The 10 Best Apps for Runners

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Commit Performance

Along with charting fitness and health progress, users can connect with friends within the community, so you and your friends can hold each other accountable and maintain motivation. Not only is it free to use, but it also comes with guided runs, coaching, and personalized plans. This free app offers GPS tracking, audio-guided workouts, weekly and monthly distance challenges to keep you motivated, and personalized coaching plans.

It allows you to compare times with other members of the Strava community or with your own group of friends to boost your motivation. You can also use Strava to set up group challenges, such as the fastest 5K or most miles in a set period of time, to keep your friends and community motivated. Create a free personalized running plan based on your race goal, experience level, and weekly availability. You have direct access to Mark Kennedy, RRCA-certified Distance Running Coach and founder of None to Run. You can reach him at with any questions about the plans, your progress, or running in general. You’ll also find thousands of fellow beginner runners in our online community who are happy to share their experiences and support.

C25K® 5K Running Coach & Map

It syncs with the Strava app rather than coming as a separate app, though the training plan itself is mobile-friendly. You can also set a time or distance to run on your own, and the app will pace you. Before you start using Running by Daily Burn, the app will prompt you for your running goals do you want to get faster, build endurance, crush your first race? This gives the app a good idea of what type of runs to curate for you. You can create training plans for 5K, 10K, half marathon (13.1 miles), and full marathon (26.2 miles) distances. Each plan is customized based on your target race time and training schedule.

Over half our community is 40+ with many in their 50s, 60s, and beyond. The gradual progression (especially in Run Ready and None to Run) gives your body adequate time to adapt. Plus, all plans focus on time rather than pace or distance, removing pressure to “keep up” with others. If you’ve made a commitment to your health and fitness and you’ve made running part of your daily routine, congratulations! You’ve ran 5 miles a few times and you want to see if you’re capable of running something more substantial like a Half Marathon. A Half Marathon is a serious challenge of running 13.1 miles!

Intermediate Marathon Training Plans:

I would like to have it or defining a goal before starting the running journey.The distances in run further, even set to (50km+) the longest distance I’ve seen was 15k. Our slower progression and mandatory strength work specifically address this. Most beginner injuries come from doing too much too soon. By increasing volume gradually and building supporting muscle strength, you’re setting yourself up for long-term success rather than quick burnout. Access all programs, resources, and tracking features to move with purpose and reach your goals. Peloton has also added outdoor running classes to the app, so if you’re a runner who loves to take your training outside, you can follow an audio session from one of your favorite trainers.

Runners Ready to Commit to 26.2

  • Perfect for beginners, it starts with a mix of running and walking, gradually building up your strength and stamina, and helping you get into a regular running habit.
  • I’d recommend giving yourself 6 to 10 weeks to prepare so the progression has enough structure without dragging on.
  • Depending on which watch you buy, you’ll also be able to use the app to access Garmin’s advanced training metrics.
  • Up until now I was like 1000’s of other age groupers, working adult triathletes who trained myself through triathlon.
  • The half marathon is long enough to test your endurance but short enough to reward consistent pacing and preparation.
  • Premium plan upgrades offer additional features like adaptive plan changes when you miss runs, plan editing, progress tracking, strength training integration, and advanced customization options.

The Half-Marathon is a great race to challenge and celebrate you as a runner and athlete. This program is designed to work at home or in the gym, with alternates and modifications included to meet you where you are. Read our full Peloton app review, and our Peloton Tread review here.

best free marathon training app

Start training today

Charity Miles helps you make your miles more meaningful and motivational by donating money for every mile you run to the charity of your choice. You can also form teams with running friends to combine fundraising efforts. To stay motivated, Charity Miles markets.financialcontent prompts you with reminders to run and keep raising money. This fitness app allows you to chart your training runs, track and update weight loss goals, and connect with friends for support.

Additionally, you can enter your weight, fitness level, availability, and future fitness goals into the app and it will create a custom plan for you based on your individual information. If you have an Android, you can stream your workouts on the TV through Chromecast or track your progress through your Wear OS smartwatch. Most beginners need 12–20 weeks to comfortably run a full 5K, depending on their starting fitness. Our recommended path is to complete the None to Run plan first (12 weeks to run 25 minutes straight), then follow the Run to Race 5K plan (8 weeks). That’s about 20 weeks total — and that timeline gives your body enough time to build endurance safely without injury. If you can already run for 25 minutes without stopping, you can skip ahead to Run to Race 5K.

best free marathon training app

adidas Running: Run tracker

After earning a master’s degree in journalism from Cardiff University, Jessica found the perfect way to combine her love of storytelling and fitness into a career. Alongside the free version of the app, Strava has a paid-for membership. You can also track stats such as your maximum speed and altitude increases and decreases. Run The Map also automatically records interval splits, which is a great feature for people who don’t want to have to press a button every time they start or stop an interval. The best way to find out if MOTTIV is advanced enough for you is by going through a training plan. These coaches are literally some of the best in the world at helping amateur runners, triathletes, cyclist, duathletes, and swimrunners be the best version of themselves.

Stroll & Stride (Walking Plan)

This app tracks your workout via GPS (though you can also enter in workouts manually), and features music controls and audio cues/coaching. MyFitnessPal is the natural choice for runners focusing on nutrition. The user-friendly app, which has thousands of foods in its database, makes it easy to record what you eat throughout the day. In the free version, you’ll get a rough caloric breakdown of how what you ate stacked up against your caloric burn for the day. Premium users get daily macronutrient breakdowns as well as the ability to export data and set custom goals.

Linked with the hDrop app, it helps you craft a personalized plan based on your sweat rate and workout type. It offers a new, sleek design that blends well with your clothing and workflow. It also has green and red LEDs as pre-, during, and post-activity indicators. So after several failed attempts at Boston (too slow or got injured during training) I paid for a McMillan running training plan and it was worth every penny. You can use the Final Surge app to view/log your workouts that the McMillan plan puts on your schedule. I hated to pay for a plan with so many free ones but I think the structured training plus the core and mobility work were the keys.

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It’s all of the same motivational chat and music, but without the Tread. If you’re looking to get inspired, perform some race-recon, or just follow (and cheer on) your favorite athletes, you should check to see if your race has its own app. The B.A.A. Boston Marathon Training Plan material is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute any fitness and/or medical advice. You should always consult a qualified and licensed medical professional prior to beginning or modifying any exercise program. Please use personal judgment when participating in any training or exercise program. Information contained within the B.A.A. Boston Marathon Training Plan may not be reproduced or repurposed without approved written consent from the Boston Athletic Association.

Get the most value in your training from excellent coaches

Each week you can choose to run 3, 4 or 5 Guided Runs—from Recovery Runs to Speed Runs and Long Runs. And with the benefit of daily guidance from some of the best coaches and athletes, recovery tips, and nutrition and mindset advice, we’re with you for every step as your coach, teammate, and biggest fan. 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).

Notably, most of these apps are free to download and easy to use. But everyone has to start somewhere, and with personalized training plans, your fitness can progress faster, and you’ll learn the beauty of sports. Otherwise, if you want to ensure every bead of sweat counts, try the Liipoo AbsolutSweat hydration monitor. This app tracks your sweat and mimics scientific lab tests to give you an accurate reading or hydration status quo, including glucose, Sodium, and electrolyte loss.


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