10 best running watches to help you improve speed and endurance, tried and tested

One of the most expensive running watches on our list, the Garmin 970, is worth its price tag, and so much more, taking the top spot as our best running watch. Launched in spring 2025, it's one of Garmin's newest watches in the forerunner range and comes with some updates, including a built-in LED flashlight, full colour maps and new running features.

Using the watch on multiple longer runs with my running club, interval training and a trail running 10km race, it not only gave me detailed stats after each race, but its new features, such as running economy and tolerance, allowed me to see how my running was affecting my energy levels and daily life. The running tolerance feature gave me a recommended weekly maximum mileage, helping me pace my runs throughout the week, or rest when I’d completed a long run. The maps feature also helped me navigate a particularly complicated trail run when my phone was out of signal.

Unlike the other two Garmin watches I tested (the vivocative 6 and venu 4), it has 5 side buttons, as well a touchscreen. However, unlike the Polar grit 2, they were well labelled, so I found them easy to use and navigate. The screen was clear, colourful and easy to navigate – although I regretted installing a passcode on it, especially during races when I wanted instant access.

You have eight running choices on the watch, including ultra runs and even obstacle racing, while triathlon is also an option. If you want to play around with pace, or set a time or speed target on a run, this can be done easily with the help of the PacePro feature. A new projected race time predictor also helped me estimate my target race times and paces.

The watch can also be used as a general sports or exercise tracking watch, while you can also take phone calls and set up your music. Using your morning or evening report, you can also track sleep, plus access more detailed sleep stats in the app. However, it excels most when you're racing or training for a race, keeping you well informed of basic stats such as pace, heart rate and more advanced stats, which can help you in future races.

At less than £100, I love the simplicity and price of the Motorola moto watch fit. It's an affordable pick if you’ve just started your running journey and want to track basic stats such as heart rate and pace.

Imitating a cheaper version of an Apple Watch, it has the same square face design, along with a comfortable fabric wristband. With one button on the side and a touchscreen throughout to navigate, the watch is lightweight, but straight away, you can tell it doesn’t quite match the premium quality of Apple Watch series 11.

With more than 100 sports modes, which include indoor and outdoor running, the navigation is very smooth with a clear picture and no lagging, but the tracking isn’t as accurate as some of its competitors. I took it out on a couple of 5km runs, while I wore the Apple Watch too, and found calories burned and distance slightly off, but not enough for the beginner eye. You won’t find any running coaches or pace setters on this watch, but if you're new to your running journey, it will provide you with enough motivation to get those miles in.

It also covers the basics, which I’d expect most running watches to have as standard, such as calories, heart rate, sleep tracking and steps. Battery life is impressive too, lasting up to 16 days. However, the watch is only compatible with Android phones, which could be off-putting for some.

Launched in September 2025, the Apple Watch series 11 is the brand's latest release, though for runners, it doesn’t feel dramatically different from the Series 9 or 10, nor does the design. That said, it’s still an excellent choice for anyone beginning their fitness or running journey. The signature activity rings are still present, and you can personalise them to suit your goals. I set mine to 50 minutes of exercise and 450 active calories, and most days I hit them easily, even when I was mostly walking.

For running, the watch offers simple but reliable features. You can set goals by time or distance, build interval sessions (such as mile repeats), or use the pacer tool, where you choose your target pace – I used it for a 30-minute 5km. The watch gives real-time stats as you run, including pace per kilometre, heart rate, and distance, and it alerts you as you hit each milestone.

Afterwards, the Fitness app breaks down your run with clear data on splits, cadence, calories, and more, plus a route map so you can review (or repeat) your course.

A standout new feature is ‘Workout Buddy’, introduced with watchOS 26. It isn’t immediately obvious to activate, but once switched on, it provides surprisingly helpful motivation. I used it during a couple of runs, and it genuinely kept me on track for that 30-minute 5km. It’s also one that I’ll use day in, day out, as I love the consistency of the exercise rings, step count and alerts.

Read more: Apple Watch Series 11, Ultra 3 and SE3 review – which smartwatch should you buy?

When they first launched, the Galaxy watches were more of an all-rounder, but with a GPS upgrade and some dedicated running features, they could be a serious contender for casual runners, as well as those who have signed up for 5km and 10km races.

I’ve reviewed various Samsung watches, and this is its thinnest yet (11% thinner than the previous design), meaning it feels lightweight on the wrist as you run. Clear and easy to navigate, I found the watch's interface easy to use while running, as well as post-run while analysing my stats. With updated GPS accuracy, a new energy score, plus AI analysing your sleep, it's a definite upgrade from the brand's Galaxy watch7.

The newest feature is Samsung’s running coach, which plans your weekly runs and tracks basic metrics such as pace and heart rate, along with more advanced metrics. I really appreciated the watch's real-time guidance and insights as I ran, helping me to keep on track for multiple 10km races. If you're not sure of your fitness levels, you can also try out its 12-minute fitness test, giving you a score from 1-10.

The watch, which comes in two sizes, 40 and 44mm, could get uncomfortable to wear all day, as the strap’s sports band (available in 5 colours) dug in at times. Although you can swap it, at an extra cost, for three other types of straps.

Battery life is one feature which lets the watch down, as it only lasts between one to two days. Galaxy watches are also still only compatible with Android phones, so if you're an iPhone user who wants to link to their adjoining health app, it's best to avoid this watch.

Although not a dedicated running watch, the Garmin vivoactive 6 is half the price of some of the brand’s other running watches, making it a good starter watch for newbie runners. The watch is touchscreen, has a lightweight aluminium bezel and a slightly thinner design than its predecessor (vivoactive 5). The vivoactive comes in four colours (green, white, black and pink) and has an updated GPS, which provides more accuracy when measuring runs, cycling or hiking. An updated sensor for tracking movement also meant that other exercises could be tracked with more precision.

You can track up to 80 preloaded sports on the watch, and add your favourites (I added walk, run, strength and cardio). Tracking-wise, especially for running, it's not as detailed as the Garmin forerunner; however, it does give you details such as pace and distance on the watch, while the app gives you more details such as cadence and stride length.

It also has a new running feature called Pace Pro, which allows you to set up a training plan to increase your pace and hit those PBs. I’ve been trying to get a PB for a 10km, so I tried to use it for this – this was easy to set up on the app, but it took a while to understand how it appeared on the watch.

Other new features for running include interval plans and racing against your previous activity. The watch also tracks your sleep score, plus looks at sleep consistency, and if you need it, provides the option for a sleep coach. After using it for a few weeks, I’d like to see it go further, looking at how other metrics like HRV (heart rate variability) and resting heart rate affect how many hours of sleep I need - and how that could have a knock-on effect on my running.

Once charged, the fitness tracker’s battery life lasted around 11 days. Although the battery does drain quickly during heavy run weeks. At just under £300, it sits in the mid-range and is nearly half the price of the new Garmin venu 4 and premium forerunner watches, but for someone new to their running journey, it could give you the data and motivation you need.

Launched in September, the venu 4 is Garmin’s latest addition to the range, bringing updates such as fitness age, a new readiness score and a sleeker design.

I tested the watch across multiple runs, from half marathon training right through to race day, and loved its precise tracking, in-depth stats and helpful alerts as I hit new milestones. Like its predecessor, it displays real-time data including pace, distance and power, and I particularly appreciated the auto-pause setting, which stopped the tracking whenever I did. It was especially useful during interval training and timed laps.

It’s also a reliable gym companion. With more than 80 pre-loaded sport modes, I used it for yoga, strength sessions and Pilates. I even wore it during a fitness competition (Metrix), where it tracked a 600-calorie burn – though my body battery, Garmin’s energy-readiness score, definitely took a hit that day, too.

The venu 4 pairs with the Garmin Connect app, which gives you a deeper view of your health trends, pulling together sleep, fitness and energy data in one place. I found the interface just as intuitive and informative as Apple’s Fitness app.

As well as everyday tracking, the venu 4 monitors key health metrics including HRV, skin temperature and heart rate while you sleep. It also flags when your stats drift outside your normal range.

It’s not a dedicated running watch, and it’s definitely not as detailed as the forerunner series, but it still tracks well. Although a little pricier than the venu 3 and the vivoactive range, this could be the best running watch for mid-range runners who are training for their first half marathons and need more detailed stats.

I loved using the Polar grit x2 watch on trails, helping me navigate tricky routes with its fancy satellite technology and full-colour maps, while its GPS, even in spotty places, seemed pretty accurate too. The Polar grit performed just as well on the road, with multiple running programmes to choose from – I’m halfway through its 10km race plan and love how you can personalise your training plan to suit your level of running.

Although quite bulky for a smart watch, and one I wouldn’t wear unless I’m out running, I still admired the aesthetics, with a copper rim and sapphire glass AMOLED display. Easy to navigate, it gives you a snapshot of details such as steps and sleep as you swipe left, while its five buttons help you navigate the rest. I did, however, find these five buttons excessive and confusing, especially when it also has a touchscreen.

The fitness tests were a plus too, especially the running one, which takes you through a series of runs, upping the pace as you go – I just about kept up with it. Activity is well catered for, with more than 100 options including yoga and cardio, while FitSpark also offers daily, on-demand workouts that the watch will guide you through. SleepWise is the watch's sleep tracking service, giving you daytime alertness insights to help improve your sleep.

I loved the look and detailed technology of this watch, but it’s best suited to a serious runner who is packing in at least 100 miles a week, whether that's on the trails or on the roads.

This is one of the first running watches I’ve tested that genuinely feels like it could give the Garmin forerunner 970 a run for its money. Its large, bright display is a pleasure to navigate, and the depth and accuracy of its running stats and tracking are outstanding.

The watch combines a touchscreen with three side buttons, including a rotating crown. You can use the crown to scroll through its 115 sports and activity modes, although I did notice a slight lag when navigating, most likely down to the hardware rather than the interface itself.

Using the watch for half marathon training and the race itself, plus some interval work, it tracked my runs efficiently and accurately with a spot on GPS. It records past runs in your log book, meaning you can go back and assess past runs, looking at data such as pace, heart rate, cadence and power – I have to admit I regularly geeked out on the data. The watch is also compatible with partner apps such as Strava and Training Peaks.

The watch, available with five different coloured bands, also has a coaching feature, which takes all of this data and builds a clear picture of current training loads, fitness levels via the Suunto app. It’s clever feature that helped me plan my half marathon training.

When it comes to battery life, the watch is quite impressive, lasting for around 15 days when I wasn’t doing any heavy training, and around 50 hours (the brand claims 55 hours) when I was doing a lot of training and running my half marathon.

I loved how bright the watch was (particularly the coral orange strap), but even though it's lighter and more streamlined than its predecessor, I still found it to be chunky on our wrist, so it would be purely for training, rather than an everyday watch.

With a 1.3-inch AMOLED display and a design that closely mirrors the Garmin forerunner 970, the Coros pace pro watch won me over thanks to fewer side buttons that made it far easier to use. It’s one of the few models that can genuinely compete with Garmin’s flagship. From training plans and workout builders to virtual pacers, it goes well beyond standard smartwatch features to give you a far clearer, more comprehensive view of your runs and workouts.

Once I’d figured out how to actually unlock it (you hold down the nozzle on the right FYI), I found its navigation and screen clear and colourful, while its exercise options, including running options extensive. GPS did lag slightly as I started a run, but I appreciated the basic and extensive stats such as power and pace. It also gave me an extensive run report afterwards.

I liked the watch's virtual pacer on a 10km run, which kept me on a track right until the finish line. Other features, such as race predictor and race ready, which give you insights into your fitness levels, were also a clever add-on, and make the Coros pace pro a natural choice for athletes or serious runners.

When it comes to battery life, it's one of the longest we’ve come across, lasting up to 20 days in smart watch mode, and around 30 hours if you're racing. Along with other features, including colour maps, sleep tracking and navigation, it's a clear winner when it comes to value, at around half the price of Garmin’s forerunner 970.

I took the Google pixel watch 4 watch out on a few 5km jogs, and on the very first run, it died on me, despite being fully charged, or so I thought. Not an ideal start. But after that false start, it redeemed itself. I found it refreshingly easy to use, particularly for shorter runs, and comfortable enough to wear day-to-day when I wasn’t working out.

Along with 40 different exercise modes, you can select running as an activity pretty seamlessly by flicking the watch to the left. There are different ways to track your running, too, with options such as pacer or goal mode. You can also turn on alerts while you're running, to inform you of a change in heart rate zone. I found these alerts handy when I was running, but they may become annoying if you’re doing a full marathon.

I’m most drawn to how the Google pixel 4 watch looks, with a circular domeshaped watch face that gives it a ‘bubble’ shape feel. The iris coloured band and slightness of the watch also meant I kept it on when I wasn’t training, as it didn’t feel out of place.

New updates for the pixel 4 watch include a body-response sensor, which helps you identify potential signs of stress, more accurate GPS tracking and updated AI efficiency. Plus there are personalised metrics, such as readiness, cardio load, and target cardio load, to help you on your health and fitness journey.

However, the battery life, which is said to be up to 30 hours when you’re not using it extensively, or around 1 day when you are, put me off. Who wants to be mid race and have their watch fail on them? At £349, it's not the priciest on the list, but it may not be a serious contender for anyone doing more than a 10K race.