Top Five iPhone for Runners Apps
Runner’s World Smart Coach
If your’e dead serious about winning your next race, Runner’s World SmartCoach iPhone app can help you to run your fastest ever. The app combines science, mathematics, and 40 years of Runner’s World experience to give you an individualized training program that is proven to work. This app provides you training programs whether you are preparing for a 5K run or a full marathon. Specifically, this iPhone running app lets you ask a few questions and receive a training plan tailored to your current fitness level, generate training plans for 5K, 8K, 5 miles, 10K, 20K, half-marathon and marathon, create training plans for as long as 16 weekends, view workouts a day or a week, select training distances in either miles or kilometers, and create or view your training plan even offline. (Price: $0.99) (Download link)
iRUN Original: The Runner’s Running Log
Unlike the other best iPhone running applications on this list, iRun lets you enter run details after the running event. Hence it lets you keep track of important stats including how many miles you’ve run on a specific pair of shoes. What’s good about this app is that it doesn’t require GPS or Wi-Fi to track how far you’ve ran. The app utilizes an osmotically-active software to track your running tracks. It also lets you send your run info to Twitter including a facility to hashtag your tweets about your running info so you can review it later. (Price: $2.99) (Download link)
Run App
Unlike iRun, Run App uses the iPhone’s built-in GPS for measuring how far you run and how long it took you to finish an exact route. The app displays the distance you’ve travelled, the time elapsed and the current and average pace you did. It also shows splits for each mile/km in a table which is updated every time you pass a mile/km and even alerts you with a sound every time you achieve this. Or if you prefer to get alerted every five minutes you’ve run, you may do so by setting it up. The good thing is that after you’ve run, this iPhone running app will store all your data in the running log. This log also shows the route you’ve taken via a map complete with pins and splits for every mile/km. Other features of the iPhone running app include - measurement of distance and time, calculation of current and average pace, automatic update of mile/km splits, calculation of energy consumption based on your weight, vertical or horizontal mode, option to turn off display without interrupting distance measurement, view route on Google Maps, and more. (Price: $4.99) (Download link)
Personal Running Trainer
Alright, if you don’t want to spend a dollar or two for the best iPhone running application, how about a free app like Personal Running Trainer? This app suits you well whether you are a beginner or an experienced runner. It will help you get into shape to run your next race comfortably. You can choose to train for 5 distances - 1K, 5K, 10K, half-marathon and full marathon. The app provides you with coaching instructions voiced over your own music from time to time to inform you when to run, when to change your pace and when to rest. Created by a Certified Personal Trainer, this app also gives you the option to purchase the full program. Personal Running Trainer has the following training programs - 4 weeks to 1 mile, 8 weeks to 5K, 8 weeks to 10K, 10 weeks to half-marathon and 16 weeks to marathon. (Price: Free) (Download link)
Nike + GPS
With the Nike + GPS iPhone running app, you can track every indoor and outdoor workout easily without the need for a sensor. The app is very useful for tracking where you go and motivating you to run as far as you can. It lets you record your pace, distance and run route using your iPhone’s GPS and accelerometer. The app also gives you voice feedback on how you are doing or where you are while running and motivational messages from Nike’s top athletes as well. Plus you can also listen to your running PowerSong to help you boost your performance. In addition, the app also lets you send each run to Nikeplus.com so that you can brag about it to your friends, join challenges, set goals and connect with members of the Nike+ community. (Price: $1.99) (Download link)
What is the Best iPhone Running Application?
Among the five iPhone running apps we’ve listed, our vote goes to the Personal Running Trainer because of the fact that it is free and yet very useful. For functionality and features, our best iPhone running application has to be RunApp. How about you? Which of these five iPhone running apps is your top choice?
Image credit
Screenshots courtesy of author (iTunes download)
