If you have started running recently or if you want to take the step towards quality improvements, whether it is simply to improve as a rider or to prepare for a race, surely you have planned to have a specific watch for runners.

What do you have to value when decanter by one clock or another? What are the necessary things and those that you can do without? We review the characteristics of the watches for runners, and we help you choose yours.

First of all we must take into account what your level as a runner, because this can be decisive when choosing a watch or another. There are certain characteristics that all, regardless of our level, we need; But there are others that can come great and we can do without (and that allow us to lower the price of our purchase).

What the watch should have, whatever your level as a runner

The basic features that a good watch for runners should have:

GPS or geolocation

The built-in GPS allows the clock in question not to depend on the GPS of our mobile when it comes to running (which is what happens with applications designed for mobile). This allows us to leave only with our watch, without needing the mobile, while we perfectly control the kilometers and meters traveled and the rhythms that we carry in our training or career.

Pulsometer

Whether the chest strap (the sensor is connected via bluetooth to the clock) or integrated into the wrist . At the moment the pulsometers integrated in the wrist are of very good quality and they give us practically exact measurements to which we can give a chest band. Of course: the integrated heart rate monitor is one of the features that make the product more expensive. Think about if you make up for the fact that you run more comfortable (usually the runners are not very friendly to the chest band, as it can cause scrapes) to pay a few euros more.

Various measurements during and after the race

A good watch for running should be able to tell us what distance we have traveled, our pace at the time of running, our average pace in the race, which has been the fastest kilometer and which is the slowest … A series Of data that offer us much information about our training and performance . Knowing them can help us improve a lot in the race.

What the watch should have, if you are seriously training for a race

Now, if you are preparing a race for average or long distance (from 10 kilometers, basically) there are some functionality that a clock for runners should includeto facilitate a lot of training and to help you improve. Let’s see what they are:

Possibility of programming series

It is not only worth with the function of “to make turns” in which we mark of manual way when we finish a series and when we start with the following one. The fact of being able to program series of different lengths, times or rhythms , and to be able to mix these concepts together, will make the difference when choosing a good watch. If you are preparing a media, a marathon or an ultra, the series will be a very important part of your training and you have to be able to schedule them in advance.

Ability to program different data on different screens

That the display of the heart rate monitor is easily readable is important (having backlighting if you train at night is basic to see the data), but it is also a plus that we can design our own screens and choose what we can see at any time . Perhaps for you the most important thing is to see the miles you have traveled, but for me it may be very important to know my pulse at all times or know what pace I have in each series. Being able to design our own screens to our liking and be able to move from one to another in a simple way will help us to make the watch a tool in our training, not a nuisance.

Other functionalities that help you in training

In this section we include some of the characteristics that we do not consider as necessary, but that certainly help in the moment of opting for one clock or another.

  • Altitude measurement : If you are a mountain runner , obviously it is a functionality that interests you. Knowing the accumulated gap in your outings and knowing how your body has surrendered when going up and down slopes is important in these cases.
  • A well structured, simple app that offers us the data we need to know: in our days we do practically everything from the mobile or tablet, so it is important that the native app of our watch is clear, easy to synchronize and that offers us All the information we want to know. Having to go to the computer to see the data of my career is an unnecessary embarrassment. Personally, for me this is basic.
  • To be able to program the series and the trainings from the clock or the app:a variant of what we have just indicated . If we can design our trainings from the clock itself or the mobile application, it will be much easier for us. Maybe we are in a place where we do not have access to a computer (travel, for example) and we have to be able to continue doing these things.
  • That the clock is light: put to order, that the clock does not weigh a yard is also a plus. When running you have to be comfortable with a watch that fits well and does not slow you down in the race.
  • Possibility of integrating music: this is a functionality that are gradually integrating the career clocks. The idea is to be able to leave without the mobile to train, since we already have everything that we need in the clock, including our motivational music : we connect a Bluetooth headset, and burn kilometers. It can be a plus, without a doubt, although personally I always go out with the mobile over, in case there is an emergency.

These are our musts as far as race watches: in next articles we will make a comparison with some of the watches that we have right now in the market.

And you, what do you ask your career clock?