Strava MCP vs Turnale
A side-by-side look at the Strava MCP and Turnale MCP servers: transport, auth, tools, quality signals, and the config to install either one in Claude, Cursor, Windsurf or VS Code.
Verdict: choose Strava MCP for sports work as a local process; choose Turnale for sports over a hosted endpoint. You can also run both side by side in one mcpServers block.
Which MCP server should you choose?
Choose Strava MCP when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Sports domain.
- You prefer a local stdio subprocess transport.
- Its auth model fits you: OAuth 2.0.
- You want tools like
get-athlete-profile, get-athlete-stats, get-activity-details.
Choose Turnale when
- You need dedicated capabilities in the Sports domain.
- You prefer a remote HTTP/SSE transport.
- Its auth model fits you: No auth required.
- You want tools like
ping, create_tournament, add_players.
Feature & specification comparison
Rows where the two servers differ are marked.
| Spec | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Sports | Sports |
| Quality signal | 67/100 · Great | 67/100 · Great |
| Install command | Confirmed | Confirmed |
| Transport | Local subprocess (stdio) | Remote HTTP/SSE |
| Auth | OAuth 2.0 | No auth required |
| Pricing | BYOK (pay the provider) | Not declared |
| Required env vars | None listed | None listed |
| Verified owner | Community listing | Community listing |
| GitHub stars | 500 | 0 |
| Directory activity | 2 views 0 installs 0 upvotes | 1 views 0 installs 0 upvotes |
| Tools | 24 | 30 |
| Full listing | View Strava MCP | View Turnale |
Tools & capabilities
Strava MCP tools 24
get-athlete-profileFetches the profile information for the authenticated athlete, including their unique numeric ID needed for other tools like get-athlete-stats.get-athlete-statsFetches the activity statistics (recent, YTD, all-time) for a specific athlete using their ID. Requires the athleteId obtained from the get-athlete-profile tool.get-activity-detailsFetches detailed information about a specific activity using its ID.get-recent-activitiesFetches the most recent activities for the authenticated athlete.list-athlete-clubsLists the clubs the authenticated athlete is a member of.list-starred-segmentsLists the segments starred by the authenticated athlete.get-segmentFetches detailed information about a specific segment using its ID.explore-segmentsSearches for popular segments within a given geographical area.star-segmentStars or unstars a specific segment for the authenticated athlete.get-segment-effortFetches detailed information about a specific segment effort using its ID.list-segment-effortsLists the authenticated athlete's efforts on a specific segment, optionally filtering by date.list-athlete-routesLists the routes created by the authenticated athlete, with pagination.- +12 more on the listing page
Turnale tools 30
pingHealth check. Returns a static confirmation that the Turnale MCP server is reachable.create_tournamentCreate a new tournament. Keep setup SHORT: ask the organiser only for sport, players, court count and start time — sensible defaults cover everything else. FORMAT: never ask an open 'which format?' question. If the organiser clearly named one, pass it; otherwise omit format — the call then returns a ready-to-show menu of options (nothing is created) for you to relay so the organiser can read and choose in one reply. Players can be added later with add_players. NEVER invent placeholder or fake player names ('Player 1', made-up names): if the organiser only knows the headcount, create with signup_open: true and signup_cap set to it — players add themselves by name via the page link. If the organiser gives a time budget instead of rounds (e.g. 'we have 2 hours'), derive rounds ≈ total minutes ÷ (match + break minutes) and confirm. If they ask for a format that is not listed, offer to note it with record_feedback. Returns the organiser key (tk_…): relay it with the warning that it cannot be recovered, plus the shareable page link.add_playersAdd players to the roster in bulk (parse pasted lists or spreadsheets yourself and send structured entries — never invent placeholder names; use signup mode when names aren't known yet). Duplicate names are rejected for disambiguation. If an unlocked draw exists it is regenerated automatically. Americano/mexicano take late arrivals even after results exist: americano rebuilds the rounds nobody has started, mexicano pairs them into the next round.update_playerRename a player or set their gender/level/note. Updates MANY in one call: pass `updates` with one object per player and never loop one-by-one — setting levels for a whole roster used to be one call per player, which on a phone meant approving each one and left the roster half-updated when some were mis-tapped. The whole batch applies or none of it does.remove_playerRemove one or MANY players before any result is recorded (afterwards use withdraw_player or replace_player) — pass player_names to clear several in one call, never loop one-by-one. Regenerates an existing unlocked draw.set_pairsFix the doubles pairs: pass explicit pairs by name, or auto-pair (random or level-balanced). Only before results exist. Regenerates an existing unlocked draw.update_settingsChange the tournament name, start time, match duration, break/changeover minutes, courts (count or names), house rules, or courtside score entry from the page. Court changes recompute the remaining schedule; played matches never move.promote_playerMove a waitlisted player onto the active roster when a spot opens (signed-in players are notified by email). The cap can be raised with update_settings. Once results exist only americano/mexicano can take them — the unstarted rounds follow the roster.generate_drawGenerate (or regenerate) the draw and schedule. This IS the start action: the first draw moves the tournament from setup to active and closes self-signup — when the organiser says "start the tournament", call this. The result includes rounds_text — SHOW it to the organiser as-is, in whatever language they are writing to you in (it is English already, so relay it unchanged unless they are writing something else) so they can check who plays whom — and the seed that produced the draw: preview first, then confirm with that SAME seed to apply exactly the previewed draw. Free until the first result is recorded; after that this DISCARDS recorded results and requires BOTH confirm: true and discard_results: true. If the organiser asks for a format that is not supported, offer to note it with record_feedback. Optional overrides adjust the format first.get_briefingCompact full state of the tournament — settings, roster, progress, next matches, standings, page link. Call this first when resuming work in a new conversation with just the key.list_playersFull roster with status, level, and doubles partner.list_matchesMatches with sides, scores, courts and times. Filter by state or round; paginate with after_match_number for large tournaments.- +18 more on the listing page
Ready-to-paste client configs
Paste either block (or both) into your client config, e.g. claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json. We only show a config when the install command is confirmed.
Strava MCP
{
"mcpServers": {
"r-huijts-strava-mcp": {
"command": "npx",
"args": [
"-y",
"@r-huijts/strava-mcp-server"
]
}
}
}
Turnale
{
"mcpServers": {
"turnale-2": {
"url": "https://mcp.turnale.app"
}
}
}
Frequently asked questions
Strava MCP is categorized under Sports and uses a local stdio subprocess. Turnale belongs to Sports and uses a remote HTTP/SSE transport. Pick Strava MCP for sports work and Turnale for sports.
Copy the mcpServers block from the config section on this page into your client's config (for example claude_desktop_config.json or ~/.cursor/mcp.json), then fully restart the client.
Strava MCP is bring-your-own-key: usage is billed by the API provider you supply a key for. Auth: oauth 2.0. Turnale has no declared pricing — check the project's own site. Auth: no auth required. If a server needs environment variables such as API keys, define them under the env key in your client's MCP config.
Yes. MCP clients support multiple servers: add r-huijts-strava-mcp and turnale-2 as separate keys in the same mcpServers object, and your assistant will call tools from either one.
On AllMCPs, Strava MCP has a quality signal of 67/100 (Great) with 2 views, 0 installs and 500 GitHub stars. Turnale has 67/100 (Great) with 1 views, 0 installs and 0 GitHub stars.