What's your favorite feature of your Apple Watch? Let me guess, sports recording and tracking. Having a running app for Apple Watch is the first step for you to start your journey of enjoying all the iWatch features.
If you can't live with the fact that some lousy apps takes up too much storage space on your Apple Watch, it's important that you should get rid of apps you don't really need on your Apple Watch from time to time, and that you only need to keep the best. Don't let those uncalled-for apps jeopardize your precious Apple Watch. Pick the best running apps for Apple Watch for a healthy life and better maintenance of your watch. That said, how to pick the best running app for Apple Watch is never the easy task. After all, it requires a great deal of research and comparison to find out what running apps work with Apple Watch for the best results.
In today's blog, we are going to share a trusted list of 10 best running apps for Apple Watch in 2020. In this list, you will get to know the best features of all these 10 apps which are found perfectly suitable for Apple Watch Series 5, Apple Watch Series 4 and previous series 3, 2 and 1.
1. Nike+ Run Club - Top Recommned 4.8 Stars & 72.6K Ratings
Nike+ Run Club has always been a typically well-known app for Apple Watch with its kickass features and intuitive interface. It has all the tools you need to build up a good running habit, including GPS run tracking, audio-guided runs, custom distance challenges, custom coaching plans and more.
With all these features, Nike+ Run Club gives you a lot of details to track and store your running. It works with Apple Health to sync workouts and record heart-rate data for you to easily look back on what you need to know about. It has a funny feature that you can compare and compete with friends on the distance leaderboard. This sounds challenging and motivated. And you would love its milestone badges and trophies as you can keep track of how miles you've completed. Using watchOS 4.0.1 or above for Nike+ Run Club would get you better results in operation fluency.
2. Strava: Run & Ride Training
Strava could be an ideal option for social connection by running competition. This feature, just like the Nike+ Run Club's, allows you to compare running performance with other members in the Strava community or just your friends. As you keep fighting for your ranking on the distance leaderboard, you are actually being motivated to accomplish your challenges. Built for runners, this app keeps you safe on the run with Beacon, the feature that allows you share your location with others( up to 3 persons who even don't have to use this app at all).
As this app focuses a lot on social connection, it gives you access to Strava communities to share what you have achieved in running challenges. You can show off your routes and share photos of all your adventures. This app is designed for better social communication.
3. Runkeeper—GPS Running Tracker
Like most other fitness apps do, Runkeeper provides easy running tracking, and planning based on the concept of motivation. The great GPS function can help track your distance, pace and running time. You can set your routines by personalizing your own plans to follow. And as you follow your plans, you are literally being motivated somehow. For more motivated you can get, you can participate in virtual running groups for competition.
Runkeeper is believed to be an easy-to-use Apple Watch app for its easy syncing that allows you to leave your phone at home. Most Apple Watch users love this feature as they can concentrate on running. As for using GPS in this app's background, runners have noticed that it's killing battery life unexpectedly fast. So, there's a warm tip, avoid the use of GPS running as you can.
Compared to those apps designed for experienced runners, C25K 5K Trainer is a proven program for inexperienced runners. You know, for beginners, they are actually not that into running, they need a little push that you can find in this app. With convenient audio coach and alerts, this app allows you to start in an easy way. When you are about to give it up, it challenges you to continue running. Its 5K program contains many sessions, of which, early ones are mainly about walking, jogging, until you gradually get used to it and finish the whole 5K.
It has other features to keep your running enjoyable all the way, like you can listen to your own music and playlists while running. This app is integrated with Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, with access to C25K community for you meet other runners. It's a great app to build up your health and friendship with others, with easy guide directly from your Apple Watch.
5. RunGo - The Best Routes to Run
The app on your Apple Watch is able to give you haptic notifications on your wrist. This can be very convenient for you not to take an iPhone with you for running. Besides, you can have access to Heart Rate data with RunGo for health tracking. RunGo has more other features that might intrigue you like its live tracking, allowing your family or friends to track your real-time running, so that they know your whereabouts and safety.
RunGo is best known for its voice navigation. For so many running apps you can find in the world, this one is really something with its voice-guided tour for your running. You can freely create your own route or select a certain route. During your running, the voice navigation is not just a dull voice guiding the road only, it does much more like telling you there's an awesome landmark, so you might choose to stop and enjoy the views. It also encourages you to run on if you stop too long. Clear voice directions enable you to finish complicated routes easily.
6. Apple WorkoutLet's check out this Apple's own running app. If you want to figure out what running apps work with Apple Watch for best results, maybe you should just start with Apple Workout. You will love the cheerful fact that watchOS 5 has dramatically improved its focus on fitness apps. Workout displays plenty of data you need to know on the screen very well. And it has specific modes for indoor and outdoor running. What's more, it has other features like automatic exercise detection, cadence tracking, rolling pace etc. Speaking of which, rolling pace helps analyze your speed by comparing with the average speed.
Apple Workout is an easy-to-use running app that fits greatly watchOS 5. However, to track all running details, you'd better use your iPhone to display routes, distance, pace, heart rate, active calories etc. Maybe some people dislike the fact that you need to bring your iPhone with you for Bluetooth connection, if you to listen to music while running.
7. iSmoothRun
iSmoothRun is another best running app option for Apple Watch. It can effectively track and log all your running activities with intuitive interface and practical features you might like. iSmoothRun uses the GPS and Pedometer to closely follow you in every step of your workout. And the GPS signal strength will enable the app to switch modes automatically.
The running app will gradually improve your running form with consistent tracking on your running cadence. The built-in metronome helps raise your running cadence. If you are hoping to stay healthy with well-planned running, you will love this app's timer setting for regular run and walk training. It's smart enough to pause automatically when you stop running, and start automatically when you move again. This is cool when you need to catch a glimpse of the view while running. For this app's tracking and logging, it's based on your shoe mileage, with great accuracy.
Map My Run is designed to connect with various apps and wearables. How? It can sync with popular apps and most wearables, like Apple Watch, Garmin, Fibit, Apple Health etc. Let's take Apple Watch app as an example, it can track your running from the app and provides real-time visual, haptic and audio progress updates.
Like RunGo, you can get real-time audio coaching on GPS-tracked running. And the audio coaching allows for customizable voice to keep you informed of stats like distance, pace, elevation etc. Other than tracking and mapping your workouts, it can track your shoes' mileage with Gear Tracker. With this feature, you will receive notification right before your shoes are almost worn out.
9. Charity MilesYou can almost see Charity Miles in any list of the best running apps Apple Watch. What makes it worthwhile anyway? Mostly it's because Charity Miles is designed for motivating runners to run more as each mile you run will raise your money. And by running for the charity of your choice, you will find it more meaningful for good causes other than just a fitness app.
Surprisingly, Charity Miles has helped earn nearly 3 million dollars for various charities along with the long term support of corporate sponsors. Unlike so many fitness apps, this app doesn't offer too fantastic features, despite this fact, it's different with its purpose to turn the miles you run into money for charity.
10. adidas Runtastic Running App
Lastly, let's move on to this adidas Runtastic running app. Like other best running apps for Apple Watch, Runtastic tracks a variety of metrics, such as distance, time, pace, calorie consumption etc. Hence, this app can help you achieve your goals, whether you practise for marathon, 5K race, or just regular workout.
If we put the voice coaching, shoe mileage aside, this app is still rich in attractions like its worldwide community. Adidas runners can get together for running events, and you can set up competition among friends or acquaintance to see who will lead the leaderboard. It's a real fun app to have for your Apple Watch.
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