We’ve released the biggest update in Leko’s history. Now the app is not just a feed with posts and interest-based groups, but a full-fledged ecosystem for sports life. We’ve added an activity tracker, a map of sports spaces, smart matching for people and coaches, group chats, and expanded workout and challenge features. Here’s a detailed look at each new feature—and how they work together.
Why We Did It
Before this update, Leko helped you find like-minded people, communicate, and share successes. But we knew that wasn’t enough. Someone who wants to train regularly needs answers to five simple questions:
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Where to train?
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With whom to train?
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Who to ask for advice if I’m a beginner?
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How to track progress?
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How not to quit in the second week?
Previously, these tasks had to be solved in five different apps. Now—in one. Below is a detailed look at each new feature.
1. Sports Activity Tracker
Let’s start with the tracker: Leko can now record your workouts and calculate data.
Previously, to track a run, you had to open third-party apps and then manually transfer the results. Now you just tap one button in Leko—and the app starts recording your activity. And by the way, you can sync it with the Health app on iPhone.
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What the tracker can do:
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Draws the route on a map in real time. You see where you are now, what path you’ve already covered, and where you’re heading.
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Counts key metrics. Distance, pace, average and max speed, time.
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Supports different sports. Running, walking, cycling, swimming, skiing, rollerblading, and other activities.
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Works in the background. You can minimize the app, listen to music, or reply to messages—recording won’t stop.
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Saves history. All workouts are generated into posts and appear in the feed.
The tracker is suitable for everyone who is just starting: an uncluttered interface and only the numbers you need. Remember—this is only the first version of tracking; more is to come.
2. Workouts: Plan Ahead
The tracker captures what has already happened. But consistency begins with planning. That’s why we added a full-featured tool for creating and managing workouts.
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How it works:
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Create a workout. Specify sport, date, time, place, and duration.
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Set visibility. A workout can be private or open to all Leko users.
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Add a description. Tell people what you’re planning: easy run, intervals, strength, recovery session.
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Invite participants. Friends, members of your groups, or acquaintances.
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Get a reminder. The app will notify you before it starts so you don’t miss what you’ve planned.
All workouts are collected in the app. This is especially convenient if you combine several activities: for example, running in the morning, gym in the evening, and long bike rides on weekends. You see the big picture and don’t overload yourself.
Why this matters. Research shows: people who plan workouts in advance train 40% more consistently. When a session is just “somewhere in your head,” it’s easily pushed aside by other things. When it’s in the app and others know about it, skipping is much harder.
3. Map of Sports Activities and Spaces
The next problem we solved: “Where to train?” Especially if you’re in a new neighborhood, city, or just want variety.
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The Leko map shows sports facilities around you:
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Stadiums and running tracks.
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Parks and open areas.
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Calisthenics zones and outdoor gyms.
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Sports halls and clubs.
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Pools, courts, ice arenas. All in one layer.
What you can do with the map:
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Filter by sport. Basketball? Fitness? Hockey? Filter it!
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View location cards. Address, opening hours, photos, which activities are popular here, whether there are active workouts from other users nearby.
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Add your own places. If you know a good spot that isn’t on the map, tell the community.
Why this is valuable. The map turns the city into a gym. Instead of the usual “home—gym—home” route, there’s a choice: today a run along the embankment, tomorrow calisthenics in a new park, the day after tomorrow a bike ride on an unfamiliar trail. Variety is one of the main factors that keeps people in sports.
4. Smart Matching: People, Coaches, Groups
This is perhaps the most anticipated feature. And the most complex technologically.
The problem. Finding a training partner in everyday life is hard. Friends are either far away, busy, or don’t share your interests. Coaches are sought on forums and social media, where there’s plenty of unreliable information. Interest groups are scattered across different platforms.
The solution. Smart Matching is a recommendation system that analyzes hundreds of parameters and shows you cards of people, coaches, and groups you’ll genuinely be comfortable with.
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What the algorithm takes into account:
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Your location. People nearby whom it’s easy to meet.
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Sports goals. At registration, you specify your preferred goal.
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Fitness level. Beginner, amateur, experienced athlete. It’s not always comfortable to train with someone who runs twice as fast—and vice versa.
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Sports. Your favorite activities and ones you’d like to try.
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Interests and values. What makes communication enjoyable, not just functional.
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And dozens of other signals. Activity in the app, participation in groups, workout history.
How it looks in the interface:
You open the matching screen and see cards. One after another—like in dating apps, but with a focus on sports. You swipe until you find someone who resonates.
What you can do with a card you like:
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Send a message. With one tap, the chat opens instantly.
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Suggest a workout. Leko will automatically insert a workout from the relevant section. All that’s left is to confirm or adjust it.
What you can find through matching:
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Training partners. Gym bro, running buddy, sparring partner.
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Friends with shared interests. People it’s pleasant to not only train with but also talk to.
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Coaches. With ratings, reviews, specialization, and booking for sessions.
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Groups. Existing communities by sport, goals, and locations.
Why this works. Sport is a social activity. Research consistently shows: people who train with someone stick with it longer and achieve better results. Smart Matching solves the main problem—it finds that “someone” near you.
5. Group Chats
With the arrival of workouts, groups, and events, a new need arose: discussing all of it in one place.
Previously, communication happened in the feed, comments, or direct messages. But when it comes to coordinating a joint workout on Saturday morning, DMs are inconvenient. And comments on a post aren’t suitable for quick information exchange.
Also, chats are created automatically for a group workout. All participants are added and communication begins!
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What’s new:
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Creating group chats. For a team, interest group, group of friends, or club.
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Adding participants. Invite people from your groups, friends, or people found through matching.
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Messaging. Text, photos, links with previews—everything works.
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@Mentions. Tag a participant with @, and they’ll get a notification.
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Clickable hashtags. Find all messages on a topic in one click.
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Notifications. Don’t miss an important message or workout invitation.
Use cases:
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Coordinating workouts. “Tomorrow at 7:00 on the embankment, who’s with us?”
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Group discussions. Group admins communicate with active members.
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Organizing events. Preparing for a race, tournament, or trip.
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Just friendly communication. A sports crew that talks about more than just sports.
Why this matters. Communication is what turns scattered users into a community. Group chats are the final puzzle piece that makes Leko a full-fledged platform for sports life.
6. All Together: How the Features Complement Each Other
Individually, each feature is useful. But the main strength of the update is how they work together.
Real-life example:
You decide to start running. You open the map—you find a park with convenient paths 10 minutes from home. You go to Smart Matching—you find two people who run at your pace and at convenient times. You create a group chat—you agree on your first run together. You create a workout—you invite participants. After the run, the tracker records the route and metrics. You share the result in the feed, and a month later you take part in a challenge for the longest distance. And there are more of you. The community grows, everyone is happy.
Previously, all of this would have required five apps and several days of messaging. Now—one evening and one app.
Another example:
You’re an experienced cyclist. Through Smart Matching, you find an interest group in your city. You join the group chat. You learn about a new trail through the map. You create a workout and invite participants. The tracker records the route. Results go to your profile, and you see your average speed growing.
7. What Stayed the Same
We added a lot, but we didn’t forget what already worked:
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Feed with posts. Share results, photos, thoughts. Personalized recommendations show what’s interesting to you specifically.
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Interest groups. Communities by sports, goals, and locations.
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Profile (we improved the design here too. It looks fresher!). Your sports history, achievements, statistics.
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Messenger. Direct messages haven’t gone anywhere—now group chats have been added to them.
8. What’s Next
We’re not stopping. On the roadmap:
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Expanded tracker analytics. Deeper metrics, comparison with the community, personalized recommendations for improving results.
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Development of Smart Matching. Even more accurate recommendations, taking more signals into account.
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New types of events. Tournaments, team competitions, city events.
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Integrations. Synchronization with other devices and services.
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Map development. More locations, more data, more possibilities.
Conclusion
This update changes the essence of Leko. Previously, we were a social network for sports. Now we are an ecosystem that meets all the core needs of a person engaged in physical activity.
Find a place. Find people. Plan a workout. Record it. Discuss it with the team. Track progress. Take part in challenges. And do it regularly—because there are people nearby who will support you.
