Best running apps in 2021
Runners will benefit from the best running apps, whether their routes take them outside or only as far as the cross trainer in their home gym. You can track everything from speed and distance traveled to generate training plans and map out your route while running with a jogging app on your phone — ideally, a companion app for one of the best smartphones or fitness trackers.
What is the best smartphone running apps?
The best running app for your mobile device is heavily dependent on what you want that app to do. Top options for tracking run data include Strava, Adidas Running, and Runkeeper. Many of these apps are also useful for other activities such as cycling, with Pacer being especially well-suited for tracking steps and walking just as easily as it charts your running stats.
There are also a few specialty running apps that focus on specific aspects of the running experience. Weight Loss Running includes diet and fitness logs to help you tackle the big picture of getting healthy, whereas Couch-to-5K is great for people who are just starting out with running.
The best running apps for iOS and Android
1. Strava Cycling and Running (Android, iOS: Free)
Strava Running and Cycling, in addition to being a fantastic running tracker, add some pretty cool competitive and facilitated features to the standard run-tracking recipe. The app tracks your running speed, distance traveled, time, and the course is taken for useful metrics and tracking, but it also includes leaderboards, successes, and issues as you race against friends.
2. Adidas Running (Android, iOS: Free)
You may be more familiar with it as Runtastic, its previous name. However, Adidas Running remains one of the best running apps, especially if you're looking for an all-in-one tool that maps your workout and tracks a variety of running metrics.
3. Runkeeper (Android, iOS: Free)
Runkeeper, a long-time favorite among runners, uses your phone's GPS to track your running, cycling, hiking, and other long-distance activities. The app keeps track of your pace, distance, total exercise time, calories burned, and other useful metrics while providing a variety of training plans with reminders and gamified challenges.
Runkeeper is also compatible with a wide range of smartwatches and fitness devices, including the Apple Watch and Wear OS devices.
4. Pacer (Android, iOS: Free)
Pacer is a pedometer and fitness tracker that uses your phone's built-in sensors to track your steps, walking and running times, and route in a simple interface that works in the background.
All of this is free, but premium subscribers gain access to additional features like guided workouts, weight loss plans, and, most recently, the ability to automatically sync daily steps, distance, and other activity data from a Garmin or Fitbit device to their Pacer account.
5. Run with Map My Run (Android, iOS: Free)
Run with the Map My Run is MapMyFitness' version of a run-tracking app that uses your phone's GPS and other sensors to track and map your running route, time, speed, and total distance traveled.
Other than running, do you enjoy any other activities? MapMyFitness creates apps specifically for cycling, walking, and workout training.
6. TrainAsOne (Android, iOS: Free)
Creating a training plan is only one of the challenges for the best running apps. Adjusting it so that you're pushing to meet your fitness goals is a completely different story. And TrainAsOne takes on that challenge by utilizing artificial intelligence to constantly adjust your training plan.
The app is available for free for a 21-day trial period. Following that, you can continue to use TrainAsOne with fewer features or pay a subscription fee of £9.99 per month, with costs adjusted based on your national currency.
7. Footpath Route Planner
Footpath Route Planner simplifies the process of planning your next running route. Simply draw a rough outline of your intended jogging route, walking path, or hiking trail, and the app will intelligently snap the route to match nearby trails, paths, and roads. You can also use the map to calculate routes between points and look up details such as elevation to gauge difficulty.
8. Weight Loss Running
Rather than focusing solely on tracking your runs, as many of the best running apps do, Weight Loss Running aspires to be the complete package, acting as a running coach, diet aid, and fitness log for runners.
9. zwift app
If you spend a lot of time exercising at home these days, Zwfit can help you change up your surroundings while you shelter in place. As an added bonus, the mobile app incorporates some gamification into your runs.
With Zwift, you can take your treadmill runs to virtual courses while remaining on the treadmill. Along with the various courses, you'll be speeding down other people, using their times for motivation or competition.
10. Sports Tracker
You can record a workout diary and track your progress with Sports Tracker, as well as set weekly fitness goals and participate in optional social features. Sharing your exercise progress and route, following and opining on other users, and participating in weekly leaderboards are all examples.
How to Select the Most Effective Running Apps
The majority of the apps featured here are free, but a few require a subscription to access more advanced features like guided workouts, location sharing, and training plans. You can decide whether these extra features are worth the regularly occurring fee or if you can get by with the free tier. (Some free apps are ad-supported, so you'll have to decide if that bothers you.)
As previously stated, different running apps concentrate on different aspects. So, what you intend to use the app for — tracking your stats? — heavily influences your choice of the best running app for your needs. Do you keep a running log? Playing music that goes well with your workout? — and then choosing one that ticks all of those boxes.
Why choose Omninos?
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