Apple Watch vs Garmin vs Coros for Running: Why I Still Wear an Apple Watch

December 2018. A cold morning in Sacramento, and I was lined up at the start of the California International Marathon, chasing a new PR.

Everywhere I looked, it was a sea of runners wearing Garmins and other dedicated running watches. On my wrist, though, was an Apple Watch Series 3. It had been there for more than a year, including all four months of training for this race.

While the runners around me waited on their satellite connections, my watch was already locked in and ready to go. As it always was.

The gun went off. I pressed start, same as everyone else, and ran.

I ran a 2:30 that day, a brand new PR. The watch did not hold me back. Turns out the limiting factor was my legs.

Yes, I'm a coach. Yes, that was an Apple Watch. And yes, eight years later, there is still an Apple Watch on my wrist. Let me explain why before you start typing.

Short version: If you want a watch you can wear all day, with GPS accuracy and performance that hold up against Garmin and Coros, the Apple Watch is the better pick. If you need serious battery life, go Garmin or Coros. I have worn all three over more than a decade of running, and here is how to decide.

Ground Rules

Here is my gear history, so you know where I'm coming from.

I started with a stopwatch, then wore three Garmin watches from 2013 to 2017 and loved them. In 2017 I switched to the Apple Watch and wrote a review of that switch at the time. In 2022 I spent six months on a Coros to see what I was missing, then came back. The full timeline is below.

This is one runner's experience. There are no partnerships, affiliate links, or gifted gear here, and no lab data or right answer either. Just a coach who switched to a watch long dismissed as not serious for runners, tried another watch, and came back home.

When	Watch	Note
Early years	Stopwatch	Where it started
2013 to 2017	Three Garmin watches	Loved them and their features
2017	Apple Watch Series 3	The switch, reviewed at the time
2020	Apple Watch Series 5	Upgrading from the Series 3
2022	Coros (six months)	A trial, then back to the Apple Watch
2023 to now	Apple Watch Ultra 2	Current watch

What I Need From a Watch

Every watch I wear gets measured against the same four questions. Here is how the Apple Watch answers them.

Will I wear it all day, every day?

This is a huge one for me and one of the biggest reasons I switched in 2017 and still wear it today. Everything the Apple Watch brings to the table for the rest of the day is worth it for me. Over the years I have paid for things with Apple Pay on my wrist and streamed music or podcasts on my runs without bringing my phone. Men's apparel has also not been kind to carrying larger phones on runs, so leaving mine at home matters. I have everything I need through the apps on my Apple Watch.

I know a lot of runners will bring up battery life, and for a GPS watch it is a huge concern. The Apple Watch Series 3 struggled with streaming and long days, and each generation has gotten a lot better. I can wear my Apple Watch Ultra 2, run every day with streaming music or a podcast, and it will last up to two days. That is a far cry from Garmin and Coros, but this is more than a GPS watch for me, so it uses more battery. The latest Apple Watch Ultra 4 is rated for up to 14 more hours than my Ultra 2.

Is the data accurate, and does it show me what I need during a run?

Making sure the data was accurate was one of the first tests I did when I started in 2017. Over the years I have done countless runs with friends and races, and the Apple Watch has consistently been accurate on certified courses and on loops I have run for years, in line with what I saw from Garmin and Coros. I remember the first marathon I ran with the Apple Watch. It read 26.3 miles at the finish, while friends I ran with were seeing 26.5 or more. I know crowded courses and tangents add some noise, but across all my runs the Apple Watch has been very accurate on certified courses where I know the exact distance.

One feature Apple introduced over the years is Rolling Mile, and it is one of my absolute favorites. I used to rely on Garmin metrics that showed either my average pace or my pace in that exact moment. Rolling Mile shows my pace for the last mile, measured back from the last step I took. At mile 17 of a race, that is exactly what I want to know: am I slowing down or keeping pace? It reflects the last mile of actual data, not the last mile split or my current speed. Garmin does not offer it natively, but you can download a free rolling pace data field from its Connect IQ store. Coros did not have it when I wore one in 2022.

My last rolling mile split for my run

Does the data help me train, or just judge me?

This one is a preference. I have let too much data during races derail my training, and I have watched many runners lose confidence because of numbers that are not always based in truth. What I love about the Apple Watch is honestly how it stays out of my head when I run. I know everyone jokes about Garmin's Training Status label of Unproductive, its Performance Condition scores of +1 or -4 during or after a run, and the race predictions from Garmin and Coros right in your face that convince you that you are not doing well. That stuff messes with people more than they admit, even though it is easy enough to turn off. As a coach who has talked many athletes off the ledge when their watch told them how poorly they were doing, I know I do not want that on my wrist. Apple gives me data that reflects my performance without the sometimes completely inaccurate extras I did not ask for. That helps me make better training decisions during a run, because I do not need to know I am having a -5 score ten minutes in. If I want a more accurate analysis, I can do that after the run through Apple Fitness or other apps.

Apple is starting to play the scores game too. The new Series 12 and Ultra 4 add a daily Readiness score, from 0 to 10, with labels like Recover and Go For It. My Ultra 2 does not have it, and as far as I can tell it lives in its own app instead of on the run screen. That is the line I care about: data I choose to check after the run, versus a number that judges me during it.

Will it help me get home if a run goes sideways?

Back in 2017, I wrote that having a safety net on my wrist is hard to ignore. Backtrack is a big reason that is still true. It lives in the Compass app on the Apple Watch (Series 6 and later, the SE, and the Ultra) and uses the watch's own GPS to lay down a breadcrumb trail of where you have been. If you lose your bearings, you retrace that trail back to where you started. On an Ultra, you can set the Action button to start it with one press.

Getting lost in a new city on a quick ten miler is a rite of passage. Backtrack makes it optional. It really helped seal the deal for me on a run in California, in a place I did not know, where I made up the route as I went. I ran my route, used Backtrack to make sure I knew the way back, and it navigated me right back to my starting point. It is a breadcrumb trail and not a map, and it does not account for things like elevation changes or obstacles, so treat it as a way to find your way back and not a guarantee.

Apple Watch Compass showing my backtrack route

Where Garmin and Coros Win

Garmin fans, I see you. Put the pitchforks down. A lot of this comes down to preference, but there are things Garmin and Coros do better than the Apple Watch, and they might matter more to you than they do to me.

Garmin and Coros have superior battery life, especially in everyday use. Here is what each maker rates for current models:

Watch	Everyday use	GPS workout
Apple Watch Ultra 4	Up to 50 hours (84 in Low Power Mode)	18 hours standard, 25 in Extended Workout, 45 in Max Extended Workout
Garmin Forerunner 970	Up to 15 days	Up to 26 hours GPS-only, 14 with music
Garmin Fenix 9 (51mm)	Up to 29 days	Up to 54 hours in normal activity mode
Coros Pace 4	Up to 19 days (about 6 with the always-on display)	Up to 41 hours (31 in dual-frequency mode)
Coros Apex 4 (46mm)	Up to 24 days	Up to 65 hours

Battery ratings as of September 2026 from Apple, Garmin (Forerunner 970, Fenix 9), and Coros (Pace 4, Apex 4). Test conditions differ by brand, and smaller sizes rate lower.

For a marathon, every watch on that list has plenty of battery. The gap shows up in how often you charge day to day and in multi-day or ultra efforts.

In my six months with the Coros, I rarely charged it. Writing this post, I could not remember many times it was on the charger.

Apple is closing that gap for long efforts. The Ultra 4 adds a Max Extended Workout mode rated for up to 45 hours, which Apple says is typically enough for a 100-mile race, although some workout features and metrics are turned off to get there. That is Apple's rating, and I want more feedback from runners who have used it before I trust it.

In my experience, Garmin and Coros also have much better physical buttons for bad weather. When the Apple Watch touch screen is wet or I am sweaty, it can be hard to navigate. On a Garmin or Coros, I can do everything I need with the buttons.

When it comes to Backtrack, Garmin and Coros have their own version. Garmin calls it Back to Start with TracBack, and Coros calls it Back to Start. On models with maps, they go further. Backtrack is a breadcrumb trail and not a map, so if you run trails or mountains, that gap may matter more to you than my all-day convenience does.

If you want data in your face during a workout, right after you finish, or as status updates on your current fitness, Garmin and Coros excel at putting that information on your wrist. I just told you I do not want that. Plenty of runners do, and this is where they are better served.

The Scorecard: Apple Watch vs Garmin vs Coros

Category	Better pick	Why
All-day wear	Apple Watch	Payments, music, podcasts, and calls make it the watch I actually wear all day.
Battery life	Garmin and Coros	Two to four weeks of everyday use versus about two days. The Ultra 4's 45 hour mode narrows the gap for ultras, per Apple's rating.
GPS accuracy	Tie	In my experience, on certified courses and loops I know well.
Pace info mid-run	Apple Watch (narrowly)	Rolling Mile is built in. Garmin can add it with a free downloaded data field.
Data on your wrist	Depends on you	Garmin and Coros put more scores and status in front of you. Apple keeps the run screen clean. Pick your poison. For me, I want less.
Buttons in bad weather	Garmin and Coros	Physical buttons beat a touch screen when I am wet or sweaty.
Retracing your route	Tie	Apple's Backtrack, Garmin's Back to Start, and Coros's Back to Start all do it.

Count the rows and it is pretty even. I still wear the Apple Watch, because all-day wear matters most to me. Yours might be different, and that is the whole point.

Who Should Buy What: Apple Watch, Garmin, or Coros?

Buy the watch that is best for you. After wearing all three, here is how I would sort it:

•       Buy the Apple Watch if you want one watch for the whole day, a clean run screen, and safety features on solo runs, and you like leaving your phone at home for payments, music, and calls. You give up battery life, so expect to charge every day or two.

•       Buy a Garmin if you want the deepest training metrics, strong navigation, physical buttons for wet weather, and battery life for ultras. The data can be a lot, though most of it is easy to turn off.

•       Buy a Coros if you want long battery life, strong value, physical buttons for wet weather, and a training-first design without the smartwatch extras. You give up things like contactless payments and music streaming on models such as the Pace 4 and Apex 4.

The Bottom Line

Back to that start line in Sacramento. Plenty of the runners around me had watches with more battery and more metrics than mine. I had a watch I trusted, wore every day, and stopped thinking about the moment the gun went off.

That is the whole point of this post. The best running watch is the one you will actually wear, trust, and use. Garmin and Coros make excellent watches, and if you need weeks of battery or want data in your face, buy one without a second thought. I wear an Apple Watch because it fits the way I live and run, and after all these years I have no plans to change.

The watch does not run the miles. You do.

Still undecided? Buy from a store with a good return policy and test it on a long run. In 2017, I wore a Garmin and an Apple Watch together on a 24 mile run before I made my call.

Your turn: what are you wearing, and what would make you switch? Tell me in the comments.

Want more gear breakdowns and training science? Subscribe to The Weekly Stride, our free weekly newsletter. Training for a marathon? Start with How to Train for a Marathon: The Complete Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for running: Apple Watch, Garmin, or Coros?

It depends on what you value most. In my experience, the Apple Watch matches Garmin and Coros on GPS accuracy, and it wins on all-day wear and a clean run screen. Garmin and Coros win on battery life, physical buttons, and how much training data they put on your wrist. I wear an Apple Watch, but the right pick is the one you will actually wear and use.

Is the Apple Watch good enough for marathon training?

Yes, in my experience. I ran a 2:30 marathon on an Apple Watch Series 3, and I have trained and raced with an Apple Watch since 2017, apart from a six-month Coros trial. It gives me accurate distance, a clean run screen, and Rolling Mile for pacing late in a race. Where it falls behind is battery life and training data depth, which matter more for ultras than for marathons.

Does the Apple Watch battery last through a marathon?

Yes. Apple rates the Apple Watch Ultra 4 at up to 18 hours of standard outdoor workout tracking and up to 25 hours in Extended Workout mode, so a marathon fits even at a slow pace. Everyday battery is the bigger gap. Apple rates the Ultra 4 at up to 50 hours, while the Garmin and Coros models in the table above are rated at roughly two to four weeks. Check the rating for the specific Apple Watch model you are considering.

How accurate is Apple Watch GPS compared with Garmin and Coros?

In my experience, it is very close. On certified courses and loops I have run for years, my Apple Watch has matched what Garmin and Coros showed me. No GPS watch is perfect on a crowded race course, because runners rarely hold the shortest possible line, so watches often read a little long. In my first marathon with an Apple Watch, mine read 26.3 miles while friends' watches read 26.5 or more. That is my experience and not a lab test.

What is Rolling Mile on Apple Watch?

Rolling Mile is an Apple Watch running metric that shows your pace over the last mile, measured back from your most recent step. It is different from average pace, which covers your whole run, and current pace, which covers this moment. I use it late in races to see whether I am slowing down. Garmin does not offer it natively, though a free third-party Connect IQ data field adds a similar rolling pace.

What is Backtrack on Apple Watch?

Backtrack is a feature in the Compass app that records your route with the watch's GPS and helps you retrace it to your starting point. It works on the Apple Watch Series 6 and later, the SE, and the Ultra. Garmin's Back to Start with TracBack and Coros's Back to Start do the same job, and on models with maps they go further. Backtrack is a breadcrumb trail and not a map.

Do I need the Apple Watch Ultra to run with an Apple Watch?

No. I ran a 2:30 marathon on a Series 3. The Ultra's main advantages for runners are longer battery life and a physical Action button, and Backtrack works on the Series 6 and later, the SE, and the Ultra. The Ultra 4 starts at $799 and the Series 12 starts at $399, so decide whether you need the extra battery before you pay for it.

About the author: Nick Klastava is the CEO and head coach of Running Explained. He is a USATF and RRCA certified run coach and a masters runner with a 2:30 marathon PR and a Boston Marathon finish. He has worn Garmin, Coros, and Apple Watch running watches over more than a decade of running.

Updated September 2026: added Apple Watch Ultra 4 and Garmin Fenix 9 battery ratings and Apple's new Readiness score.