2007 wasn’t that long ago, but at that time when Robin Thurston and Kevin Callahan founded what was then called MapMyRun, using digital devices to enhance one’s fitness routine was still largely the domain of ultra-athletes. Smartphones were new and everyday use of GPS was uncommon.
Six years later, the rechristened MapMyFitness has gone from a stand-alone fitness website to a suite of apps with a community of 20 million users who employ 400 different fitness tracking devices, sensors, and wearable technologies. And, earlier today, athletic apparel company Under Armour (NYSE: UA), announced it was buying the Austin, TX-based, startup for $150 million.
Chris Glode, MapMyFitness’s general manager, says the company wasn’t looking for a partner when Under Armour first came calling in the early summer. But he says he and his team ultimately were won over because of the Baltimore-based apparel maker’s commitment to building an open platform. That platform allows users to use nearly any fitness monitoring device offered from dozens of manufacturers in order to track their workouts—say, the map of your Sunday 5-mile run—and compare it with other routes, as well as sharing the information with family and friends on social media.
“This means something that is always free for users that provides consumers with the widest range of choice in devices, programs, and fitness equipment,” he says. “That’s important to us. We’ve spent time and energy working with our partners to get them integrated into our platform.”
Both Under Armour and MapMyFitness share the belief that some of the best innovations come from outside their own walls, Glode added.
“This partnership is about Under Armour
