Upfront I will address that Strava is noticeably missing from my list. What’s funny is we often think we need all the gizmos, but these free running apps are enough to get the job done!!
I’ve detailed more below, plus some additional apps that are 100% worth adding! We’re going to dive in to each one, but a quick peak at the top contenders: These are the best fitness apps that I’ve found testing out a variety of things on my workouts from roads to trails to the gym.
Now one gizmo, our smartphone, can do it all on the run: music, podcasts, tracking your pace, your location, ensuring that running in new cities you don’t get lost, really whatever you fancy. Luckily I’m a very consistent pace, so I generally knew how far I’d gone, but if not…man running took a lot more work back in the old days (ha!). Once home, I listened to the beep of my dial up as I logged in to MapMyRun to plot out the path I’d just taken and figure out my distance. In 2002, I grabbed my trusty digital Timex to time the length of my new running habit, strapped a big yellow radio to my arm and headed out without a specific route. When it comes to free running apps, I wonder if new runners realize just how lucky they are and what’s available to make your running life easier.Ī great running app can not only track your distance, show elevation and route, but provides some additional tools that make running easier to stick to or more fun.