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It’s really cool, but it can be hard to figure out which one will work best for your needs. The best running watches are a great way to learn more about your endurance sports, especially running, but also cycling, swimming, and other sports.
There are a lot of features on these high-performance fitness tools that can help you beat your personal bests. These features include virtual pacers, suggested workouts, route creation with GPS, and the usual heart rate, time, and pace information you get while running.
The best running watches can take your workout to the next level by giving you a detailed breakdown of every step you take and what your body does while you’re pounding the pavement. A lot of us want to know exactly how we’re doing when we work out.
Best Running Watches
Garmin Forerunner 255 Music

Specifications:
Heart Rate Monitor | Yes |
Color Screen | Yes |
Battery Life | Up to 14 days |
Operating System | Garmin |
Offline Media Storage | 4GB |
Display Size | 1.1-inch or 1.3-inch |
Sizes | 41mm or 46mm |
The Garmin Forerunner 255 Music is both our best sports watch and our best running watches. The device also gives you access to Garmin’s wide range of training metrics, which help you not only plan your workouts but also your recovery time.
During our tests, the transflective display on the Garmin Forerunner 255 Music was easy to read, even in bright sunlight. Plus, you can stop and start a run with the touch of a button, so you can keep your eyes on the road or trail instead of your watch.
Pros
- Two sizes available
- Accurate GPS
Cons
- No touchscreen
Garmin Vivoactive 4

Specifications:
Shape Surface | Circular, Flat |
Weight | 50 g |
Changeable Straps | Yes |
Body Material | Stainless Steel |
Is it a smartwatch, a GPS watch for running, or a style watch? It includes all three. This is the first Garmin watch that looks like it was made for a runner who cares about design. It goes up against devices like the Apple Watch and Android Wear.
Sure, it’s not as powerful as some of the other phones on this list, but if you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, it’s hard to beat. It has a good look and a lot of features for a good price. As you might expect, it has all the Garmin smarts, like all the best running watches.
Pros
- On-watch music streaming
- Respiration tracking
- Week-long battery life
Cons
- Spotify/Deezer integration should be more friendly
- High price
Venu 2 Plus

Specifications:
Operating System | Garmin OS, works with Android and iOS |
Resolution | 416×416 |
Always-on mode | Optional |
Bezel | Stainless steel |
Runners who don’t want to go out on the road without their phones will love the call feature. With the third button set aside as a shortcut that you can customize, you can set it up so that you can make a quick outgoing call and feel safe while running.
This best running watches is a hit because it can do a lot of different things. For runners, it has all the bells and whistles that will make training and keeping track of health fun. But it does more for runners than most lifestyle watches can.
Pros
- Excellent design and build quality
- Great fitness tracking
- Long battery life
Cons
- High price tag
- A few notable bugs at launch
Apple Watch Series 8

Specifications:
Size | 1.9 inches |
Resolution | 484 x 396 pixels, 329 PPI |
Technology | OLED |
System chip | Apple S8 |
GPU | PowerVR |
The Apple Watch Series 8 isn’t a big step up from the best running watches. The only real new features are temperature sensors that help track fertility and crash detection. Still, that’s not always a bad thing because the product line is so much better than what its competitors can do.
It has its own version of the App Store with hundreds of Apple Watch apps, and you can use third-party running apps like Strava. It also has a big, bright screen and a tonne of different straps to choose from. In fact, its battery life is the main problem.
Pros
- Same great design and display
- Temperature Sensor
Cons
- Wish it borrowed the Apple Watch Ultra’s siren
COROS PACE 2

Specifications:
Display Size | 1.2 in. 240 x 240 (64 colors) |
Display Type | Always-On Memory LCD |
Screen Material | Corning® Glass |
Physical Size | 20mm |
The Coros Pace 2 might not have as many lifestyle features as some Garmins watch, but it does have great running features. Its predecessor, the Pace, was a good watch, but the Pace 2 made all the important things better, like the battery life and accuracy of the sensors, without making you pay more.
The Coros Pace 2’s screen is best running watches. It is clear, bright, and a pleasure to look at. Even though the screen is bright, it doesn’t drain the battery. In GPS mode, the Pace 2 can go for up to 30 hours on two charges, which is very impressive.
Pros
- Low profile design
- Great battery life
- High-resolution display
Cons
- Minimal activity profiles
- No navigation features
Garmin Enduro

Specifications:
Display Size | 1.4″ / 35.6 mm |
Display Type | MIP LCD |
Screen Resolution | 280 x 280 |
Storage Capacity | 64 MB |
Garmin has best running watches in the running world for making watches that work well and can do a lot of different things. The Enduro lives up to this reputation, in our opinion. This running watch has a lot to offer, even though it looks and feels pretty big on the wrist.
If battery life is important to you, the Garmin Enduro has a GPS mode that lasts up to 80 hours and can even charge itself from the sun. This running watch doesn’t let you download music, which isn’t great if you run better when you listen to good music.
Pros
- A battery that goes and goes
- Comprehensive workout tracking options
- Nice nylon strap
Cons
- It’s pricey
Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

Specifications:
Display | 1.3-inch diameter 260×260-pixel resolution |
Materials | Fiber-reinforced polymer case material |
Storage | 32GB internal storage for up to 2000 songs |
Water resistance | 5 ATM |
If you go to our best running watches or best fitness tracker guides, you’ll see that the Garmin Fenix 7 is the best “top end” option we recommend for serious athletes. But if you don’t want a tracker for extreme sports or are only interested in running, the Forerunner 955 is a better choice.
Even though it costs less than the basic Fenix 7, it has a lot of the same features and a few that its more expensive sibling doesn’t have. In our tests, this made it just as good, if not better, for runners. First of all, the device is a lot smaller than the Fenix.
Pros
- Stuffed with features
- Touchscreen and five-button navigation interface
- Huge battery
Cons
- No LTE for emergencies or tracking
Amazfit GTS 2 Mini

Specifications:
Dial Shape | Rectangle |
Strap Material | Silicone |
Size | Regular |
Interchangeable Strap | Yes |
There are a lot of cheap smartwatches in the Amazfit line, but the GTS 2 Mini is the best running watches one for runners. It has built-in GPS and a great AMOLED display where you can see all your stats. The watch has all the main features of the GTS 2 in a smaller package.
At this price, you’d expect the run tracking to be more basic, but the GTS 2 Mini has all the important stats. It also doesn’t have much in the way of smart features. For example, it doesn’t have a place to store music or an app store. However, you can control music playback on a connected phone and see notifications on the watch.
Pros
- Lightweight body
- 5ATM water resistance
- Safe, but nice design
- Bright, good quality screen
Cons
- GPS needs work
- Slightly short on 7-day battery life
FAQs
What watch do marathon runners wear?
The Garmin Forerunner 235 is a great all-around watch that can be used to train for a marathon and keep track of other activities. Garmin has a good reputation for making the best GPS devices and smart algorithms that map your runs accurately.
Is it worth getting a running watch?
One of the best things a runner can buy is a running watch. They let runners accurately track their progress, improve the quality of their training, get rid of the need to carry a phone, and look stylish, among many other things.
What does a running watch do?
GPS running watches use global positioning technology to accurately record your route so you can later look at your pace, cadence, and elevation to improve your training. They also do everything a fitness tracker does.