When you’re starting out with running, you don’t need to monitor every advanced metric that smart watches offer. It’s perfectly okay to track your runs using your phone, but an easy way to level up your training is by using a smart watch, which can track your heart rate and make it easier to monitor your pace than checking your phone. We’ve put together some of the best options for beginner runners.
What Matters Most When Choosing a Running Watch?
Reliable GPS: GPS measures the distance of the actual route you run instead of just estimating steps. This precise distance data can help inform your pacing. It also means you can review your route afterwards, see elevation changes, create a nice looking Strava map, and also use Runna's 'Share Your Run' feature to share a progress postcard.
Heart Rate Tracking: Built-in wrist heart rate sensors help track effort, so you know when to push and when to hold back. Knowing what level you're working at can help optimise your training by making sure you keep it steady on your easy runs, or help you know when to push a little harder during your speed sessions.
Ease of Use: A simple interface without an overwhelming amount of statistics will allow you to easily track your runs and focus on what matters.
Other Useful Stats To Inform Your Training
Cadence: The number of steps you take per minute. You can use this to inform how you can improve your running form and efficiency.
Recovery Statistics: It is definitely not essential to pay attention to recovery statistics, but having a watch can help ensure you don't overtrain. After you finish a run, your watch can give you an estimated recovery time of how long it believes you should wait before doing another hard workout. This is informed by the intensity and duration of the workout, heart rate data, the amount of workouts you've been recording per week (known as your cumulative training load), and your sleep (if you wear your watch overnight).
Top Running Smart Watches for Beginners
All of Runna's plans sync seamlessly with your device of choice so you can follow each session with step-by-step coaching guidance, complete with personalized pacing and workout insights.
Garmin Forerunner 55
The Garmin Forerunner 55 is a fantastic choice for beginner runners and versatile enough to support you as you progress. It includes all the essential features you need to start your running journey, including accurate GPS tracking, wrist-based heart rate monitoring, cadence alerts, pacing guidance, and even recovery advice to help you plan rest between workouts.
Its lightweight and comfortable design makes it easy to wear for daily training, and the amazing battery life (up to two weeks) means you can focus on running rather than charging. The Forerunner 55 also goes beyond the basics with additional features like fitness age, which helps you track overall fitness improvements, and women’s health tracking. It’s simple, reliable, and provides the perfect foundation for building confidence and consistency as a new runner.
Price: $199.99
Garmin Forerunner 165
The Garmin Forerunner 165 builds on the beginner-friendly features of the 55 with a
vibrant display and brighter, sharper visuals, making it easier to read data during runs at a glance. Alongside core metrics like pace, distance, heart rate, and cadence, the 165 offers more detailed training and recovery metrics, such as training load tracking, and real-time stamina estimates, which help you better understand your performance and plan your runs.
COROS
COROS Pace 3
The COROS Pace 3 is the most affordable watch in the COROS lineup, but it still includes key features that make a real difference when you’re starting out. The lightweight design makes it comfortable to wear for long runs or all day, and the long battery life – up to 15 days – means you don’t have to worry about frequent charging.
The dual-frequency GPS provides accurate tracking even in tricky environments like city streets with tall buildings, while the route planning feature helps you follow planned runs or explore new routes with ease. The optical heart rate sensor is also very accurate, giving you reliable data to guide your training intensity, and the watch also provides detailed insights into sleep and recovery, which is especially useful for beginners learning how rest impacts performance. All of this makes the Pace 3 an easy-to-use, reliable, and powerful tool for anyone starting their running journey.
Price: $219
Apple
Apple Watch SE
The Apple Watch SE is a solid option for someone who wants one device that handles daily life and running. It gives you all the basics you need to start (GPS, heart rate, custom workouts) while also letting you use smartwatch features you would normally want anyway.
If your running distances are moderate (say under 2 hours), and you don't mind charging frequently, it can work well. But if you end up training for longer races, needing mapping, or want more detailed training metrics and long battery life, at that point a dedicated running watch might better serve your needs.
Price: $249
Takeaways
The key is to keep things simple:
Focus on core metrics like pace, distance, heart rate, and cadence to understand how your body responds to running and track your progress over time.
Don’t worry about using every feature straight away – most runners only need the basics in the beginning.
As you build confidence and consistency, you can start exploring more detailed insights like recovery time, training load, or sleep tracking to guide your training and avoid overdoing it.
Remember, the goal of the watch isn’t just to collect data, it’s to support you, motivate you, and help you enjoy running more. With the right approach and the right plan, it can become a powerful partner on your journey from your first run to your first finish line.