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Tom's Guide
13-08-2025
- Tom's Guide
Training for a race? Here are the features you need to be making the most of on your Garmin watch
I've been wearing some of the best Garmin watches for over half a decade now, and while they offer plenty for everyday use, I especially appreciate how they support training for a race. If I hadn't started wearing a Garmin five years ago, I likely wouldn't have returned to running as an adult and entered my first race in years. Years ago, a friend lent me their Forerunner to help structure my training for a 10K. At first, I was intimidated as I am not the most tech-savvy person you will meet, and it took a lot of trial and error to figure out how to use it. From there, I graduated to the Garmin Fenix 7S, which is still on my wrist today. I don't use all of its features and functions, as there are simply too many, but the ones I do rely on have helped me through races, from 5Ks to marathons, and taught me how to train smarter. If you are new to Garmin, new to running, or have signed up for a race, or simply want to conquer a running goal, this article shares the features that have empowered me and boosted my performance. Hopefully, these actionable tips can help you get the most out of your watch as well. The Fenix 7 Pro is designed for serious race training, combining advanced sports tracking, in-depth training analysis, and reliable navigation to help you stay on pace and on course. Its long battery life means it can handle the longest training runs and race days, while the rugged design makes it a superbly reliable watch. One of the best little hacks I discovered last year is Garmin's customised alerts. I am not the best at remembering to take on fuel during long runs. I will bring gels with me, but then completely forget when I last had one. Now I set up alerts for every 30 minutes that flash and vibrate on my watch during an activity. You could do the same for water breaks, or even as a race-day prompt for when you think your family will be cheering you on. It is a small feature that has made a big difference in keeping my energy steady during training and races. If you want to find instructions on how to set up alerts on your Garmin, hop over to my article on how Garmin's energy gel reminders have changed the way I fuel for long runs. Garmin lets you create your own workouts directly on the watch, which is useful if your coach sends you a session or you spot a workout online you want to try. But if you are following a structured training plan from one of the best running apps like Coopah or Runna, you can sync those runs straight to your watch. That way, your plan is ready to follow step by step, fuss-free, without having to manually enter every detail. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. You can also connect Garmin to Strava so every run uploads automatically. Even if you are not chasing a PB, the kudos and comments from friends can be a real boost. One reason I really like Garmin's custom workout feature is on race day. I can build a pace plan that breaks the distance into smaller segments with mini goals, making it feel more achievable and keeping me motivated through to the end. It's also useful for recreating a workout you've found online or designing runs to focus on specific goals, such as hill training or negative splits. Here's what happened when I asked ChatGPT to build me a race strategy for a half-marathon and built it into my watch. I don't think the rest and recovery features are necessarily what people are paying hundreds of pounds for when they buy a Garmin, but I am really grateful for the sleep and recovery stats my watch provides, especially when training for a race. Based on your training load and sleep quality, Garmin gives you an idea of how well your body has recovered from a workout and how ready you are for the next one. When you are deep in training, having the watch give a friendly nudge to take a rest day or switch to an easier session can make the difference between steady progress and overtraining. I know from experience that following those recommendations has helped me avoid burnout and stay consistent, even during the toughest weeks. A good GPS watch doesn't just record your distance. It can map out routes, track your pace with precision and help you navigate unfamiliar territory. For me personally, Garmin's Back to Start feature has been a lifesaver. While running on vacation in the French countryside, I once took a wrong turn and found myself surrounded by cows, with no one around to ask for directions. A quick glance at my watch guided me straight back to my holiday rental. Whether you're exploring a new city, tackling a technical trail run or keeping a close eye on your splits, Garmin is known for making some of the most reliable GPS watches on the market. Garmin can track a wide range of activities, not just running. I log my strength training, hiking, and even yoga, and the watch factors all of this into my stats and feedback. This means your recovery, training load, and suggested workouts reflect your full routine, not just your runs. For example, it can prevent you from overdoing a long run if it knows you did a tough strength session the day before. It also helps you spot patterns over time, like which cross-training sessions leave you feeling freshest for your key runs. Even if you are not chasing personal bests, seeing how all your activities add up can motivate you to keep a balanced training routine and make smarter choices about rest and intensity. Garmin watches do more than track runs. They keep tabs on your health too, from heart rate variability and stress to sleep and body battery. My Garmin once flagged an abnormality in my heart rate, which led me to go see a doctor and receive a heart condition diagnosis. That little warning completely changed how I train, and I'm glad my Garmin alerted me to something I otherwise would have ignored. There's also period and fertility tracking, but right now it mostly relies on what you log rather than syncing with the watch's other features. I would love to see it feed into Training Readiness or Suggested Workouts so your watch could nudge you to push harder or back off depending on your cycle. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Runna And Strava Users Can Save $50 With New Membership
Runna logo The first fruits of Strava's acquisition of Runna are here, and while there are no dramatic changes ahead, you can now pick up a joint subscription to the two services. A year of both Runna and Strava can be had for $149.99, equivalent to around $12.49 a month. Strava's big claim is this represents a saving of 60%, but it would be fairer to say it's actually a saving of $49.99. Or that you're paying around 25% less than you would with an annual subscription to each. That 60% figure equates to a month-to-month subscription to the two services, where the $149.99 deal involves committing for a whole year. Of course, if you are already a long-term subscriber to both services, that commitment may be no big issue. Strava announced its acquisition of Runna in April 2025, for an undisclosed sum. At that point Strava said it had no immediate plans to begin merging the services, or changing what Runna offers. Runna launched in 2021 according to its own site, although it reportedly had its first big push to the public in March 2022. By 2023 it claimed to have 'hundreds of thousands' of users, if only a few thousands paying subscribers. For the Strava user wondering what all the fuss is about, Runna provides tailored training plans that leveraged the use of AI before claiming such an angle developed a somewhat cynical glaze to it. While Garmin watch owners can get similar training plans for free through Garmin Coach, the current Runna user base no doubt contains plenty of Garmin owners who find Runna's own angle on the idea worthwhile. Meanwhile, a Strava subscription is required for AI summaries of your workouts and a proper long-term view of stats like Monthly Fitness and Relative Effort over time. And the Strava interface doesn't half like reminding you of what you're missing out on when you are not subscribed to the premium plan.
The Verge
02-07-2025
- Business
- The Verge
Strava and Runna will let you get a joint subcription now.
Strava and Runna will let you get a joint subcription now. It'll cost a combined $149.99 a year, which is roughly 60 percent cheaper than if you were buying both separately. This makes a ton of sense given that Strava announced it had acquired Runna back in April. The caveats are that the bundle is only on an annual basis — no monthly option — and you have to buy through Strava's app. The good news is that there are refund / subscription extension options if you're already a Runna or Strava subscriber.
Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Times
Strava's valuation boosted to $2.2bn after acquisition of Runna
Strava, the American exercise tracking platform beloved by middle-aged men in lycra, has built on the momentum it gained during the pandemic to reach a valuation of $2.2 billion. It is the first time Strava has disclosed its valuation since a fundraising round in November 2020, when it was valued at $1.5 billion as millions of new subscribers flocked to the platform during Covid lockdowns. Where other pandemic hits have since struggled to attract new subscribers, Strava's growth has continued, driven largely by the popularity of running, with 1 billion runs recorded on the app last year. • Strava buys UK app Runna with multimillion-pound payday for founders The company further bolstered its offering for runners with the acquisition of Runna, a London-based coaching app,
TechCrunch
22-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
Strava is buying up athletic training apps – first Runna, and now The Breakaway
The social fitness app Strava has made two acquisitions over the last month and change: on Thursday, Strava's acquired cycling app The Breakaway, following its acquisition of Runna last month. Incubated in Y Combinator's Summer 2021 class, The Breakaway uses AI to create personalized training plans for cyclists working toward specific goals. Runna, a UK-based and JamJar-backed app, functions similarly, but is built for runners, rather than cyclists. Needless to say, Strava is signaling a very strong interest in selling training plan tools to its users. As one of the highest-grossing and most popular fitness apps, Strava allows users to track their workouts and plan their outdoor running routes, but it has differentiated itself by adding a social component, allowing users to see where, when, and how their friends exercise (it's as good a time as any to mention that Strava is public by default, so double-check your settings to make sure you're not accidentally doxxing yourself). Among power users, Strava's public API has become essential for athletes who want to customize the way that they interact with their Strava data — according to Strava CEO Michael Martin, there are hundreds of different training apps integrated with Strava. While apps like Runna and The Breakaway stood out to Strava for their quality, some users might still prefer another third-party app to plan their exercise routines… and typically, athletes do not like it when you mess with their routines. But the company has reassured users that it does not have any plans to stop offering an open API. Strava has not yet clarified exactly how or if features from Runna and The Breakaway will be integrated into the Strava app. Martin said that Runna will at least remain a standalone app, so it is likely that The Breakaway will follow a similar plan. Techcrunch event Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot for our leading AI industry event with speakers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Cohere. For a limited time, tickets are just $292 for an entire day of expert talks, workshops, and potent networking. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | REGISTER NOW 'There are so many opportunities to enhance the user journey,' Martin said after the Runna acquisition. 'Think about how runners plan routes in Strava, train with Runna, and then share back to Strava again – we want to reduce friction in that loop.' It's also yet to be determined if the pricing of these more premium products will change. Currently, a yearly Strava subscription costs about $80 per year, while yearly Runna and The Breakaway subscriptions cost about $120 and $70, respectively. But last month, Martin said that there are no plans to change pricing or to remove access to the free versions of these products.
