Building "In the Long Run": A running app for virtual global routes and long-term motivation

Summary

The article discusses the author's experience building "In the Long Run," a running app that connects to Strava to track virtual runs along famous global routes. The app visualizes cumulative mileage as progress on interactive maps spanning countries and continents, designed to provide long-term motivation by framing running as a lifelong journey rather than short-term sprints. The piece explores the challenges of designing for taste, user experience, and long-term engagement — concepts that can't be easily validated through unit tests or quantitative metrics alone.

Source

Hacker NewsBuilding "In the Long Run": A running app for virtual global routes and long-term motivationdev.karltryggvason.com