Running Tech: The GPS Watch

As new runners, we may stumble across all sorts of recommended items meant to help our training. Whether for recovery, protection from the elements, or fitness enhancement, the volume of these things can seem overwhelming.

In this article, we are going to talk about one commonplace piece of running tech, the GPS watch. We’re not going to compare specific brands, but instead focus on why runners use these watches.

A GPS watch uses—you guessed it—GPS technology to track exactly where you run. This allows your watch to create a map of your route and give you different metrics such as your average running pace and how fast you ran each mile.

For new runners, these metrics can be helpful, since they provide an easy way for you to track your progress. Over time, you’ll be able to see your times getting faster and mileage getting longer, which is incredibly helpful. This is also a way for runners to link their information to social sites—such as Strava—and be able to share their virtual training log with other runners for encouragement.

Many running watches can track other useful data. They may be able to pick up on your heart rate, sleep patterns, resting heart rate, cadence, and more. For a new runner, it can be really satisfying to watch each of these metrics improve over time, so having a baseline can help you track your gains. Also keep in mind that most virtual races, including those hosted by NYRR, will have you upload your race results using GPS data. 

It's important to note that information gleaned from your watch can never replace the need to learn how to listen to your body and run based on how you feel. For this reason, some runners choose to run by time (using just a stopwatch or running a known route without a device) or not look at their GPS watch over the course of their easy runs. You might want to try this as a way to train your body to run by feel.