Adidas closes Runtastic locations in Austria

Adidas will close the locations of the former start-up Runtastic in Linz, Salzburg and Vienna by mid-2025, the German sporting goods company has now confirmed. Work at the sites was primarily on the running app. The 170 employees can apply for positions at locations in Germany, the Netherlands or Spain, reports the Austria Press Agency (APA).

Rumors of a possible closure have been circulating since last week – on Reddit and elsewhere. Employees were informed of the decision at a staff meeting.

The business development did not meet Adidas' expectations. The company explained the closure of the Runtastic locations with a realignment of its digital strategy. Adidas wants to "work more effectively on the digital offering and at the same time align structures with market conditions and the strategic direction of the company", the company explained to APA. In future, the "Adidas Running" app will be operated from the Amsterdam, Zaragoza and Herzogenaurach headquarters.

Runtastic was founded in 2009 by four young Austrian entrepreneurs Florian Gschwandtner, Christian Kaar, René Giretzlehner and Alfred Luger. In 2013, Axel Springer Verlag took over 50.1% of the shares before Adidas invested 220 million euros in 2015 and took over the company completely. The Runtastic app was renamed in 2019: The fitness app became "Adidas Running" and the results app became "Adidas Training".

(mack)