You can complete any Runna workout on a treadmill, but for the best experience, we recommend following the workout directly in the Runna app on your phone.
Indoor smartwatches rely mainly on accelerometer data (since there’s no GPS), which can sometimes lead to less accurate pacing and distance. Completing the workout through your phone helps ensure:
Interval distances are accurate
Pace targets are consistent
When you begin a treadmill workout in the Runna app, you’ll have the option to either connect to a Smart Treadmill (Bluetooth FTMS-supported) or use a Manual Treadmill. Either way, Runna will guide you step by step through every interval - including rest and recovery periods - and once saved, your workout will link back to your planned training session in the app.
Benefits of Recording on Your Phone:
More accurate distance estimation and pace guidance
The ability to edit lap paces after your workout to match what you actually completed
Smart Treadmills
What Is a Smart Treadmill?
A Smart Treadmill is one that supports full Bluetooth FTMS (Fitness Machine Service) functionality. With a compatible treadmill:
Runna connects via Bluetooth
Runna can automatically adjust speed and incline
Interval transitions happen automatically
You don’t need to touch treadmill controls during the workout
Note: Not all FTMS treadmills support full control with Runna. Some models only allow data sharing, meaning you'll need to adjust the treadmill speed and incline manually using the treadmill's controls. The target speed will be displayed in the Runna app to guide you.
How to Record a Workout on a Smart Treadmill
Open the Runna app
Go to Today tab → Workout → Start Workout
Select Treadmill Run → Connect Treadmill
Once connected, press Start
Runna will guide the workout and adjust speed/incline automatically
Smart Treadmill Troubleshooting
If your treadmill should be compatible but won’t connect, try the following:
Confirm your treadmill supports full Bluetooth FTMS (check the manufacturer documentation)
Ensure your treadmill is running the latest software update
Disconnect from other Bluetooth fitness devices (Phone Settings → Bluetooth)
Make sure Runna permissions are enabled:
Bluetooth access
Fine location accuracy
Confirm Bluetooth is turned on on the treadmill
If you’re in a gym with lots of treadmills, use the signal strength indicator in the app to make sure you’re connecting to the correct one.
If you’ve tried all of the above and still can’t connect, please contact our support team and we’ll investigate further!
Manual Treadmills
What Is a Manual Treadmill?
A Manual Treadmill is any treadmill that does not support full Bluetooth FTMS connectivity. It’s just as easy to complete your Runna workout on a manual treadmill - the only difference is that you’ll need to adjust the speeds and incline yourself.
If you’re new to treadmill intervals, we recommend practising at an easy jog first, especially if you plan to step to the side during recovery.
Manual Treadmill Recordings:
Runna guides you through intervals on your phone
You manually adjust speed and incline using treadmill controls
Runna estimates your distance based on pace targets + time
How to Complete a Workout on a Manual Treadmill
Open the Runna app
Go to Today tab → Workout → Start Workout
Select Treadmill Run
Follow the interval guidance in the app
Adjust the speed of your treadmill to match the targets shown
Data Mismatches: the Runna App vs Your Treadmill
Different devices calculate treadmill distance in different ways, so the distance shown in Runna may not perfectly match what you see on the treadmill display.
For Smart Treadmills
Runna uses smart algorithms to process treadmill data, accounting for belt acceleration and deceleration. This helps ensure your average pace reflects your target effort, even though the belt takes time to speed up or slow down. Without these adjustments, your pace could appear artificially slower.
For Manual Treadmills
On manual treadmills, Runna estimates distance based on your target pace and time.
For example, if your target is 10 km/h for 1 hour, Runna assumes you’ve covered 10 km. Since treadmill belts take time to accelerate and decelerate, the distance shown on the treadmill may differ slightly from Runna’s estimate.
Correcting Data Discrepancies After Your Workout
Once you’ve finished your workout, you can edit your lap distance, time, or pace to better reflect what you actually completed:
Press and hold to end the workout
Scroll down to edit lap speeds, distances, or time
Adjust the values to match what you ran on the treadmill
Tap Save
Hill Workouts on a Treadmill
You can complete hill workouts on a treadmill too! Please note that Runna does not currently track incline or elevation gain data for treadmill runs - even on Smart treadmills - so this information will not appear in your completed activity.
Smart Treadmills
For tempo or interval workouts, incline adjustments will happen automatically if your treadmill supports control.
Manual Treadmills
For hill workouts on manual treadmills, you’ll need to adjust the incline yourself.
We recommend:
Using 6–8% incline for most hill intervals
Shorter efforts (e.g., 30s) may require a steeper incline than longer efforts (e.g., 90s)
Focus on sustaining the effort without compromising your running form
Moderate, Rolling, or Hilly Long Runs are not yet compatible with fully automated Smart treadmill control. You can still complete the workout, but you’ll need to manually adjust incline to match the elevation gain target.
Tracking Health Metrics
If you record your treadmill workout through your phone, please note that health metrics such as heart rate and calories won’t be captured.
To include these metrics, you can start a separate treadmill run on a compatible smartwatch within 60 seconds of starting the phone recording. Once both activities have been saved and synced to the Runna app, they should merge together.
Apple Watch Mirroring: For the best experience, enable Workout Mirroring: Plan tab → Connected Apps → Apple Watch → Enable Workout Mirroring. Your Apple Watch will automatically mirror the workout and display your heart rate, allowing you to control the workout from either device.
Other Compatible Watches (Garmin, COROS, Suunto etc): Start a free treadmill run (not the planned workout) on your watch within 60 seconds of starting the phone recording. Once both activities sync, they’ll merge - giving you accurate distance estimates from your phone plus health metrics (heart rate, calories, cadence) from your watch.
FAQs
Can I record on a manually driven assault treadmill?
Although some assault treadmills support FTMS for basic data sharing, they cannot receive workout control instructions from Runna. Due to this one-way limitation, most assault treadmills function like a manual treadmill.
What treadmill do I need for Smart Treadmill workouts?
You need a treadmill that supports full Bluetooth FTMS functionality. If you’re unsure, please check your treadmill manufacturer’s guide or website.
Are treadmill workouts compatible with Pace Insights?
Yes - Pace Insights works for treadmill runs as long as:
The workout is started directly from the Runna App on your phone
It is a planned workout or Instant Workout (not manually linked)
Pace Targets are enabled in Workout Settings
You will receive adaptive pace recommendations after treadmill speed sessions just like outdoor runs!
Need more support?
If you have any questions or need further support, please reach out via our in-app support channel and we'll do our best to help!