Arthur Bouffard, a 26-year-old developer in the Netherlands, has created Fake My Run, a website that lets users generate fake jogging routes and upload them to apps like Strava. Dubbed “lazy tech innovation,” the tool has gone viral, drawing both praise and concern.

The site satirizes the performative nature of modern fitness culture, where social media validation often outweighs the activity itself. Bouffard says the tool is “tongue-in-cheek” social commentary—pointing to real issues like users hiring “Strava mules” to fake their workouts for online clout.

Strava has responded by banning accounts that use the tool. Bouffard, who has a background in augmented reality, insists he’s not promoting deception and labels the site “for entertainment only.”

With over 200,000 visitors and 500 paid downloads, Fake My Run raises deeper questions about authenticity in the age of gamified fitness.