The Best Running Apps for Apple Watch: Let’s see if you identify yourself and fit into the profile: Do you belong to that “tribe” of runners who can’t leave the house, dressed in shorts and willing to sweat their shirt, but you have to carry your smartphone with you, yes or yes? Welcome to the club! It goes without saying that there are many of us who wear the bracelet, a built-in mobile, of course.

And not only because we need to be connected to our day-to-day, and at all times, but also because it is our practical tool for reproducing that motivating music playlist that helps us move that kilometer further. And even as a functional tool to monitor all training parameters and thus evaluate our evolution and progression as the popular runner that we are. By the way, What application do you use to go running? In the next few lines, we present RUNNEA’s selection of those apps that can help you optimize your training and thus improve your running experience.

True to our purpose of helping you, we want to recommend the Best Running App for Android  (if you are looking for the Best Running Apps for Apple Watch, we list them here ) that will help improve your performance every time you go out for a run. Below we present the highlights of each of them so that you can choose the one that best suits your needs. By the way, if you detect that we are missing one and we can expand the list, do not hesitate to leave your comment.

The Best Running Apps for Apple Watch

Before starting with the list of the Best Running Apps for Apple Watch, one question must be clear, especially if your objective as an amateur runner is to continue improving and train for objectives and overcome sporting challenges. Like sports gadgets, whether they are heart rate monitors, activity bracelets, or smartwatches, mobile applications can also become a great ally in each of your training sessions, but keep in mind that none of them can replace the figure and advice from a personal athletic trainer.

Best Running Apps for Apple Watch

Fortunately, it is clear that we can benefit from the rise of new technologies to become more efficient runners and that they help us run more and better since they serve as a guide to making our workouts more bearable with guidelines and advice on exercise exercises. Strength, stretching, speed series, and even in video format, in addition to monitoring those training data, but remember:

“The running apps on your smartphone should be a complement to the advice you receive from your qualified athletic trainer, and never a substitute.”

That said, now we are going with that list of the Best Running Apps for Apple Watch from our point of view.

1. Apple Fitness

  • Ratings: 3.9
  • Seller: Apple Inc.
  • Price: Free

Very different from how it was a while ago in its first version, “Workout” has evolved along with the Apple Watch, which now, more focused on fitness, offers you an application with great features and benefits for training.

Workout has several workouts, among which are outdoor and indoor running. It offers you a variety of data on the watch that you can later observe better on the iPhone with the companion application.

You may use your iPhone to adjust the view by choosing between distance, current pace, heart rate, duration, average pace, active calories, and total calories. You can pick between a single or multiple metric views, as well as the order in which they are displayed.

Since the watchOS 5 operating system, the advantages offered by this application are quite comparable to those of traditional sports watches and even better. It brings automatic exercise detection, cadence tracking, and things like tread pace, which offers an analysis of your speed over the last few km/mile, in addition to average pace.

While you are running the application, you will have several screens to explore.

  • The main one shows you the training statistics; with a slide to the right, you can pause or end the workouts while controlling the music when you slide to the left.
  • If while you’re running, you lock the screen, so your manga doesn’t accidentally pause or end training (which often happens), then you won’t be able to toggle between the stats.
  • After finishing the degree, the statistics it offers are quite complete.
  • Unfortunately, after you review this data and press “done,” the data will be erased without saving it to a race history.

It works without the mobile and has complications for the home screen.

2. MapMyFitness- Map My Fitness by Under Armour

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: Under Armour, Inc.
  • Price: $5.99-$29.99

MapMyFitness Running & Cycling is one of the most popular and reputable applications among runners and cyclists, capable of measuring numerous data during physical exercise: time, distance traveled, calories burned, pace, and altimetry, among many others. You can also set goals and even receive instructions from your audio coach.

In addition, an added value of it is that it detects if you stop during the race and notifies you if you need to hydrate. Like the vast majority of these types of applications, it allows you to share your achievements and workouts on social media.

3. Runcoach

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: Focus-N-Fly, Inc.
  • Price: Free
  • Size: 54.7 MB

Suppose you are a runner looking for an organization, even in its running application. In that case, Runcoach is excellent at offering you preloaded training sessions that help you meet your goals and providing itineraries that keep you motivated, calculating your running times, and doing them every more efficiently.

It is a totally free application and compatible with all mobile operating systems.

4. Runkeeper – Running App and Training Plans

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: RunKeeper, LLC
  • Price: Free
  • Size: 149 MB

With this application, you can measure multiple data while you run or walk. It has a virtual assistant that gives you training instructions while you exercise and audio alerts of your progress.

It allows you to follow specific training plans that will help you achieve specific goals such as running 10 kilometers or losing weight.

This RunKeeper – GPS Running Walking app offers weather information and performance graphs. This application is characterized by its eminently social aspect, allowing you to share your workouts, races, and goals achieved with your followers on Twitter and friends on Facebook.

It is one of the applications that has had a standalone version available for quite some time. Its features enter the game of applications for runners with the usual options for measuring statistics, but what distinguishes it from the others is the ability to create personalized workouts from your iPhone and sync them with your Apple Watch; these settings will only take a few minutes to set up.

5. Runtastic – adidas Running App Runtastic

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: runtastic GmbH
  • Price: In-App Purchases
  • Size: 189.6 MB

In addition to monitoring the most common parameters when running, Runtastic offers you the possibility of training by heart rate stage zones, which will help you meet your goals more easily. It has the option of interval training, being able to program a specific pace or speed.

It has an Autopause function, so you don’t have to worry every time you take a break. And like its competition, it allows you to share workouts and achievements on social networks.

There is a free version of this running app called “Runtastic,” but the amount of advertising and messages recommending the pro version make handling the app somewhat tedious. However, after acquiring the pro version, you do not get rid of the vendors as it continues to show the advantages of becoming a “premium” user and having a year full of additional functions.

With this application, there are some problems of use, as it has gaps and navigation between screens becomes very slow, it takes several touches for it to respond a few times, and when you start the application, it starts on the iPhone, but the clock screen is frozen. Yes, it needs a big update to improve the user experience.

One of the series of running watches we like the most is the Garmin Forerunner.

On the app’s main screen, you will find the training options, where you can select any of them and then indicate whether to activate the live monitoring so that your family members can see the progress in real-time and if you want to keep the notifications active or not. By pressing “start,” the mobile application will start working, and that’s it.

While running the application, you have the data of duration, distance, current rhythm, heart rate, and heart rate zone, just in that order, and you do not have the option to vary them. The mobile app really has a lot of advantages over its watch companion.

With Runtastic, get a detailed list of your running values ​​after your workout.

If you swipe to the left, you can control the music from Apple Music, a pretty good advantage that would be even better if it gave access to platforms like Spotify, which are also used during training.

When the training is finished, it consults your state of mind that you can define with an emoji, and you can also add the type of soil you were working on. The data you get on your mobile is similar to that offered by the Apple application, and it includes the distance traveled, duration of the training, calories burned, average pace, average speed, maximum speed, elevation data, average heart rate, maximum heart rate. And dehydration.

Like the applications already mentioned above, it does not offer a training history and deletes all the data of your routine when you have seen it. It works independently of the mobile, has complications to add to the face of the watch, and because it is the pro version, it is paid.

6. Peloton — at home fitness

  • Ratings: 4.9
  • Seller: Peloton Interactive, Inc.
  • Price: Free-$12.99
  • Size: 231.5 MB

Peloton is a brand known for its bicycles or machines to train indoors, but you do not require any of these to be able to use its application, Peloton Digital.

This is an application you can use for multiple sports activities, with training sessions that you can complement your favorite songs by carrying your mobile while you run.

Keep in mind that this is a paid application, costing about $12.99 for a monthly subscription.

7. Map My Run – GPS Running & Workout Tracker

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: Under Armour, Inc.
  • Price: Free – In-App Purchases
  • Size: 251 MB

The flagship application of the Under Armor brand. With it, you can even synchronize your Under Armor shoes, monitoring everything; pace, stride length, cadence. In addition, you can follow any sport using only your phone or one of your favorite devices, such as Garmin or Apple Watch.

Developed by Under Armor, Map My Run is an application that offers a lot of different functions, making it ideal if you are looking for versatility in the same app.

It is an application capable of keeping a live record of your running sessions by connecting via Bluetooth technology with an Apple Watch, so if you have an Android GPS watch, you will have to go to another option.

It even allows you to share a photo of each of your running outings, and you can also complement it with another application such as My Fitness Pal to keep track of your diet and your exercises.

Train effectively and achieve whatever challenge you set yourself, from your first 5k to completing your first marathon. In addition, wherever you go, you can find and create routes, add them to favorites and find them easily when you want to go running again.

8. Sports Tracker for All Sports  – GPS tracking app with maps

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: Amer Sports Digital Services Oy
  • Price: Free
  • Size: 194.1 MB

This award-winning application will allow you to carry out a good measurement and analysis of your workouts in order to assess your progress and performance. It offers detailed and accurate information ranging from calories consumed to average running speed. It has an option to save the records obtained in a personal diary and has training instructions dictated by voice.

Allows you to share records, comment on photos and workouts of friends and other Sports Tracker Running Cycling users.

9. Nike + Run Club – Workout App & Distance Tracker

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: Nike, Inc
  • Price: Free
  • Size: 247.2 MB

Whether you are a beginner or a veteran runner, you will monitor physical activity and obtain the necessary motivation to run with this app. Thanks to the accelerometer and GPS on your smartphone, you can measure time, distance, and pace and get directions, by voice, at every kilometer. It has training programs, advice from coaches, specific exercises for training and running.

If you need extra motivation, just press a button and select the power song option. The design of the Nike + Run Club app is extremely careful.

10. Strava: Run, Ride, Swim – Track activity & map routes

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: Strava Inc.
  • Price: Free/In-App Purchases
  • Size: 137 MB

As stated on its official website, Strava is the main application for runners and cyclists, and it is designed by and for athletes. Through GPS, this app offers you the opportunity to carry out exhaustive monitoring of all of the parameters that are most interesting to you in each of your training sessions.

Which it adds the always attractive functionality of joining challenges while also allowing you to share everything related to your routes and training.

11. PUMATRAC – Training & Running

  • Ratings: 4.8
  • Seller: PUMA
  • Price: Free/In-App Purchases
  • Size: 134.7 MB

Another of the apps whose proposal is presented as a personal trainer is that the PUMATRAC application is capable of providing you with all the personalized training you need, at the same time that it motivates you to achieve your training goals. It has up to 100 free workouts and also includes a complete exercise program. On the other hand, this app also tracks your progress as an athlete, but it also puts the encouragement and support of the running community at your disposal.

PUMATRAC will be your great ally to obtain a la carte training based on the athlete’s needs!

12. Pacer Pedometer & Step Tracker

  • Ratings: 4.9
  • Seller: Pacer Health, Inc
  • Price: Free/In-App Purchases
  • Size: 334.2 MB

The Pacer application, or what is the same, the tool “Free pedometer – Step counter and calories” synchronizes all your physical activity with MyFitnessPal. Its main argument in favor is that it works from the smartphone itself and without the need for additional configuration.

With the download and installation of the app, it already begins to track your activity using the mobile’s GPS. You also have the option to track your physical activity (walking, running, or cycling) on ​​a map.

13. Relive: Run, Ride, Hike & more

  • Ratings: 3.7
  • Seller: Relive B.V.
  • Price: Free/In-App Purchases
  • Size: 110.6 MB

The Relive app is free, and having it installed on your mobile allows you to access an important community of multisport athletes, from runners and hikers, through cyclists, to skiers. Come on, any outdoor activity. The idea is to share your sports experience but shows your passion for improving yourself. It also offers the possibility of creating free 3D video stories.

You only need your mobile, and it allows you to synchronize it with different Suunto or Garmin devices and other applications such as Strava, among others.

14. Aaptiv:  Audio Fitness App

  • Ratings: 4.7
  • Seller: AAPTIV INC.
  • Price: Free/In-App Purchases
  • Size: 241.7 MB

Suppose you are one of those who enjoys having an established training session and guidelines to follow. In that case, Apptiv is an application for any operating system, whether Android or the Best Running Apps for Apple Watch, that provides you with a large catalog of preloaded training, with different levels capable of adjusting to you and your needs.

It is equipped with complete training sessions ranging from 5K to a full marathon. In the same way, it has playlists included; just keep in mind that it is a paid App and that it has a price per month.

Frequent questions

Can two apps run to run at the same time?

Yes, this is completely possible. Each separate application can simultaneously access the GPS and its information; in this way, one application can be tracking your speed and another only the steps and your route.

Are the running apps accurate?

Although they will never be compared to a cadence and speed sensor or a pedometer, they are quite accurate. These apps are a good guide or reference tool for the best running apps for beginners and professionals.

Conclusion

Currently, there are few runners who have not joined to use sports watches when running, and they are responsible for keeping track of your data, such as distance traveled, speeds reached, and routes if they have an integrated GPS.

Now, these watches and sensors must send the information collected somewhere, so they are synchronized with your mobile through the best running apps, which may vary depending on the brand you use or an application compatible with any model.

We could talk for hours about running apps, and there are a lot of options when choosing; that’s why the question of which one is truly the best and the most complete?

Many acts as an odometer by measuring your walking and running distances; others give you access to the day’s weather information, so no rain will surprise you.

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