Let’s be honest: Outdoor running is great for your mind and body, but you may lead a busy life and only have time to run when it’s dark out. Or maybe you’re training for a longer race, such as a 10K, and your routes lead you away from home.

That’s why our running watches have safety-enhancing features such as LiveTrack, fall detection (fall detection only available on Venu^® 4), incident detection and assistance. Plus, with LTE connectivity on select wearables, you can remain connected — even without your phone¹.

What is LiveTrack?

LiveTrack creates a real-time view of your location when you’re out running or doing any GPS-based activity so friends and family can follow along wherever you are. This is a great way for your biggest fans to cheer you on every step of the way on race day, but it also helps give you and your loved ones peace of mind while you’re training.

To start a LiveTrack session, pair your compatible Garmin device with the Garmin Connect app and enable LiveTrack for your GPS-based activity. When you select Auto Start, all future timed activities on that device will automatically start a LiveTrack session and can be sent via email to designated contacts. With a Garmin Connect+ plan, your friends and family can be notified via text when you start an activity on a compatible device. You can also create a personalized LiveTrack profile page where followers can view a map with the current location of your phone or LTE-connected device (if available).

How do fall detection, incident detection and assistance work?

Fall detection, incident detection and assistance features can send alerts to your friends and family when you need help. These features offer a couple of ways to get in contact with your loved ones. To utilize these features, pair your smartphone with a Garmin GPS-enabled device and ensure you’re in an area with cell coverage.

Fall detection

Looking for a safety-enhancing feature with all-day monitoring? Venu 4 users can enable fall detection to track throughout the day or for specific activities such as running, walking or cycling. If your Venu 4 smartwatch detects a fall, your smartwatch can send a message² with your location (if available) to your 3 designated assistance contacts.

Incident detection

If your Garmin running watch detects an incident during an activity, your paired smartphone or your fēnix^® 8 or fēnix® 9 Pro Premium GPS smartwatch can send an automated message through Garmin Connect with your name and GPS location (if available) to up to 3 assistance contacts when enabled.

Before the message is sent, you’ll receive a notification on your smartwatch or paired smartphone that your designated assistance contacts will be notified within 30 seconds. You can cancel the automated message if help isn’t needed.

Learn more about requirements and setting up incident detection on your device before starting your next activity.

Assistance

Whether in the middle of an activity or not, users can get in touch with designated assistance contacts directly from their wrist if they need help. To manually notify your assistance contacts, request assistance and your watch can send a message with your name, LiveTrack link and GPS location (if available).

What about LTE connectivity and SOS messaging capabilities?

When connected to the LTE network, you can use your fēnix 8 or 9Pro to send 30-second voice messages, make and take phone calls, or send and receive text messages from other fēnix 8 or 9 Pro or Garmin Messenger app¹ users.

Plus, safety-enhancing features, like LiveTrack and incident detection, on inReach-capable smartwatches work with the LTE network so you can leave your phone behind. Your LiveTrack location (if available) as well as incident detection alerts and notifications can be sent directly from your wrist.

When you activate an SOS alert on your fēnix 8 or 9 Pro, it sends a message over satellite or cellular connectivity to Garmin Response℠, our 24/7 international emergency coordination center that can connect you to help if you need it².

Ultimately, running is about freedom. When you’re equipped with a Garmin running and triathlon watch with safety-enhancing features, you can focus on the challenge — and worry less.

¹_{Active plan required; LTE network coverage is not available in all regions. Satellite connection and SOS functionality on this device have important limitations compared to other inReach devices that could affect the performance of connected features, making them unavailable in certain situations. Check Garmin.com/fenix8profeaturerequirements for requirements and limitations and to see which services are accessible in your area — or in areas to where you may be traveling to ensure the performance, coverage and service levels of this device are suitable for your intended use.}

²_{When paired with your smartphone; see Garmin.com/ble. For safety and tracking feature requirements and limitations, see Garmin.com/safety.}

The post How Garmin helps you run with peace of mind appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Want to easily track your distance, pace yourself, improve your training, and more? Here’s how Garmin smartwatches can help swimmers

Recreational swimmers and athletes alike spend countless hours in the pool year-round. Whether refining their technique or pushing through high-intensity interval workouts, dedicated swimmers are always looking for ways to improve.

If your goal is to improve your distance, times or technique, Garmin has multiple multisport GPS smartwatches with dedicated swim features, such as select fēnix® and Forerunner® smartwatches, to optimize daily training and race-day performance.

Let’s dive into the features that make Garmin smartwatches a powerful training partner in the water.  

Know your distance

Tired of counting laps? Your Garmin swim watch can do it for you.

Enter your pool size and your compatible smartwatch will automatically calculate and track the distance you swam.

Swimmers can’t always look at their watch mid-swim, which is why you can set up customizable distance alerts to notify you with a long tone and vibration on your last length. Many swimmers use an alert every four lengths to help them keep track of their distance. 

Training with intervals and rest monitoring

Interval training is an effective way to improve your swimming by combining different distances and intensities to build endurance, technique and speed. That’s why your swimming smartwatch has two styles of rest timers for effective training and rest monitoring.

With auto rest enabled, your Garmin smartwatch will automatically detect when you’re in motion or when you’ve stopped to recover. The watch timer starts and stops based on your movement so you can focus on your workout instead of managing your timer.

For the most precise interval timing or for rests shorter than 10 seconds, simply press the Lap button to start and end rest periods. Want to get set into position before pushing off the wall? Turn on Countdown Start and the interval timer will begin as you leave the wall.

To get the most out of your workouts, it’s important to monitor your rest time, which is why your Garmin device gives you two options. If you’re aiming for a certain amount of rest between efforts, your Garmin smartwatch will display your rest time. If you’re training by send-off time, the timer will count up from the start of your last interval. So, if your goal is 8×100 meters on a two-minute sendoff time, rest until the timer gets to two minutes and then push off again.

Pacing yourself

Going for a long interval and curious if you’re on track to hit your target pace? Pacing alerts are your answer.

To ensure you’re hitting your ideal split, enter your target pace and your watch will alert you at each turn, signaling when you should be turning and pushing off the wall. If it alerts you before you’ve completed your turn, you’re behind your target pace. If it alerts you after you’ve pushed off, you’re ahead of pace. For those looking for even splits, this might be your signal to slow down. But if you’re looking to achieve a negative split, you’re in a great position to do so.

Depending on your workout and goals, easily mute or adjust pacing alerts.

Swim drills

Improving your technique often means isolating elements of your stroke, such as body position and rotation, your catch, pull, and recovery phases, or your kick mechanics, and building muscle memory by repeating them until they become second nature. But when you deviate too far from any of the four standard stroke types, it can affect the accuracy of your smartwatch’s tracking. That’s where drill mode comes in.

Drill mode allows you to ensure your distance is accurate when you’re doing kick sets, one-arm swim, catch-ups and more. Use the drill logging data screen and then follow the on-screen instructions for accurate time and distance data.

Confidence in your performance starts with a Garmin smartwatch. Browse our lineup of smartwatches with dedicated swim features to round out your swim gear.

The post Improve your swim training with Garmin appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Outfitting your boat with Garmin marine audio is essential for setting up the ultimate boating experience

If you’re looking for high-quality audio that cuts through wind and engine noise for an elevated boating experience, you’ve come to the right place.

Garmin audio systems are built with Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology for superior audio performance and power management for system protection. Plus, they’re built to withstand saltwater and harsh marine environments for years of quality listening.  

Ready to install your new favorite marine audio electronics? Let’s break down Garmin marine audio offerings so you can decide what makes the most sense for your boat.

Superior marine speakers

Looking for superior marine speakers? We’ve got you covered. Delivering optimized sound for all listening ears onboard, Garmin marine speakers can be installed in the cabin, in the open or as enclosed marine speakers, so even those who are wakeboarding can hear. Plus, JL Audio® marine speakers have DMA-optimized woofers for reduced distortion, clear audio and deep bass. Matching silk dome or pure silk tweeters help speakers output crystal-clear high-frequency sound.

JL Audio M3: These speakers are an excellent choice for those wanting quality audio. Thanks to DMA-optimized woofers and pure silk tweeters, these durable speakers provide quality bass and high-pitched sound. Plus, sport style grilles come with optional RGB LED lighting for an enhanced look.

JL Audio M6: For sound you can rely on, JL Audio M6 speakers provide maximum performance from DMA-optimized woofers and matching silk dome tweeters. You can expect excellent bass, crisp detail and balanced audio coverage. Advanced filter networks are placed in each speaker for tweeter protection and to ensure everyone in the listening area continues to hear their favorite tunes with superior quality. Giving these speakers an enhanced look can be credited to Transflective RGB LED lighting that’s radiant and smooth.

Powerful subwoofers

Though JL Audio speakers come with woofers, some boaters prefer to upgrade their setup so it’s dedicated solely to deep bass. If that’s you, we’ve got the JL Audio marine subwoofer.

JL Audio M3: Focused on smooth, precise, balanced bass, JL Audio M3 marine subwoofers are a solid choice. These models have an infinite baffle installation, which means they can perform without a dedicated enclosure. They’re also built to withstand harsh marine conditions.

JL Audio M6/M7: The premium JL Audio M6 and M7 marine subwoofers are the kings of bass with power handling up to 600 watts RMS for an unparalleled listening experience. Plus, they’re purpose-built to operate without dedicated enclosures, relying only on large volumes of air so you’ll get powerful sound.

Premium head units

With sleek and modern design features, Garmin head units belong on every boat. Built with sound quality, amplification, high-resolution audio and integration in mind, Garmin head units offer seamless audio streaming. Easy to install, consider upgrading to an advanced head unit system.

JL Audio A60: Fit for your helm, this sleek, compact marine head unit brings premium sound to 4 separate audio zones in midsize boats. If you have JL Audio M3 speakers onboard, the JL Audio A60 head unit is the perfect pairing. Bluetooth® LE technology audio streaming lets you easily control sound from your smart device, including the Garmin Audio app or quatix® marine smartwatches, anywhere on the boat.

Fusion Apollo MS-RA800: If you’re looking for our best of the best, consider the Fusion Apollo MS-RA800 marine head unit; you’ll thank yourself when you have this water-resistant, salt-protected head unit for the long haul. Autophiles will appreciate this head unit’s high-end components and built-in amplifier that delivers 4 x 40 watts RMS, twice the power of the previous generation. When it’s time to play your favorite songs, built-in Wi-Fi® connectivity lets you use AirPlay® audio streaming. Plus, enjoy synced audio sources, audio control and power options when you create an onboard network with other Apollo Series head units. For even more integration across your boat, pair your Garmin MFD to your head unit through the NMEA 2000® network or Garmin BlueNet network.

Advanced marine amplifiers

Garmin amplifiers ensure the power and clarity you need are delivered to the speakers and subwoofers onboard. Easy to install, choose between monoblock or multichannel Garmin amplifiers based on the setup you’re looking for. Depending on the RMS power you need, you can choose among various total power options.

JL Audio XDM: Fit for your boat, the JL Audio XDM amplifier offers powerful sound at sea. Multiple configurations make it easy to fit this amplifier nearly anywhere. NexD technology operates efficiently while providing clear sound and outstanding noise rejection thanks to the dual-mode input filter and differential-balanced inputs.  

JL Audio MVi: The JL Audio MVi marine amplifier is perfect for those looking for a luxury setup that provides unmatched fidelity and performance. Thanks to advanced DSP functions — such as equalizer, delay, crossover signal routing, mixing and more — and TüN® software, your amplifier automatically adjusts to provide you the best audio. Plus, it’s equipped with NexD2 technology that synchronizes your amps power supply and output channels, so you get top-flight fidelity with ultralow noise and distortion.

Life on the water isn’t complete until you have a top-tier entertainment system. Better listening starts with Garmin, so browse our full lineup of Garmin marine audio.

_{The Bluetooth word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Garmin is under license. AirPlay and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.}

The post What marine audio should I put on my boat? appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Garmin once again claims top spot in the flight deck avionics category of Aviation International News’ Product Support Survey

Confidence is everything in aviation, and for more than two decades, pilots and operators have trusted Garmin more than any other company. In 2026, Garmin once again topped Aviation International News’ (AIN) Product Support Survey, earning the highest position in most survey categories and a 23rd consecutive No. 1 ranking in flight deck avionics.

Here are the categories Garmin support teams were judged on:

• Overall reliability (9.25 rating)
• Parts availability (8.89)
• AOG response (8.73)
• Technical representatives (8.71)
• Cost-per-hour programs (8.67)
• Cost of parts (7.73)

Why this honor matters

The annual survey hands down rankings based on feedback from pilots and aviation professionals who rely on Garmin products every day. This means unbiased parties rate companies based on their own personal experiences in the cockpit of their business jets, pressurized turboprop airplanes and turbine-powered helicopters.

The Garmin aviation team has long prided itself on delivering the best service to its customers, and it consistently shows in AIN’s survey.

“I want to congratulate our entire team on this incredible accomplishment. It couldn’t have been done without everyone pulling in the same direction to do what we do best — providing exceptional support to our customers,” said Phil Straub, Garmin Executive Vice President and Managing Director, Aviation.

What is the Garmin Aviation Training Academy?

The Garmin Aviation Training Academy continues to see enhancements to offer dealers and service centers a robust library of maintenance training videos and modules. Garmin also has a database management support team and video chat capabilities for customers. Learn more about the aviation resources Garmin makes available for customers.

Click here to read AIN’s full survey report. Contact our award-winning support team here.

The post 23 years running: Garmin still No. 1 in avionics support appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Garmin’s flight control system for helicopters makes flying easier, even in demanding conditions

Helicopter operations demand a lot. Complicated missions, adverse weather, complex environments and high workload are part of the job for even the most experienced pilot.

Whether you’re a helicopter owner or fleet operator, you need technology that works as hard as your team does. The Garmin GFC 600H flight control system was designed with one goal in mind: to support the skilled helicopter pilot by making their job less fatiguing.

Supporting pilots with helicopter-tailored features

Flying a helicopter takes a high level of skill that’s refined and mastered over time. But beyond stick-and-rudder demands, helicopter pilots are also simultaneously managing navigation, situational awareness, communications and mission execution. That’s where GFC 600H becomes an incredible asset.

GFC 600H provides advanced digital automation features — including attitude hold with speed stability, hover assist, Helicopter Stability and Protection (Garmin H-ESP) technology, automatic return-to-level (LVL) mode and more — that help the helicopter pilot reduce fatigue. This allows the pilot to stay focused on executing the mission at hand. Cyclic-mounted controls allow easy engagement of the system’s primary functions without taking a hand off the controls.

Stability where it counts

At its core, GFC 600H is an attitude-based flight control system built on advanced AHRS technology with redundant, cross-checking sensors. Key features include:

• Garmin H-ESP — Works continuously, even when the system isn’t engaged, to help maintain a stable flight condition. The H-ESP keeps the helicopter within an envelope and at appropriate pitch, roll and airspeed levels. It can be manually disabled for tactical maneuvers.
• LVL mode — Automatically recovers the aircraft from unusual attitudes and returns it to straight-and-level flight.
• Hover assist — Automatically provides inputs to help maintain position when hovering. Add the available yaw axis servo and it holds heading in hover too.
• Overspeed and low speed protection — Actively manages airspeed limits in both directions, with Low-G protection also available for the Bell 505.

Seamless integration with Garmin avionics

The sought-after stability features of the GFC 600H don’t operate in isolation. The system integrates with feature-rich compatible Garmin avionics, including G500H TXi flight displays, GTN Xi series navigators, GI 275 attitude indicator and GNC® 215 NAV/COMM radio. For en route and approach navigation, compatible WAAS-enabled navigators like the GTN Xi series and G1000H® NXi integrated flight deck allow the system to automatically fly lateral and vertical flight paths, including search and rescue patterns, visual approaches, altitude hold, vertical speed and more.

Flexible configuration and helicopter availability

GFC 600H supports both 2-axis and 3-axis configurations, features an NVG-compatible mode controller and is backed by our industry-leading product support team. Supplemental type certification has been completed for a variety of helicopters. GFC 600H was made available for Airbus H130 and is also available on a variety of different models.

Find a dealer

Contact your local authorized Garmin dealer to explore GFC 600H configuration options and find the right setup for your helicopter.

The post How our GFC 600H helps helicopter pilots fly smarter appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Learn to use LiveScope 2 settings for better fishing and a clearer view of life below the surface.

LiveScope 2 is an avid anglers dream. With improved resolution, LiveScope 2 users get visually captivating and realistic underwater views. Fish, lure, brush piles and anything else under the surface is suddenly clearer than ever.

If you’ve decided to upgrade your boat with this improved marine electronic, spending a couple hours on the water is a good way to get familiar with setting adjustments. To dial in on the fish below, take time and learn how each setting impacts the image on your screen.

But before you head out, read on as we reveal tips and tricks for running LiveScope 2 on your boat.

What’s new with the LiveScope 2 series?

Let’s first break down everything you’re getting.

With LiveScope 2 LVS44 onboard, you’ll receive 20% higher resolution and 25% more range, meaning you can track out to 250′ in forward and down modes. From your chartplotter, pick fish off the bottom as well as ones that are tight to cover. Thanks to improved visibility, anglers can adjust their strategy in real time and strike with confidence when the opportunity arises.  

Anglers who care about detailed imagery within a shorter range will appreciate LiveScope 2 HD LVS42HD. For clearer imagery and better target separation, LiveScope 2 HD offers 50% more detail near the boat. Plus, track castable distances out to 125′ in forward and down modes.

Simplifying installation without sacrificing sonar performance, LiveScope 2 models eliminate the need for a black box, meaning your transducer delivers sonar data straight to your compatible chartplotter. When it’s time to move spots, simply lift the transducer out of the water and your sonar will automatically turn off.

How does cone angle compare on LiveScope 2?

Anglers with LiveScope Plus systems are familiar with its 20-degree cone angle, giving them an optimized field of view for enhanced target detail. LiveScope 2 has the same 20-degree cone angle, but improved sensitivity and resolution across the sonar beam allows the image on your screen to remain crisper and more uniform. This means that targets on the edge of the sonar beam may appear more consistently on the screen with certain sonar settings.

Anglers can fine-tune their image to change the perceived cone angle using color gain and color limit settings (read on for our suggestion). Improved functionality means you can dial in your sonar to fit your preferred fishing methods, whether you’re looking for targets right down the middle of the sonar beam or searching for fish on the edges.

How do I use color gain and color limit on LiveScope 2? 

LiveScope 2 gives anglers more control over the image on their screen through color gain and color limit settings. To unlock the power of color gain and color limit, users can tune their image settings for increased precision, improved detail and better lure tracking.

Using color gain, LiveScope 2 users will have more control over the clutter in their sonar image. Depending on your preference, adjust your settings to remove clutter while keeping track of small fish and bait. Anglers using LiveScope 2 can adjust color limit to run between 30% and 90% to remove clutter while still seeing the important things. The higher the color limit, the more clutter is hidden.

Objects on the sides of the cone naturally appear weaker on your display, but you can adjust your color gain or color limit settings for utmost clarity. For hotter returns, simply increase color gain settings. To hide weaker returns, reduce your gain or increase your color limit. This is also what makes your cone angle feel narrower for ultimate precision.

What’s different about ghost and noise reject settings?

Finding the ideal ghost and noise reject settings reduces lag and clears any unnecessary returns on your LiveScope system, allowing you to see and react to fish immediately.

Set ghost reject to auto for system-controlled adjustments and to reduce false sonar returns. Instead of relying on filters, sonar power is distributed across the sonar beam to decrease false echoes, including ghost trees, while still allowing for target tracking.

To improve lure tracking, reduce your noise reject setting to low or off. You won’t miss your bait or the fish you’re keen on catching.

What colors should I try out?

With various colors to choose from, you’re sure to find color palettes that make sense for you. Depending on the lighting conditions, certain colors can help anglers see their screen clearly and reduce eye strain.

On LiveScope Plus, popular color schemes include amber, blue and black emerald.

LiveScope 2 users may prefer moss and lava. Moss, a single-color option, is easy on your eyes and lends itself to excellent target separation. Lava, a popular high-contrast option, makes underwater life pop, even in murky waters.

Days of successful fishing lie ahead with LiveScope 2. Browse our live sonar offerings and find a system that’s right for your boat.

The post How to successfully run your LiveScope 2 appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Tired of guessing which golf club to use because you can’t tell where the pin is on the green? What if you could account for wind and uphill or downhill shots? What if you could understand where the hazards are with a quick glance at a screen?

With Garmin, you can.

Now you’ll know if you should or shouldn’t hit a driver. You’ll know how to avoid different hazards.

It’s time to upgrade your golf game with a rangefinder. We’re here to help.

Why should you buy a golf rangefinder?

Rangefinders tell you how far away the pin is, helping you choose your golf club and plan your path to the hole.

Garmin rangefinders — such as Approach^® Z10, Approach Z30 or Approach Z82 — use a laser to calculate the distance, ensuring greater accuracy. For example, while a golf watch can give you the distance to the front, middle and back of the green, a rangefinder gives you the precise distance to the pin (and several other features designed to bring out the best in your game, but we’ll get to those below).

What’s the best Garmin golf rangefinder for you?

Garmin offers a full lineup of laser rangefinders: Approach Z10, Approach Z30 and Approach Z82. All include an adjustable eyepiece that allows you to focus the screen, PlaysLike Distance and 6X magnification. They come with a carrying case and a carabiner so you can clip them to your bag. Approach Z10 and Z30 also have a magnetic cart mount, so you can snap your rangefinder to your golf cart.

If you lose your rangefinder on the fairway (or anywhere, let’s be honest), you can use Find My Garmin through the Garmin Golf app to locate it.

Plus, the PlaysLike Distance feature will adjust your yardage based on whether your target is uphill or downhill.

Tournament mode, which disables the PinPointer and PlaysLike Distance features, is shown by an external indicator light and can be turned on and off. This means you can still take your rangefinder to tournaments.

Here’s how a few of the different rangefinders’ features break down.

Laser range arc: The Approach Z10 and Z30 rangefinders offer the Range Relay feature, which sends distances to your compatible Garmin device or the Garmin Golf app. On Approach Z82, your arc will appear through your viewfinder. The laser range arc shows everything in play at the laser-ranged distance — even hazards.

Viewfinder built-ins: Approach Z82 has built-in GPS with more than 43,000 full-color, preloaded courses, the green view feature with distance to the front, middle and back of the green, hazard view, and PinPointer — all in the viewfinder. When paired to your compatible phone, Approach Z82 also displays wind speed and direction in the viewfinder.

Battery life: Approach Z10 and Z30 have a replaceable CR2 battery that can last up to a year. The Approach Z82 battery is rechargeable with up to 15 hours of battery life in GPS mode.

Accuracy: The laser range to the flag on Approach Z10 is 350 yards, while Approach Z30 ranges 400 yards. Both have accuracy within 1 yard. Approach Z82 can measure distances from up to 450 yards and will give you a reading within 10″ of the flag.

Water-resistant: Approach Z10 is IPX4-rated, meaning it’s built to withstand splashing and light rain. Your Approach Z30 or Z82 rangefinder has been tested to withstand submersion in up to a meter of water.

To get the distance to the pin from up to 350 yards away, consider Approach Z10. For slightly longer ranging and a higher water rating, go for Approach Z30. Both are the perfect companions to your Garmin golf smartwatch or handheld. If you want the most accurate reading within 10″ of the flag, plus built-in GPS with more than 43,000 preloaded, full-color course maps right from your viewfinder, go for Approach Z82.

Ready to take your best shot and improve your golf game? No more misjudging the distance and launching your golf ball into a water hazard or bunker. Browse our collection of launch monitors, rangefinders and smartwatches.

The post What’s the best Garmin golf laser rangefinder for you? appeared first on Garmin Blog.

You’re serious about the adventure, and we’re serious about the equipment you’ll need along the way

Because every excursion deserves equipment you can count on, your trusted Garmin fēnix® 8 smartwatch has been your rugged outdoor smartwatch of choice.

It’s helped you train for upcoming races and served as your trusted trail companion, thanks to its durable design and long battery life. Plus, it’s tracked your health and fitness data¹, calculated routes with enhanced mapping, prepared you for your next race with Garmin Coach plans and more.

Now you’re curious if it’s worth upgrading to a Garmin fēnix 9 or fēnix 9 Pro smartwatch. Luckily, you’ve come to the right place.

If you’re interested in making a fēnix 9 smartwatch your new adventure companion, keep reading as we break down the differences between fēnix 8 and 9.

1. Model sizes

Built to withstand the toughest adventures, fēnix 8 Pro features a sleek titanium bezel and rear case that’s military tested for thermal, shock, water (IPX7) and vibration.

A first for Garmin, fēnix 9 Pro features a titanium bezel and case design. While engineered for maximum durability, this design stays authentic to the premium look and feel fēnix users love.

The adventurer who prefers a lightweight, slimmer watch will appreciate that in some cases, fenix 9 Pro offers a slimmer overall profile. For example, the fēnix 9 Pro 47 mm model is 16% slimmer than the fēnix 8 Pro 47 mm model.

2. Hardware

With an advanced model comes advanced hardware. The fēnix 9 smartwatch was purpose-built to run smoother with twice the amount of RAM and an updated map engine that makes panning 30% faster. Plus, store twice as many maps and up to 7,000 of your favorite songs from your Spotify, Deezer or Amazon Music accounts for phone-free listening (subscription may be required) with double the amount of memory (64 GB).

That’s not all. fēnix 9 Pro comes equipped with an additional green flashlight option, providing the contrast and clarity you need for night hunting, map reading and tactical missions.

3. Display brightness

Whether you’re exploring during low visibility or peak sunlight hours, fēnix 9 has AMOLED displays that are twice as bright as fēnix 8 displays. The fēnix 9 Pro smartwatch display reaches up to 3,000 nits of brightness so the data on your wrist will always be easy to see.

Prefer a screen that’s bigger? The fēnix 9 Pro AMOLED smartwatch features a 51 mm case with a display that’s 1.5% bigger than previous generations.

4. inReach® connectivity

fēnix 8 Pro helped set the standard for multisport GPS smartwatches with built-in connectivity. Thanks to satellite connectivity, both fēnix 8 Pro and fēnix 9 Pro users can receive and exchange text messages with family and friends directly from their watch or smartphone with the Garmin Messenger app. If in need of help, users can also trigger an SOS message to connect with Garmin Response, our 24/7-staffed emergency coordination center.

With LTE connectivity, fēnix 8 and fēnix 9 Pro users can initiate and receive phone calls with other Garmin Messenger app users straight from the wrist. Plus, LTE connectivity allows fēnix 9 Pro users to enable LiveTrack location sharing². Through Garmin Messenger, share your LiveTrack location with your contacts so they can follow or reach you during your excursion. Plus, family and friends who are curious about your whereabouts can use Garmin Locate to see your current or last known location.

In preparation for the journey ahead, explorers with a fēnix 9 Pro smartwatch and Garmin Messenger can stay up to date on current weather conditions and forecasts through satellite and LTE.

Unlike previous generations, fēnix 9 Pro brings inReach connectivity to all 3 case sizes and fēnix 9 Pro Solar models, so you can access LTE and satellite features in a smaller watch without sacrificing the features you rely on.

5. Features and enhancements

fēnix 9 includes feature enhancements to help athletes and adventurers better understand their performance during training, racing and exploring.

For a more complete view of any extended adventure, users can combine multiple days of activities into a single experience with Garmin Epic in the Garmin Connect app. Whether you’re embarking on a weeklong backpacking trip or you’re at a training camp preparing for an upcoming triathlon, Garmin Epic can analyze summary stats and show you how you’ve progressed. Once you’ve started an Epic, you can track health summary stats, performance summary and trends, individual sports performance metrics, and acclimation and evaluation metrics.

Plus, fēnix 9 enhances stamina features so athletes can better understand the connection between endurance and performance. Stamina Curves helps users set their pace and hit PRs by seeing how their stamina is impacted over varying distances and how it changes as they progress in their training. Stamina Zones helps runners and cyclists manage exertion throughout a race through metrics such as managed stamina versus potential stamina.

Users can also check out rowing and rucking enhancements. Rowers will enjoy metrics like rowing VO2 max, curve power, functional threshold power and lactic threshold to help them manage their intensity and see how their training is impacting their fitness and performance. Military personnel or those wearing weighted vests on everyday walks can use rucking enhancements to create custom workouts around their target metric, such as calories burned, while inputting weight data for better tracking.

Before you head out on your next outdoor expedition or training run, be sure to bring along your fēnix 9 premium GPS smartwatch.

_{¹See Garmin.com/ataccuracy}

_{²Active plan required; LTE network coverage is not available in all regions. Satellite connection and SOS functionality on this device have important limitations compared to other inReach devices that could affect the performance of connected features, making them unavailable in certain situations. Check Garmin.com/fenix9profeaturerequirements for requirements and limitations and to see which services are accessible in your area — or in areas to where you may be traveling to ensure the performance, coverage and service levels of this device are suitable for your intended use.}

The post The difference between fēnix 8 and 9 appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Beyond the basics of GPS, speed and heart rate data, these Garmin cycling products can help you stay aware of your surroundings and improve your overall ride performance.

If you already ride with a Garmin smartwatch, you know how valuable the on- and off-the-bike insights and features can be. But you want to beat yesterday.

That’s where the rest of the Garmin cycling ecosystem comes in. When you track and record cycling activities with a smartwatch, you’ll get basic ride data for cyclists. But we  recommend maximizing your rides with radars and lights, a bike computer, power meters and an indoor trainer.  Here’s why — and how — each of these products can improve your time on the bike.

Ride with a dedicated bike computer

When you ride with an Edge® bike computer, you get a better cycling experience. In addition to tracking your speed and distance, you can better navigate right from your handlebars, get road hazard alerts¹ and so much more. Plus, broadcast your heart rate from your compatible smartwatch or CIRQA Smart Band² to your compatible Edge cycling computer to stay on top of your performance and track recovery, health, sleep and more off the bike³.

Whether you’re a gravel grinder, roadie or casual commuter, there’s an Edge GPS bike computer for everyone that will help you navigate and monitor your ride — but we’ll mention just a few.

Edge Explore 2: Dependable and easy to use, Edge Explore 2 features turn-by-turn directions, ride type-specific maps, smart notifications and more.

Edge 550 and 850: These bike computers bring you dynamic performance monitoring, Garmin Coach training plans, superior bike-specific navigation and mapping, and more, all on a bright, vivid and compact display.

Edge 1050: Our premium flagship cycling computer, Edge 1050 offers a vivid touchscreen display and battery life up to 20 hours in demanding use cases and up to 60 hours in battery saver mode. You’ll also get advanced performance monitoring and training features as well as smart features that help bring your cycling community together.

Ride with safety-enhanced cycle gear that can increase awareness

To help foster a safer riding environment, be more visible to drivers on the road and make sure you can see them approaching too, Garmin rearview radars and smart lights — all created with safety in mind — do just that.

Varia RearVue 820: This powerful, precise and reliable radar and tail light gives you a wide field of view to detect approaching vehicles from behind⁴. For visual and audible alerts while you ride, connect this to the Varia smartphone app, compatible Edge cycling computers or select Garmin smartwatches (which can also provide voice alerts for approaching vehicles) — helping you stay more aware on the road. When connected, riders can see vehicle sizes and movement on their Edge or smartphone on the Varia smartphone app. And motorists sharing the road will be able to see the tail light and brake light up to 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) away.

Varia Vue: This headlight camera records front-facing video in 4K (memory card required⁵_; sold separately) and automatically stores the video on the device if an incident is detected. With 5 bright light modes and an auto brightness control⁶, Varia Vue helps you see the road ahead. You can even control the camera and headlight settings from your compatible Garmin cycling computer or in the Varia smartphone app.

Ride while monitoring your effort with Rally power meters

Power data can help improve your training if you’re ready to take your rides to the next level. When cycling with a power meter, compatible Garmin devices estimate your functional threshold power (FTP). This key performance marker helps guide your efforts, optimize workout intensity and track changes in your cycling performance over time.

If you’re looking to bring power data and more to your rides, look no further. Garmin power meter pedals are highly accurate and versatile, easily transferring between bikes and pedal bodies so you can monitor your effort on every ride. Plus, when you track your training with your power meter, Edge cycling computer and smartwatch (or heart rate monitor), Garmin Cycling Coach can help you train for your goals.

Rally 110 and 210: Monitor your data, such as power data, cadence and more, in real time when you pair a Rally power meter with a compatible Edge smartwatch. If you opt for our dual-sensing power meter, Rally 210, you’ll also unlock advanced cycling dynamics, including left versus right foot balance, seated versus standing time and more, on select Garmin smartwatches or in the Garmin Connect app after a ride.

Ride indoors with a Tacx® bike trainer

When it’s time to take your rides indoors, stay on top of your training goals when you ride freely or track a ride on a Tacx bike trainer. If you pair your smartwatch with a smart trainer, your watch can control your trainer’s resistance automatically during a workout.

Tacx NEO 2T Smart trainer: For a powerful, highly accurate and virtually silent ride, choose the Tacx NEO 2T Smart trainer. Connect to training platforms like the Tacx Training app and Zwift to experience a real road feel, such as cobbles, gravel and more.

Tacx NEO 3M Smart trainer: The extraordinarily quiet, immersive and powerful Tacx NEO 3M Smart trainer offers built-in motion plates for comfort and realism. Our most accurate trainer, it can handle sprints up to 2200 watts and climbs up to 25%, and it comes with a preinstalled cassette that’s fit for most modern bikes.

Keep riding with your smartwatch on your wrist

All these products work closely with your smartwatch to help you get the most out of your training.

On compatible smartwatches, training features³ — including training readiness and free, personalized Garmin Coach cycling training plans — can help you take your training to the next level. Keep safety in mind with LiveTrack location sharing⁷, which shares your rides with contacts you’ve chosen in the Garmin Connect app, and incident detection, which sends a message to designated contacts with your live location if an incident is detected.

Off the bike, you can track your cross-training, ensuring every moment counts. With 24/7 health and fitness tracking on your Garmin smartwatch, you’ll get essential features such as Body Battery energy monitoring, sleep tracking, recovery time and more³.

With our cycling products, smartwatches and the Garmin Connect app, you’ll be able to make the most of your rides. When you’re ready to take your cycling experience to a new level, choose Garmin.

_{¹When used with your compatible smartphone and the Garmin Connect app}

_{²CIRQA Smart Band requires Garmin Connect+ plan}

_{³See Garmin.com/ataccuracy}

_{⁴When riding with your compatible Edge cycling computer or the Varia app on your smartphone}

_{⁵See Garmin.com/variavuememorycard}

_{⁶When paired with your Edge cycling computer}

_{⁷When paired with your smartphone; see Garmin.com/ble. For safety and tracking feature requirements and limitations, see Garmin.com/safety.}

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An interview with Joakim Bo Kunkel, M.D., Ph.D., on wearable technology and the early detection of atherosclerosis

A chronic cardiovascular condition, atherosclerosis is characterized by the accumulation of fatty plaques in arteries, which leads to an increased chance of heart attack or stroke. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death globally, impacting more than 600 million worldwide; 19–20 million people die due to CVDs annually and atherosclerosis is one of the leading contributors¹. Despite its severity, it often develops asymptomatically over several decades, making early detection and prevention critical steps for reducing premature cardiac incidents.

Due to the prevalence of atherosclerosis around the world, Dr. Kunkel of Copenhagen University Hospital was invited to share his thoughts on REACT, one of the largest prospective atherosclerosis prevalence studies in Europe. The project uses data from the Garmin Health Connected Ecosystem (GHCE) as part its quantitative approach.

What is the REACT Wear study and how does it contribute to the overarching REACT Study?

Most people don’t realize they have heart disease until something goes wrong: a heart attack, a stroke. By then, the disease of atherosclerosis has often been silently developing for decades.

The REACT study, run by researchers at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital and our partners Spanish National Center for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC) in Madrid, is trying to change that. We’re looking for the earliest possible signs of cardiovascular disease, long before symptoms appear, using advanced scans and blood tests.

React Wear, an app developed by CNIC to include data from GHCE, adds a new dimension to this: Instead of just seeing participants in the clinic a few times, we follow them in their everyday lives, through their wrists. Continuous data from GHCE lets us see how the heart and body behave during sleep, exercise, stress and everything in between.

What do you hope the project accomplishes?

Simply put, the vision is to detect atherosclerosis while it is silent and act sooner. The earlier we detect that an individual is at increased risk of heart disease, the more we can do about it and the better we expect the outcomes.

REACT Wear helps us understand what a healthy (and less healthy) cardiovascular trajectory looks like day to day and what early warning signs might look like when compared to conventional analyses, such as scans and blood tests.

Ultimately, we want to give people and their doctors more time to act.

Why did you choose the Garmin Health Connected Ecosystem and how is data collected used in this project?

We needed a device people would wear consistently, that could measure meaningful health signals, and infrastructure that could reliably transfer data to our research systems. GHCE ticked all those boxes by capturing a rich set of physiological signals: heart rate, heart rate variability, sleep quality, activity levels, Pulse Ox and more, while giving us a secure way to receive that data continuously².

After participants provide consent for us to access their data, they wear a Garmin smartwatch as they normally would. Then, data flows automatically into our study platform through a dedicated app and back end we’ve built for REACT Wear, ending in a secure, high-performance computing environment that’s dedicated to our research effort. It’s designed to be as low friction as possible: Participants contribute to cutting-edge cardiovascular research without changing their daily routines. Garmin Health API and Companion SDK are used for the data integration.

How does your project operationalize data-driven prevention in practice?

Traditional prevention is a bit like issuing the same weather forecast to an entire country. Data-driven prevention is more like a personal weather app, one that knows your specific situation and adapts accordingly.

In REACT Wear, we’re combining what we learn in the clinic (imaging, blood tests, conventional risk factors) with what the wearable tells us about how someone actually lives: how well they sleep, how active they are, how their heart responds to stress. By looking at all this together, we can start to build a much more precise picture of individual risk and eventually identify the people who may need attention before conventional tests would flag anything.

What are the main limitations/risks in this project?

People who voluntarily wear a smartwatch for a research study may tend to be more health conscious than average, so we must be careful not to assume our findings apply to everyone. Wearable data collection is influenced by participant behavior in everyday settings. For example, devices may be removed temporarily or not charged consistently. A major focus of our work is understanding these behavioral patterns and their impact on data continuity.

Privacy is another priority. We work within strict data-protection regulations and informed consent, and participant data is handled with the same care as any other sensitive medical information. Research like this only works if participants trust us, and we take that seriously.

What measurable impact could prevention-focused approaches like yours have on individual health outcomes?

Cardiovascular disease is still the world’s leading cause of death, and a large proportion of those deaths happen in people who were not previously recognized as being at high risk.

If we can identify risks earlier and intervene sooner, even modest improvements could translate into enormous benefits at the population level with fewer heart attacks, fewer strokes, longer and healthier lives.

At the individual level, it means more options. Lifestyle changes, medications and closer monitoring are generally more effective when started early. The goal of REACT Wear is to help make “early” the norm rather than the exception.

How do you think wearables are changing research, in general, and what is the long-term impact?

For most of medical history, researchers could only study people at scheduled appointments and receive periodic snapshots of someone’s health. Wearables and GHCE give us something entirely new: the ability to gather real-time data and biometric insights about people through real life, continuously, over months and years. That changes everything about the quality and relevance of what we can learn.

Looking further ahead, I think we’ll see wearables become more integral to healthcare, not just recording data but helping people understand their own health in real time and flagging changes that warrant a conversation with a doctor.

There’s an important bridge to cross, however. Because wearables are already a part of many people’s everyday lives, it’s important to use them within the framework of clinical, scientific rigor and integrate them into how we prevent and treat disease.

Garmin Health supports research collaborations across the globe through product and data integrations via Garmin Health Connected Ecosystem. Learn more about previous research initiatives and upcoming webinars.

_{¹2025 Heart Disease & Stroke Statistics Update (Global Burden of Disease data)}

_{²Garmin wearable devices are consumer wellness devices and are not medical devices under the regulation of any jurisdiction, including Regulation (EU) 2017/745. They are not intended for the diagnosis, prevention, monitoring, or treatment of any disease. Any medical or clinical functionality described is provided by a third-party solution and is solely based on their interpretation of data gathered from various data sources.}

The post REACT study evaluates impact of daily movement on arterial health appeared first on Garmin Blog.

Take your golf game to the next level with a Garmin golf watch with GPS.

Who’s ready to hit the links? Whether you golf for a living or just play for fun with friends, you’ll want to consider getting a leg up on the competition with a Garmin GPS golf watch before you aim for the fairway.

From the innovative Approach^® lineup to the MARQ^® Golfer premium tool watch, Garmin has a variety of award-winning golf watch options. But don’t worry — we’re here to help you decide which feature-packed watch makes the most sense for you and your golf game.

For golfers looking to cover the basics with their golf watch:

Approach S12: This GPS golf watch provides the golfing essentials. It is value-packed with up to 30 hours of battery life, allowing your game to outlast the day’s sunlight. With more than 43,000 preloaded golf courses, it comes with a high-resolution monochrome display for easy readability even on those extra-sunny days. Curious about how far you are from the hole? You can quickly reference the front, middle and back of the green to give you an edge. If you’re the competitive type, ditch the scorecard and keep score directly on the Garmin Golf app¹.

For those who want upgraded essentials:

Approach S44: Enjoy the same features that come with S12 but take it to the next level with S44, which provides a stunning colorful 1.2″ AMOLED touchscreen display. You can automatically track where your shots land with AutoShot game tracking². With the green view feature, you can see each green’s shape from anywhere on the course. Plus, with a Garmin Golf membership, you can get premium features such as Premium CourseView maps, touch targeting and green contour data.

For on and off the course:

Approach S50: This advanced GPS smartwatch gives you the features you need to help you on the course and a stylish design that looks good off the course. On the course, the ComfortFit nylon strap won’t interfere with your swing. With the 1.2″ AMOLED touchscreen display, you can easily see key yardages to the green, hazards and layups on more than 43,000 courses. The PlaysLike Distance feature tells you how far each shot is playing with yardage adjusted for elevation changes. In addition to preloaded activities to help you improve your strength and mobility, it offers health and wellness features, including wrist-based heart rate, stress tracking, Body Battery energy monitoring, advanced sleep monitoring and more³. Add on a Garmin Golf membership, and you’ll gain access to even more — including Premium CourseView maps, touch targeting and green contour data.

For golfers who want premium features:

Approach S70: This one is the brightest of the Approach bunch. A premium GPS golf smartwatch with a 1.2″ or 1.4″ AMOLED touchscreen display, the S70 comes in two sizes and can help you improve your game on and off the course. It boasts a virtual caddie feature (shout-out to the dispersion chart that displays hazards in play, depending on club choice) and enhanced PlaysLike Distance, which accounts for changes in elevation and environmental conditions. Plus, understanding slopes on the green has never been easier with green contour data, available with an active Garmin Golf membership. Combine it all with preloaded fitness apps for strength, HIIT, running and more, and just like that, you have a complete golf smartwatch that can help you improve your game on and off the course.

For those who love luxury and all the features:

MARQ Golfer (Gen 2) Titanium and Carbon Editions: If you demand the finest and most modern golf watch, the MARQ Golfer Titanium and Carbon editions are right up your alley … or fairway, shall we say? MARQ Golfer – Titanium Edition is built of Grade-5 titanium, and it features a tritone green jacquard-weave nylon strap; MARQ Golfer – Carbon Edition is made from fused carbon fiber material and has a perforated FKM leather hybrid strap.

Both MARQ watches feature a domed sapphire lens that provides a crystal-clear view of the stunning AMOLED display. Get up to 16 days of battery life in smartwatch mode so you never have to worry about losing a charge. You can hit your peak golf performance with the virtual caddie feature, green contour data⁴ and more. Plus, track your sleep and heart rate and hit the gym with countless health and wellness features. Quite frankly, these golf watches are loaded with features to help you conquer the course, round after round.

For golfers looking to maximize data:

OK, this isn’t a watch. But hear us out: The Approach^® CT10 club tracking sensors or Approach CT1 club tracking tags for shot-tracking capabilities will give you a clearer picture of your game. Both record club type, shot locations and distance when paired with your Garmin golf watch. You can also pair each one with the Garmin Golf app for strokes gained analysis, to participate in leaderboards and tournaments, and to gain more data about your game.

With CT10 sensors, you’ll get automatic club tracking round after round. After securing these sensors to your clubs and pairing to your compatible golf device, you’re all set. You don’t have to do anything else before you take a shot.

When golfing with the lightweight CT1 tracking tags, you’ll need to tap to pair CT1 with your compatible golf watch before every shot.

Both CT1 and CT10 are compatible with a variety of devices, including Approach S44, Approach S50 and Approach S70. For the latest list of compatible devices, visit the CT10 and CT1 product pages.

For your junior golfers:

Approach J1: The first GPS golf watch specifically designed for junior golfers, Approach J1 is built to help them learn the game and track performance. The slim, lightweight design and ComfortFit fabric band fit smaller wrists without getting in the way of a swing. Tee-off guidance gives real-time, on-screen direction on where to tee off on every hole, using forward tee locations across more than 43,000 preloaded courses. Personal par sets scoring goals based on a junior’s current ability, adjusting as their game improves and adding celebratory animations for making par or better. A pace-of-play timer rounds things out, with a simple visual cue that helps young golfers understand if they’re keeping pace on a hole. It’s a simplified interface built entirely around learning and improving.

Have a better idea now of which Garmin golf watch is right for you? Shop here.

_{¹Requires app on your compatible smartphone paired to the Approach S12}

_{²Lie and ball contact may affect shot tracking. Putts are not tracked. Some shots, particularly chip shots around the green, may not be tracked.}

_{³See Garmin.com/ataccuracy}

_{⁴With a Garmin Golf membership}

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At its core, the daily suggested workouts feature helps runners by using one’s data to understand how different workout structures can stimulate and develop specific aspects of performance. So, no matter if you’re an entry-level runner with Forerunner^® 70 or an elite runner with Forerunner 970, you’ll get workouts built specifically for you.

How does it work?

Daily suggested workouts take performance data, such as intensity level and impact of efforts, as well as your current fitness level, training history and recovery state to create the best workout routine for you. You can expect evenly paced runs at various intensities and durations to be mixed with interval-type workouts. What’s right for you today is determined by what you’ve been doing lately. Been taking some time off? Expect to find yourself working to build your endurance base first.

When you maintain your routine, you’ll discover a built-in schedule of daily suggested workouts. This means harder training weeks are mixed with more modest ones to avoid stagnation and help you shatter performance plateaus. 

Training fundamentals

Training means regularly challenging yourself with the goal of improving performance over time. It’s a process of sparking physiological adaptation. Tackling varied challenges is the key to constructing a solid foundation for your performance, forging strengths and minimizing weaknesses along the way. 

You can’t push yourself to the max in every direction every day and expect long-term results. Successful athletes typically concentrate on improving a single aspect of performance at a time. In the weight room, you can focus on leg strength one day and upper body strength the next. Strive to apply the same principle when you lace up your running shoes by focusing on different efforts when you hit the road.

As you discover the training run structures suggested by this program, keep in mind that categorization of workouts is based on the primary benefit of your development. Below the surface, however, your physiology works across a continuum to support performance. That means, for example, that a run designed to build your anaerobic capacity can still have a significant aerobic element to it.

What types of runs can you expect?

There are seven workout structures that can be recommended based on your situation. There will be days when the best option is for you to rest up for your next challenge. The duration of an endurance-building run will be longer or shorter based on what you can handle today.

If you’re already familiar with the Training Load Focus screen in the Training Status widget, you will probably notice that these runs map neatly onto the Anaerobic, Low Aerobic and High Aerobic bars that help guide your Training Load toward the right balance.

Low-intensity aerobic training runs

Active “recovery” runs

Although recovery runs are slow and easy, performing an active recovery workout correctly and gaining the intended benefit requires great discipline. It’s easy to let your intensity and speed drift upward without proper focus and intent.

Metabolic byproducts accumulate in your muscles during harder, more intense workouts. The goal of recovery runs is to gently increase circulation, flushing cellular waste out of your muscles in the process. Overdo it and push the limits during your recovery run and you will miss out on the rewards and add stress to your body.

Plus, entry-level runners can work in other recovery workouts, such as walks, with a Forerunner 70 or Forerunner 170 smartwatch. This is designed to give runners the same benefits as active recovery without the additional impact of running.

Endurance “base” runs

Endurance-focused runs will likely represent the bulk of your low-intensity training. And like recovery runs, part of the challenge comes from keeping the intensity of your efforts low to help build your aerobic stamina. This is particularly true if your route of choice includes uphill segments where intensity can drift upward quickly.

The best duration for your own endurance-based runs depends on your current fitness level and will typically vary runner to runner. Experienced runners might partake in a long run where the focus is maintaining a steady pace, whereas an entry-level runner with Forerunner 70 or Forerunner 170 might be prompted to complete a run/walk workout.

Keeping an eye on your heart rate is the perfect way to control intensity during your run. The heart rate (HR) zone you work to maintain during your endurance-building runs should be adjusted to match your personal parameters. This is typically below 80% of your maximum heart rate, so it’s worth checking to make sure your HR max is set correctly for you.

Key benefits of these slow runs include building stronger muscles and improved running efficiency across the board. This includes your cardiorespiratory system, muscle function, metabolism and running form. Endurance runs also teach your body to burn fat better.

Enjoy getting an enormous number of strides under your belt without the strain that accumulates rapidly during higher-intensity efforts.

High-intensity aerobic training runs

Tempo

Tempo runs are where things start to pick up speed. You need to put in some effort to keep up the pace but can keep going for a while if you want to go for it.

Performed at your so-called marathon pace, the target intensity for your tempo runs is sandwiched in between your endurance runs and threshold runs. These runs can be suggested as steady-pace workouts or they can take the form of relatively gentle interval runs, where the harder segments are longer and performed with an intensity well below an all-out sprint.

Tempo runs are a terrific way to build general fitness and contribute nicely to the high-intensity aerobic bar on your Training Load Focus screen in the Training Status widget.

Threshold

While VO2 max defines your maximum aerobic performance capacity, your lactate threshold relates to how long you can sustain higher intensity levels relative to your maximum capacity. When the intensity of your performance exceeds your lactate threshold, fatigue accumulates quickly. Practically speaking, your lactate threshold translates into the pace or intensity that you can sustain for about 40 minutes to an hour.

If two runners have the same VO2 max but one has a higher lactate threshold, you can expect the runner with the higher lactate threshold to win a 10K race. The runner with the higher lactate threshold should be able sustain an intensity closer to their VO2 max for a longer time.

The goal of threshold runs is to increase your lactate threshold. To do that, you will need to run at or slightly above your lactate threshold pace or intensity level for an extended period. This results in a hard day’s run, so make sure you’re up for the challenge.

“VO2 max” or aerobic capacity

VO2 max-improving training runs are typically built around longer high-intensity intervals punctuated with lighter efforts that give you a chance to recover before ramping up the intensity again.

Ideally you will maintain the higher intensity level long enough for your aerobic system to catch up to the energy demand of your performance and continue for a handful of minutes. Punctuating these longer high-intensity intervals with a chance to catch your breath ultimately allows you to run more total minutes at this level, amplifying the signal to your body that it’s time to adapt to the challenge.

The intensity of these efforts is above your lactate threshold, which means you will only be able to sustain them for a relatively short time, but the intensity is well below an all-out effort that will leave you quickly exhausted. It may take some trial and error to dial in the right level of intensity for these runs. This awareness comes with time and experience.

Anaerobic training runs 

Anaerobic capacity

Equally important to your training are short, vigorous runs designed to boost your anaerobic performance capacity. The high-intensity segments of these runs, however, usually last only 40–60 seconds and are much shorter than in VO2 max training runs.

These runs are purposefully structured so that your aerobic energy system is unable to catch up to the energy demand of your performance. This forces your anaerobic energy pathways to carry the burden of synthesizing the molecular fuel (ATP) that powers your muscle contractions.

Lactic acid is a byproduct of anaerobic metabolism. It accumulates rapidly in your muscles as you power through these high-intensity interval runs. The accumulation of lactic acid is associated with various aches and often produces a burning sensation in your legs. The cooldown portion of your workout is designed to give your body a head start in clearing lactic acid from your muscles.

Anaerobic workouts are not included in daily suggested workouts on the Forerunner 70 or Forerunner 170 smartwatches, but they can be found on advanced and premium Forerunner smartwatches like Forerunner 570, Forerunner 970 and more. 

Sprint

The final category of training runs included in this system is built around the most explosive efforts you can perform. The extreme nature of these forces means that you can’t sustain them for very long — and that’s the point. This is your opportunity to go all out, leaving it all on the road. 

Quickly summoning this amount of power from your muscles has a remarkable effect. It improves the ability of your nerves and muscles to work together. This includes developing the sequencing and coordination of muscle contractions and recruiting more muscle fiber units into the movement. These elements translate into your ability to generate higher top speeds.

These adaptations fall under the category of neuromuscular power and can have a tremendous impact on your overall performance, especially in racing and general sports performance. Working to increase top speed can also improve your race-pace running economy.

Sprint training is most beneficial when you’re well rested and ready to be at your best. This means you shouldn’t expect to see these suggested workouts if you have a significant amount of recovery time remaining due to a hard training session the day before or a bad night’s sleep.

Adequate recovery between runs is always important, but it’s especially important here. Pushing your limits while fatigued opens the door to injury. It also means likely missing out on the full developmental benefit of your efforts because your body will struggle to bounce back instead of getting stronger.

Now that you’re familiar with the workouts best suited to improve your fitness level and endurance, use Garmin Run Coach in the Garmin Connect app to develop a training plan that will get you across the finish line. Plus, don’t forget to strap on one of our latest running smartwatches.  

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