What is Adapt for Heat?
When it's really hot outside — whether because of a heatwave or humid conditions — training can become genuinely harder. With Adapt for Heat, you'll get recommended pace adjustments to your session so you can train smarter on hot or humid days without overdoing it or falling behind in your training progress.
Heads up: Adapt for Heat is currently being rolled out gradually. If you don't have it yet, it will be available soon. It's available on most Runna plans except for older-style plans and Foundational plans such as New to Running, Return to Running, and Path to parkrun.
How Does Adapt for Heat work?
If it's going to be hot on the day that your run in scheduled, Adapt for Heat suggestions will appear on your workout the day before or on the day of your scheduled session. Whether your workout gets a recommendation depends on two things:
"Feels-like" temperature. This accounts for raw temperature, humidity and wind chill.
Your workout duration. Heat builds up over time, so longer runs trigger suggestions more easily than shorter ones.
As a rough guide, you can expect to see recommendations when the feels-like temperature is above ~68°F (20°C).
How Do I Adapt my Workout for Heat?
You can adapt your workout for heat the day before or on the day of your scheduled session. To do this:
Go to the Today tab
Tap into your scheduled workout
Tap Adapt for Heat
Choose the hour you plan to run. Runna shows a colour-coded hourly forecast for your location, from cool to hot
Tap Review suggestion to see how your workout would be adjusted
Tap Accept to apply the changes, or Keep as planned to stick with your original session
Running with a watch? After accepting an adaptation, resync your device so it picks up the updated paces. For Garmin, sync via the Garmin Connect app; for Apple Watch, force-close and reopen Runna on the watch.
What Heat Adaptations Can I Make to My Workout?
Depending on your workout type and how warm it is, Adapt for Heat can suggest one of the following:
Slower pace targets
For most workouts — including tempo runs, intervals, time trials, and races — Runna will suggest slower pace targets that match the effort those sessions are designed to feel like in optimal conditions.A slower conversational pace
For easy runs, Runna will suggest a slower conversational pace limit. This may show as a slightly longer estimated duration for your run rather than a specific pace to hit.A swap to a conversational long run
If your scheduled workout is a structured long run in high heat, Runna may suggest replacing it with an unstructured conversational long run instead — removing the pressure of hitting specific paces while keeping the endurance benefit intact.Running outside not recommended
In extreme heat, Runna may advise against running outside. You can choose to move your run to a treadmill, or run outside anyway (adjusted pace targets will still be provided if you do).
As with any adaptation, listen to your body. Make sure to hydrate well before and after your session. If it feels too hot to run, it's always okay to reschedule.
How Are Pace Adjustments Calculated?
Adapted paces are based on two things: the feels-like temperature and how long your run is. The hotter it is and the longer the run, the bigger the adjustment.
Any pace adjustments Runna makes for heat will deliver the same training benefit as running at your normal pace in cool conditions.
What if the Weather Changes After I've Already Accepted a Heat Adaptation?
If the weather has gotten hotter since you accepted a heat adaptation, Runna will flag that your adaptation may need updating. You'll see a warning on your workout card. Tap the warning to re-adapt with the updated forecast, or clear it to return to your original session.
What if I Move or Reschedule my Workout After I've Already Accepted a Heat Adaptation?
If you reschedule your workout or change the time you plan to run after accepting a heat adaptation, Runna will flag it with a warning on your workout card. Tap the warning to see what's changed.
If you moved your workout to the next day or to a different time on the same day, tap the warning to re-adapt or clear it to return to your original session.
If you moved your workout further out than the next day, you can only clear the adaptation for now. Come back the day before your rescheduled session to re-adapt.
What if I Change my Mileage, Runs per week or Race Date after I've Already Accepted a Heat Adaptation?
If you update your plan settings after accepting a heat adaptation — such as changing your mileage, runs per week, or race date — Runna may flag that your adaptation needs reviewing with a warning on your workout card.
Tap the warning to re-adapt with the updated recommendation, or clear it to return to your original session.
How do I Edit or Remove a Heat Adaptation From my Workout?
To edit a heat adaptation you've already accepted:
Go to the Today tab
Tap into your workout
Scroll down to Adapt for Heat
Tap the pencil icon
Choose a new planned run time and tap Adapt workout
To remove a heat adaptation and return to your original session:
Go to the Today tab
Tap into your workout
Scroll to Adapt for Heat
Tap the pencil icon
Select Clear adaptation
Who Can Use Adapt for Heat?
Adapt for Heat is available on most Runna plans except for older-style plans and Foundational plans such as New to Running, Return to Running, and Path to parkrun.
If you're on an ineligible plan and want to adjust for hot conditions, you can switch to effort-based training (RPE) instead. Go to Plan tab → Manage Plan → Units of Measure → RPE. This lets you run by feel rather than hitting set paces, which naturally accounts for the conditions.
FAQs
Why Don't I See Heat Adaptation Recommendations Even Though It's Hot?
There are a few reasons why you might not see a heat adaptation:
It's too early. Adapt for Heat only shows the day before or on the day of your session. If you're checking further ahead, come back closer to your run.
It's not hot enough. Recommendations typically appear when the feels-like temperature is above ~68°F (20°C), though the exact threshold also depends on how long your workout is — longer sessions trigger recommendations at slightly lower temperatures.
You're in treadmill view. Adapt for Heat is outdoor-only.
It's a hills session. Hill workouts are effort and time-based, so there are no pace targets to adjust.
Your plan isn't eligible. Adapt for Heat isn't available on Foundation, New to Running, Return to Running, or Path to parkrun plans.
Your app may need updating. If everything else looks right, check that you're on the latest version.
The Weather Shown in the App Doesn't Match Where I'm Running
For the most accurate suggestions, Runna needs your precise location. Without it, the weather may not accurately reflect your conditions.
You can share your precise location via the weather widget on the Today tab. You'll also see the option to "Tap for precise location" when you open the Adapt for Heat hourly forecast screen.
My Watch is Still Showing the Original Workout Paces After I Accepted a Heat Adaptation — How do I Fix This?
If your watch isn't showing adapted paces after you've accepted a heat adjustment, you'll need to resync your wearable:
Garmin: Open the Garmin Connect app and tap the sync button in the top-right corner.
Apple Watch: Force-close the Runna app on your watch (double-click the digital crown, swipe the app left, and tap the red X). Reopen the app to see the updated workout.
COROS: Open the COROS app and pull down on the Training Calendar to refresh your workout data.
Will a Heat-adapted Session Affect my Training Progress or Race Time Estimate?
No. Running at adapted paces in heat delivers the same benefit as running at your normal pace in cool conditions. Your plan progression, race time estimate, and weekly mileage are completely unaffected.
I Run Somewhere Hot All Year Round — Will I See This Every Day?
If you usually run in consistently warm climates, you may see suggestions more frequently than you need them. If you're comfortable in the heat, you can always dismiss the suggestion and run as normal. We're working on smarter thresholds that take regular heat exposure into account.
Does Adapt for Heat Cover Cold, Rain, or Wind?
No. Adapt for Heat only covers workout adaptations for hot or humid weather.
Need support? Reach out via the in-app support tab and we'll do our best to help!