You may have an Apple Watch and be thinking of starting running or you may be a runner and wondering if an Apple Watch will make a good investment as a running watch.
We have been running with Apple Watches since series 1, so we have you covered with any questions you need answering.
Is the Apple Watch battery life good enough for running?
We have used the Apple Watch for everything up to a 57km ultra marathon including all of the training runs. The only time you may struggle with battery is if you are planning on a 50 mile or longer event. For almost all runners, the battery life is perfectly fine.
Apple state that with the latest devices they aim for 18 hours of battery after an overnight charge and normal use including a 60 minute workout.
How to change Apple Watch running distance to miles or kilometres?
Depending on where you are in the world will likely determine your preferred unit of distance.
To change between miles and km go to the Apple Health app on your phone then tap “all health data” followed by “running and walking distance”. Scroll to the bottom and there is an option to change the unit between km and miles.
Why is my Apple Watch running distance off?
Your Apple Watch uses the inbuilt GPS to calculate your running distance. If you have your phone with you it will use the iPhone GPS. These will give you slightly different distances, with the phone GPS more accurate. Also, GPS accuracy is affected by external factors such as tree cover and tall buildings so you will are unlike to get a 100% accurate distance measurement.
To improve the distance measurement on your Watch you can perform a calibration.
How do you calibrate Apple Watch distance measurement for running?
You can follow the steps for calibrating your Apple Watch for more accurate distance measurements by visiting Apple support pages which have very simple instructions.
What is the best running app for Apple Watch?
There are many to choose from and popular ones are Strava, Nike Run Club and Renkeeper. The Apple workout app is very good and more than enough for almost all runners. It records distance, pace, calories, Heart Rate as the key metrics and you can export the workouts directly to Strava.
If you are looking for more in depth analysis like recovery, heart rate zones and effort, Athlytic takes it to the next level for the more serious runner and there are a series of running focused updates such as heart rate zones due for Apple Workouts in the Fall 2022 release of Watch OS9.
Can you do interval training with an Apple Watch?
You cannot currently set intervals natively in the Apple Watch workout apps.
There are many apps on the App Store for intervals with the Apple Watch. Most of these offer a free option. We have found Intervals Pro to do as good a job as any others we have tested.
The watch will not run two apps at the same time, so you may need to run intervals on your phone and the running workout on your watch.
What is the best band to use when running with an Apple Watch?
To get the best measurements from the sensors, the watch needs to sit securely on your wrist about an inch above the wrist bone. We have found over time that straps with a Velcro fastening are more suitable for the task than any others because they are infinitely adjustable to your size and do not rely on preset holes such as the Apple sports strap.
How accurate is the Apple Watch running heart rate?
All wrist based sensors are subject to inaccuracy and cadence lock. Cadence lock being where the watch displays your foot strikes as heart rate.
We have tested the Apple Watch against the Polar H9 chest strap monitor and the results were close enough that we are happy to rely solely on the Watch for heart rate information. This will be the same for most runners.
How to turn off Apple Watch running notifications?
Some of us would rather be left to our thoughts rather than having notifications either during or after a workout. To turn off Apple Watch running notifications, simply open the Watch app on your iPhone. Tap notifications and then Activity. This will show you the notification options for Apple Workout activities. You can toggle them on or off to suit your preferences.
How to use Apple Watch for running?
If you are planning on going for a run and want to record it on your watch you will need to start a workout. Simply open the workout app on your phone and select “Outdoor Run” or “Indoor Run”.
If you swipe left you will have some options to set a certain calorie, distance or time goal for your workout, but you can just start the workout without doing anything extra and it will just record the time and distance you cover.
The watch will give you a three second countdown before you start or you can skip this by tapping the screen.
Do I need my phone when running with Apple Watch?
For series two or later the inbuilt GPS will track your run. Therefore you do not need your phone with you at all. Having your phone may provide more accurate GPS and a way of contact in an emergency. Apple Watch models with cellular capabilities can be used completely independently of your phone.
Is an Apple Watch any good for running?
The Apple Watch has been as good as a dedicated sports watch for quite some time. With the array of new running focused features arriving in fall 2022, it will only secure its place as a stand out performer.
The only question mark over the device is the battery life if you are on really long, ultra length runs. For anything up to and including 60-70k you should be fine for battery based on our experience of these distances.
