.

Running wasn’t just exercise. It was a way to live in the driver’s seat of his own health.

Lessons From Strava

As Head of Product & Design, Alex helped grow Strava from a platform with just 800 users into one with millions worldwide. For him, Strava wasn’t about leaderboards or likes; it was about connection.

The community element of Strava reinforced what runners already know: accountability, encouragement, and shared progress keep us moving forward.

The Athletic and Building Community

After Strava, Alex co-founded The Athletic, which quickly became one of the fastest-growing subscription media companies in history. What made it work was the same principle that keeps runners consistent: community and trust.

He explained that building loyal, supportive spaces—whether for readers or runners—depends on focusing on authenticity, not shortcuts.

Eternal: Health as the Long Run

Today, Alex leads Eternal, a performance health company offering comprehensive testing and assessments to help athletes understand and improve their long-term health.

For endurance athletes, this resonates: we obsess over splits, shoes, and gear, but often neglect the deeper markers of recovery, resilience, and overall performance.

Alex’s message is clear: just as we invest in miles and workouts, we need to invest in understanding our health.

Leadership Lessons for Runners

Alex also shared leadership philosophies that runners can apply:

• Play the long game. Success (like training) comes from consistency.

• Invest in weaknesses. Improvement comes not just from doubling down on strengths but addressing what holds us back.

• Surround yourself with community. Support, accountability, and encouragement are what sustain both athletes and entrepreneurs.

Training and Health Tips from Alex Mather

Alex’s journey through running, business, and now Eternal has left him with lessons any athlete can apply:

1. Don’t ignore health markers. “You wouldn’t skip a workout—you also shouldn’t skip bloodwork or regular check-ins on performance health.” Eternal offers full-lab testing, mobility screens, and metabolic assessments so athletes can act before problems become injuries.

2. Use data as a guide, not a crutch. Strava taught him the importance of tracking, but he emphasizes balance: “Data should help you improve, not overwhelm you. The goal is still joy in the miles.”

3. Fuel long-term consistency. Alex advocates for building recovery, sleep, and nutrition into training not as afterthoughts, but as equal pillars to workouts.

4. Invest in weaknesses. Just like working on hills or speedwork, health testing helps identify blind spots (whether it’s iron levels, VO₂ efficiency, or mobility limits) that athletes often miss.

5. Community matters. Training and racing with others keeps momentum strong. Alex points to Strava as proof of how accountability accelerates progress.

Listen to this episode on your weekend long run 👇

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About Jon Levitt and For The Long Run

Jon is a runner, cyclist, and podcast host from Boston, MA, who now lives in Boulder, CO. For The Long Run is aimed at exploring the why behind what keeps runners running long, strong, and motivated.

Follow Jon on Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter.