If you are shopping around for a good running watch, there are a few criteria that should be considered essential. Before you buy any running watch, you should stop to think about yourself as a runner.
Are you a casual runner who just likes to get outside in the fresh air every once in a while and run a few laps around the park? Or are you a serious, advanced runner who runs every day, rain or shine, possibly even training to run in a marathon?
The type of runner you are should determine the type of running watch you need. A basic running watch will suffice for the casual runner, while a serious runner needs a running watch with more advanced features.
Whichever type of runner you may be, here are the top 3 things to consider when you are buying a running watch:
Can you track time in reverse with this watch?
Even if you are just a casual, occasional runner now, you might eventually kick it up a notch and start taking your running more seriously. In that event, you will want to know your time. A countdown timer on a running watch will count down from a certain value until it reaches zero. You might want to keep up with your time as a casual runner, as well, to see if you can beat your own time after a set period. For example, you might want to record your times every time you run a particular route for a month, to see if your speed has improved at the end of that period.
Is the display easy to read on this watch?
The last thing you want when you are out running is a watch with an inferior display! You need to be sure and buy a watch with large enough numbers that you can easily see them at arm’s length while running. Also, make sure that the stop watch display is adequate. You want something easy to see and read while you are running, so that you can keep up with your time.
Is lap memory supported on this watch?
You want to be able to store each record of your sessions, so that you can track your progress as time goes on. So, look for a running watch that will store the data of each session: speed, distance, and time.
Before buying a running watch, make sure it comes with those three features!