The Best Apple Watch Running Apps in 2025

6 Apps Tested for Real-World Training (Not Just Pace and Distance)

Running with an Apple Watch has gone way beyond “hit start, hope for the best.”

Between GPS improvements, better heart rate sensors, and a flood of running apps, you can now get live pace feedback, guided workouts, adaptive training plans, and even full race prep – all from your wrist.

But there’s a catch: most running apps still assume you’re only a runner.

If you’re the kind of athlete who:

• runs 2–4 times per week
• lifts a couple of days
• throws in intervals, circuits, or sport on top (we cover that full-picture view in our guide to the best Apple Watch fitness apps for hybrid athletes)

…then choosing the right Apple Watch running app isn’t about the prettiest pace chart. It’s about how well that app works in the context of your whole training week.

We took six of the most popular running apps on Apple Watch – Nike Run Club, Strava, Runna, Apple Fitness+, Adidas Running, and Edge – and scored them across:

• Training structure
• Apple Watch experience
• Coaching & feedback
• Hybrid-training friendliness
• Pricing & value

Here’s what we found.

How We Tested the Best Apple Watch Running Apps

To keep things honest, we used each app the way a real person would:

• Duration: At least 2 weeks in each app
• Workouts: Easy runs, tempo runs, intervals, and long runs (if you’re specifically training for events like HYROX, where 1km repeats sit between heavy stations, our best Apple Watch apps for HYROX training guide looks at that scenario in detail.)
• Devices: Apple Watch + iPhone
• Metrics we looked at:
  • Ease of starting a run from the Watch
  • Pace and distance accuracy (relative, not lab-level)
  • How interval/tempo sessions are handled
  • How easy it is to follow a training plan
  • How well it plays with strength / cross-training days
  • Post-run analysis: simple enough to act on, detailed enough to matter

We also looked at price, trial periods, and how much value you actually get if you stick with the app for a full training block.

For ratings, we’ve used a simple 1–5 scale:

• ★★★★★ Outstanding / best-in-class
• ★★★★☆ Strong, with minor limitations
• ★★★☆☆ Good, but niche or missing key features
• ★★☆☆☆ Weak or too limited for most
• ★☆☆☆☆ Not recommended

Nike Run Club – Best Free Running App for Beginners

Overall rating: ★★★★☆
Best for: New runners, casual runners, people who want guided runs
Watch experience: Smooth and simple

What It Does Well

Nike Run Club has become the default “first running app” for a reason:

• Guided runs: Audio sessions with pacing cues, mental tips, and encouragement. Perfect for people who hate running in silence.
• Clean Watch interface: Start a run quickly, see pace, distance, and time clearly.
• Free price tag: No subscription wall for the basics.

For someone heading out for three 5Ks a week, NRC absolutely gets the job done.

Where It Struggles

For structured training and long-term progress, NRC tops out quickly:

• Training plans are more like collections of runs than true periodised programs.
• There’s limited control over interval details (e.g. specific pace zones, customised rest).
• No support for strength programming or hybrid structure – you’re on your own for gym days.

If you’re starting from zero to 5K or just want a friendly voice in your ear, it’s great. If you’re training for a serious PB or balancing running with heavy gym work, you’ll want more structure.

Strava – Best for Social & Route Tracking

Overall rating: ★★★☆☆
Best for: Runners who care about routes, segments, and social features
Watch experience: Solid, but basic for training

What It Does Well

Strava is less an app and more a running social network:

• Segments & routes: Fantastic for exploring new areas or chasing local PRs - often need premium to access.
• Community features: Clubs, comments, kudos – a huge motivator for many runners.
• Watch app basics: Start/stop a run, see live pace and distance, and sync smoothly.

If sharing runs and competing on segments is what keeps you lacing up your shoes, Strava makes sense.

Where It Struggles

Strava is not really a training app, and it shows:

• No native, structured running plans on the Watch.
• Limited interval support; anything complex needs workarounds.
• Strength/cross-training is treated as generic “workout” entries.

For hybrid athletes, the week quickly looks like chaos: runs logged well, everything else a bunch of orange bars.

Runna – Best Dedicated Running Plans

Overall rating: ★★★★☆
Best for: Runners training for a race (5K to marathon)
Watch experience: Clean, plan-driven, performance focused

What It Does Well

Runna is built around structured running programs:

• Goal-based plans: Choose a distance and target time, and it builds you a program.
• Tempo & interval sessions: Clear on-Watch prompts for pace, intervals, and recovery.
• Progression: Volume and intensity increase intelligently across the block.

The Apple Watch app is one of the better ones for following a pre-set workout: you start the session from your wrist and let it walk you through step by step.

Where It Struggles

Runna assumes that running is the centre of your training universe:

• Strength is handled lightly (or not at all), and there’s no true hybrid program.
• No real support for conditioning circuits, HIIT blocks, or event-style hybrid sessions.
• The plan doesn’t adapt intelligently if your lifting days blow your legs up.

If your main goal is a race PB and you’re happy to keep strength in the background, Runna works very well. If you’re serious about run–lift balance, you’ll hit its limits. For athletes prepping for HYROX or other hybrid events, a more rounded setup like the apps we cover in our HYROX Apple Watch guide will be a better fit.

Apple Fitness+ – Best for Treadmill Classes, Not Full Training Plans

Overall rating: ★★★☆☆
Best for: People who enjoy class-style treadmill sessions or simple runs
Watch experience: Polished, media-first

What It Does Well

Fitness+ running is basically a streaming platform for guided runs:

• High-production video and audio workouts.
• Treadmill-based sessions that integrate with Apple Watch metrics.
• Great if you like “press play and follow along” energy.

It’s ideal for anyone who wants a playlist, some coaching cues, and a general sweat without worrying about long-term structure.

Where It Struggles

As a running training app, Fitness+ is thin:

• No periodised training blocks or target race plans.
• Outdoor running support is limited compared to dedicated running apps.
• No meaningful integration with strength days beyond “here’s another class.”

Good for variety and motivation; not ideal if you want your Watch to double as a coach.

Adidas Running – Best For Casual & Intermediate Runners

Overall rating: ★★★☆☆
Best for: Runners who want solid basics with a big-brand feel
Watch experience: Clean, but not standout

What It Does Well

Adidas Running covers:

• Standard GPS tracking, splits, and pace.
• Some training plan options.
• Challenges and badges for engagement.

On Apple Watch, it’s reliable and straightforward. If you like the Adidas ecosystem, it’s a friendly home.

Where It Struggles

It doesn’t really push into “serious training” territory:

• Interval support is basic.
• Training plans are generic and not tightly integrated into Watch workouts.
• No real thinking about hybrid weeks or heavy strength work.

It’s fine, but in a crowded field, “fine” doesn’t stand out.

Edge – Best Apple Watch Running App for Hybrid Athletes

Overall rating: ★★★★★
Best for: Runners who also lift, do HIIT, or train for hybrid events
Watch experience: Built from the ground up for hybrid training

What It Does Well

Edge is the outlier in this list because it starts with a different question:

“How do we build an app for people who run AND lift AND do conditioning, without their training falling apart?”

On Apple Watch, Edge delivers:

• Structured running sessions – tempo, intervals, long runs – with pace guidance and clear cues.
• Strength training – sets, reps, rest timers, and progression tracked on the same device.
• HIIT and conditioning – AMRAPs, EMOMs, and circuit-style work handled cleanly.
• Full workouts on the Watch – you can leave your phone in the locker.
• Hybrid-aware programming – running workouts live alongside strength and conditioning in one plan.

For a hybrid athlete, this solves the central problem: you don’t need a separate running app, strength app, and HIIT timer. One Watch app handles the entire training week. We dive deeper into how that works across a full week in our article on the best Apple Watch fitness apps for hybrid athletes in 2025.

Where It Struggles

Edge isn’t trying to be a social network or class platform:

• There’s less emphasis on social features than Strava.
• If you only want casual class-style workouts, Fitness+ will feel more entertaining.
• Pure marathon specialists might still prefer a running-only ecosystem.

But for anyone who wants to be strong, fit, and fast at the same time, the trade-off makes sense.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Ease of Use on Watch

• Nike Run Club: ★★★★★ – tap and go, clear screens
• Strava: ★★★★☆ – simple, but basic
• Runna: ★★★★☆ – best for following structured runs
• Apple Fitness+: ★★★☆☆ – optimized for classes, less for outdoor training
• Adidas Running: ★★★☆☆ – clean but unremarkable
• Edge: ★★★★☆ – slightly more going on (because hybrid), but well organised

Training Structure

• Nike Run Club: ★★★☆☆ – decent, but light on periodisation
• Strava: ★★☆☆☆ – almost none built-in
• Runna: ★★★★★ – strongest pure running structure
• Apple Fitness+: ★★☆☆☆ – variety, but not long-term structure
• Adidas Running: ★★☆☆☆ – basic plans only
• Edge: ★★★★☆ – strong, especially when you include strength + conditioning in the picture

Hybrid-Training Friendliness (Running + Strength + HIIT)

• Nike Run Club: ★★☆☆☆
• Strava: ★★☆☆☆
• Runna: ★★☆☆☆
• Apple Fitness+: ★★☆☆☆
• Adidas Running: ★★☆☆☆
• Edge: ★★★★★ – built expressly for this

Value for Money

(Assuming standard subscription pricing; NRC and Strava can be used free with some limitations.)

• Nike Run Club: ★★★★★ (free for core features)
• Strava: ★★★★☆ (free tier fine for many; paid for depth)
• Runna: ★★★★☆ (good if you complete full plans)
• Apple Fitness+: ★★★☆☆ (great if you use multiple class types, overkill if only using running)
• Adidas Running: ★★★☆☆ (solid but not unique)
• Edge: ★★★★☆ (particularly strong value if you’re replacing both a running and strength app)

Which Apple Watch Running App Should You Use?

Choose Nike Run Club if…
You’re new to running and just want guidance, a friendly voice, and a free way to build consistency.

Choose Strava if…
Community, routes, and segments are what keep you motivated, and you’re happy to handle training plans elsewhere.

Choose Runna if…
You’re focused on a specific running goal – like a 10K PB or first marathon – and your lifting is light or secondary.

Choose Apple Fitness+ if…
You love class-style workouts and mostly run on the treadmill, and you’re less worried about structured progression.

Choose Adidas Running if…
You want a solid, brand-aligned running tracker and are okay with generic plans.

Choose Edge if…
You’re a hybrid athlete. You run, you lift, you do intervals, and you want your Apple Watch to understand all of it – not just the miles.

Final Take

There isn’t a single “best” Apple Watch running app for everyone. There is a best one for the way you actually train.

For pure runners, apps like Runna or Nike Run Club make a lot of sense.

But more and more athletes are training in a hybrid way: they want a stronger deadlift and a faster 5K; they care about both their long runs and their Saturday circuits. If that’s you, start with our Apple Watch hybrid fitness app comparison, and if HYROX is on your calendar, check out the best Apple Watch apps for HYROX training next.

For that crowd, the Apple Watch finally has an app that speaks their language.
And that’s where Edge pulls ahead.

Downoad Edge today for your free 7 day trial

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