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Table of Contents
Best Apps For Jogging
- Strava
Best running app overall
A screenshot from Strava, one of the best running apps
(Image credit: Strava)
If you need people around you to keep you motivated, Strava is the app to download right now. The community part of the app allows you to follow your friends, running frenemies, and work colleagues and even set up group challenges, like fastest 5K or longest monthly mileage.
That said, if you’re not a competitive runner, don’t let this put you off. Strava has all the running tracking features you’d expect – from running speed and distance travelled, to more in-depth performance analytics and weekly miles.
Strava supports a variety of running trackers in addition to Wear OS devices and Apple Watch. (Just make sure you opt out of the location tracking features if you happen to be around restricted areas.)
There are also handy features like Strava Beacon, which are designed to keep you safe, by allowing your friends or family members to track your live location on a run.
Strava supports a variety of running trackers in addition to Wear OS devices and Apple Watch. (Just make sure you opt out of the location tracking features if you happen to be around restricted areas.)
Alongside the free version of the app, Strava has a paid-for membership, named Summit. Strava Summit gives you access to more features, such as more in-depth race and performance analysis and the Strava maps feature, which allows you to easily find route suggestions from your current location. Strava Summit costs $5.00 per month or $59.99 per year.
Read our full Strava app review here.
Download Strava Running and Cycling: Android, iOS
- Map My Run by Under Armour
Best running app for map building
a screenshot from the ‘map my run’ running app
(Image credit: MapMyFitness)
Map My Run, now developed by Under Armour, uses the GPS and other sensors in your phone to track and map your running course, time, speed, and total distance traveled.
The app displays both your real-time stats and your end-of-run totals. Useful extras include support for a variety of fitness trackers and heart rate sensors, Wear OS support and nutrition tracking. A premium subscription provides voice coaching and location sharing and removes ads.
Another cool feature now that the app is developed by Under Armour is that newer Under Armour running shoes will connect to Map my Run via Bluetooth, allowing your shoes to sync your running data to the app the second you step back through the front door.
Enjoy other activities besides running? You’ll find separate apps for cycling, walking and general fitness from Under Armour in both Google Play and Apple’s App Store.
Read our full Map My Run app review.
Download Map My Run: Android, iOS
- Runkeeper
Best running app for training plans
a screenshot from the ‘runkeeper’ running app
(Image credit: ASICS Digital)
A perennial favorite among runners, Runkeeper uses your phone’s GPS to track your running, cycling, hiking and other distance activities. The app records your pace, distance, total exercise time, calories burned and other useful metrics, while delivering a variety of training plans, complete with reminders and gamified challenges.
Users can go freeform or download and follow popular running routes. You can measure your progress and workout history, as well as sync with numerous other apps and services and receive detailed reports of your tracked activity.
Runkeeper also works with a variety of smartwatches and fitness devices such as the Apple Watch and Wear OS devices.
Read our full Runkeeper app review.
Download Runkeeper: Android, iOS
- Peloton
Best running app for treadmill runners
a screenshot from the peloton app, one of the best running apps
(Image credit: Peloton)
If you’re a runner who prefers to clock your miles indoors, finding an app that makes treadmill running more fun can be a challenge. The good news? The Peloton app can be used on all treadmills, not just Peloton’s own Tread, and it’s got loads of great on-demand and live classes for runners to choose from.
The main plus with the Peloton app is its trainers – from Becs Gentry to Chase Tucker. There are themed runs for runners who want to have fun, we particularly loved the Disney run, and you can tailor the runs by time or your goal. The sessions were extremely motivating and were easy to follow even using an iPhone propped up against the screen of the treadmill.
Peloton offers a month’s free trial for their app, which is a fantastic amount of time to really test its different features (there are cycling and strength training workouts on there too). After that, it’ll cost $12.99 per month.
Read our full Peloton app review, and our Peloton Tread review here.
Download Peloton: Android, iOS
- NHS Couch to 5K
Best running app for beginners
A screenshot of the NHS couch to 5K running app
(Image credit: Couch to 5K)
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An app that became extremely popular during the Coronavirus pandemic, the NHS Couch to 5K app is a brilliant way to take your first steps into the world of running. Developed by Public Health England, the app takes you from zero to running for 30 minutes in as little as nine weeks.
You can choose your own personal trainer, who give you audio prompts and encouragement along the way. The app starts with a mixture of run-walking intervals, giving you audio prompts of when to start running. You’ll then gradually build up to running more of the session than walking.
While it might be limited in some ways (it’s only really suitable for new runners, or runners returning from time off), it’s a brilliant way to get into a regular running routine. It’s also completely free.
Read our full NHS Couch to 5K app review here.
Download NHS Couch to 5K: Android, iOS
- Stride
Best new running app
Screenshot of the Stride running app
(Image credit: Stride)
Relatively new to the running app market, Stride allows you to track your runs and walks via your phone’s GPS and play against other users nearby to control the biggest territory. You can play with neighbours or friends for champion status, and you’ll get rewarded for determination over speed.
This isn’t the best app for serious runners – there are no training plans or competitive running metrics, but if you want to make running with your local running club more fun, it’s a cool way to do that.
There’s a 7-day free trial when you download the app, after that it’s $3.99 per month. There’s also a yearly subscription that starts from $22.99 per month.
Read our full Stride app review.
Download Stride: Android, iOS
- Apple Fitness Plus
Advertisement Best running app for treadmill runners with an Apple watch
A screenshot of the Apple Fitness Plus app
(Image credit: Apple)
Another one for treadmill runners, the Apple Fitness Plus subscription has a number of treadmill workouts to keep you busy. It’s tough to choose between this and Peloton, we found the Peloton app slightly more user-friendly but loved the lively Hip Hop sessions on Apple Fitness Plus and the fact you get a three-month subscription free when you buy an Apple Watch.
The sessions are divided up by time and music, so if you’ve only got 10 minutes to spare, that’s enough to get a sweat on. There are not the same live workouts as there are on the Peloton app, but Apple has announced that group classes will be rolled out onto the platform later this fall.
Unsurprisingly, Apple Fitness Plus is only available on Apple devices. Apple Fitness Plus costs $9.99 for a month or $79.99 for a year.
Read our full Apple Fitness Plus review here.
How to subscribe to Apple Fitness Plus
- Nike Run Club
Best running app for runners with an Apple Watch
a screenshot from the Nike Run Club running app
(Image credit: Nike)
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Nike may have ditched the FuelBand, but the company still makes a mean run tracker with the Nike Run Club, which now comes baked in with the Nike+ edition of the Apple Watch. The Nike Run Club app itself has added Apple Watch complications to provide at-a-glance stats and motivation, so this is an ideal option if you’re a new Apple Watch 6 owner.
Designed for beginners and veteran runners alike, the app is an all-around run tracker, music player and social networking tool for runners. The app measures a variety of metrics such as your pace, distance run and mile splits; it also includes a variety of coaching plans that adapt to your fitness goals and progress.
Once you’re done with your run, you can share your details complete with photos, stats and stickers, and compare your progress with other runners. In addition to the built-in music player, the app also allows you to listen to audio cheers sent by friends, as well as encouragement from Nike’s pro athletes.
Read our full Nike Run Club review here.
Download Nike Run Club: Android, iOS
- Zwift
Best running app for runners who run and cycle in the gym
a screenshot from the Zwift running app
(Image credit: Zwift)
If you find yourself doing a lot of exercising at home these days, Zwfit can help you change up your surroundings while you shelter in place. And the mobile app even adds a little gamification to your runs as part of the bargain.
With Zwift, you can take your runs to virtual courses, while staying on your treadmill. Along with the different courses, you’ll run alongside other people, using their times for encouragement or competition.
You’ll need a compatible treadmill and footpod to make Zwfit work — the company lists compatible devices on its website. But the run aspect of Zwift is free to use. (Zwift also works with cycling, but after a 7-day trial, rides require a $15 monthly membership.) If you’ve got the right equipment, Zwfit offers a unique way to get more out of your at-home runs.
Download Zwift: Android, iOS
- Charity Miles
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Best running app for motivation
a screenshot from the Charity Miles running app
(Image credit: Charity Miles)
Going out for a run can do more than just improve your health — it can also raise money for a good cause. Charity Miles looks to take all that exercise you’ve been logging and turning it into cash for the charities of your choice, whether you get friends, family and employers to sponsor you, or you direct money from Charity Miles’ corporate sponsorship pool.
When you launch the app, you can pick the charity of your choice — there are more than 50 supporting causes that range from Autism Speaks and Feeding America to the American Lung Association and the Nature Conservancy. The Charity Miles app then syncs with either the Apple Health data stored on your iPhone or the built-in pedometer on your Android device. (It also syncs up with Strava, the best running app on this list.) Then, every time you log a mile as you run, you’re earning money for your charity.
Best running apps for beginners
- Nike+ Run Club
The Nike+ Run Club app is usually where most people start. First of all, it’s free, available on both iOS and Android, and features fun coaching features to help even the most devoted couch potatoes take to the pavement. You’ll also love that this app can sync with your Spotify, so you can listen to your favorite tracks without missing your in-app coach’s cues. And bonus: It links up with your Apple Watch, too, for hands-free running! (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases). - Human
While Human is first and foremost a running app, its strengths actually lie in its ability to also moonlight as an activity tracker. This app runs in the background at all times, tracking your fitness and activity, not unlike the Health app on iOS. Human is great at motivating users to get going and reach their daily 30 minutes of exercise, but it also compares your data to a leaderboard, too, to encourage a little healthy competition. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases). - Strava GPS Cycling and Running
Runners and bicyclists alike love Strava for its super-detailed GPS tracking. It’s one of the best apps on this list for accurately tracking your hikes, runs, and bicycle routes. While it’s totally free to use, there is a premium membership offered that also provides access to Strava’s safety feature, called Beacon. Beacon allows runners (or cyclists) to alert up to three contacts of their location. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases). - Runcoach
If tracking isn’t as important to you and what you’re really looking for is a coached run, Runcoach is perfect for training. The app itself uses an adaptive algorithm based on your prior workouts to measure your progress and the goals you should be targeting. It also features a Race Improvement Calculator option, which can come in handy for any runner planning for an upcoming marathon. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).
Related: 100 Best Quotes About Running
- Pacer
Pacer is a free running and pedometer app that offers accurate step tracking, personalized fitness plans, and 24/7 activity tracking. Another fun bonus is the interactive Pacer community where you can find advice, insight, and more from fellow runners. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases). - Adidas Runtastic
The Adidas Runtastic app is totally free, but it also features a premium membership (as most running apps do) for those who want more intensive coaching and tracking options. It offers training plans, in-app challenges, and tracking options for both runs and bicycle rides. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases). - TrainAsOne
An AI running app, TrainAsOne is specifically designed to not only create the best training plan for your running, but to also actually help you meet your goals. But most running apps claim to do this, right, so what makes TrainAsOne better? Well, the answer is its AI—artificial intelligence—features that more accurately measure your progress versus your goal. TrainAsOne is always updating your training plan, but if you plan on using it long-term, you may have to pay a monthly fee. It’s free, but only for a 21-day trial period. (iOS, Android, Garmin, free with in-app purchases). - ZSwift
Also popular amongst cyclists, ZSwift is designed for keeping track of indoor workouts. If you prefer running indoors on a treadmill, this may be the app for you. With this indoor running app, you run on virtual roads while your digital avatar follows along. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases). - Runkeeper
One of the most popular running apps is Runkeeper by ASICS, which has been around since 2008. Runkeeper has a ton of great features to offer, including insights, workouts and training plans, as well as trainer guidance from the pros. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).
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- MapMyRun
Brought to you by UnderArmour, MapMyRun is a free running app that tracks just about everything—runs, distance, pace, calories burned, elevation, and more. (iOS, Android, free with in-app purchases).
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