< Back

Runkeeper Review: What Runners Need To Know Before Downloading

One of the most popular running apps, Runkeeper uses the GPS technology found in your phone to track your fitness activity, giving you results comparable to a GPS watch. The intuitive and easy-to-use interface of the app makes it easy to track how far you went, how long it took, what your pace/speed was, how many calories you burned, and the path you travelled on a map! The website stores all the information.

Runkeeper has been one of the most recognisable names in running technology for nearly two decades. Long before fitness tracking became mainstream, runners were using the app to record their miles, monitor their progress and stay motivated. Today there is far more competition from the likes of Strava, Garmin Connect and Nike Run Club, but Runkeeper remains a popular choice for runners looking for a simple and effective training companion. If you're wondering whether it is still worth downloading, here's everything you need to know. The Background Runkeeper was launched in 2008 and quickly established itself as one of the leading GPS running apps. In 2016 it was acquired by Asics, the Japanese sportswear giant behind some of the most popular running shoes in the world, including the Gel-Nimbus and Gel-Kayano ranges. Since then, Runkeeper has become part of Asics' wider digital ecosystem, helping runners track their training while also connecting them to races, challenges and other fitness services. Although the name suggests it is purely for runners, Runkeeper supports a wide range of activities including walking, cycling, hiking, gym workouts, yoga and strength training. It is available on both Android and iOS devices and is suitable for complete beginners through to experienced marathon runners. Pricing One of the reasons Runkeeper remains so popular is that the free version offers a surprising amount of functionality. Users can track workouts using GPS, view detailed activity summaries, monitor progress over time, set goals and take part in challenges without paying a penny. For those wanting more, there is a premium subscription called Runkeeper Go. This unlocks personalised training plans, advanced insights, workout comparisons and additional performance metrics. The exact subscription price can vary depending on location and promotional offers, but there is usually a free trial available for runners who want to explore the premium features before committing. For many runners the free version will be more than enough, but anyone training seriously for a race may find the additional coaching and planning tools worthwhile. Getting Started Setting up Runkeeper is straightforward. After creating an account and answering a few questions about your fitness goals, the app guides you directly to the main dashboard. The layout is clean and intuitive, making it easy to find your recent activities, training history and performance statistics without spending ages working out where everything is. The main dashboard gives a useful overview of your recent training, including distance covered, time spent exercising, calories burned and elevation gained. One feature that stands out is the shoe mileage tracker, which allows you to monitor how many miles you've completed in each pair of running shoes. This can be incredibly useful for runners who want to avoid using worn-out shoes for too long. Tracking Your Runs At its heart, Runkeeper is a GPS tracking app and this is where it performs particularly well. Starting a run takes only a few seconds and once GPS has locked on, the app records your route, pace, distance, duration and elevation. During your workout you can customise the display to show the metrics that matter most to you, making it easy to monitor your progress without being distracted by unnecessary information. Once you've completed your session, you'll be presented with a detailed breakdown of your performance, including split times, route maps and pace analysis. The information is presented clearly and is easy to understand, even for runners who are relatively new to structured training. Training Plans And Workouts Training support is one of the areas where Runkeeper has developed significantly over the years. The app includes a range of guided workouts featuring audio coaching designed to help runners improve fitness, increase speed and stay motivated. These sessions are ideal for runners who want more structure without having to create workouts themselves. The premium version expands this considerably with personalised training plans covering distances from 5K right through to the marathon. After answering a few questions about your current fitness level and race goals, the app creates a programme designed around your needs. While experienced runners may still prefer to follow a coach's plan, the guidance available through Runkeeper Go offers excellent value for many runners. Route Planning One of Runkeeper's most useful features is the ability to plan and save routes. This is particularly valuable if you're travelling, moving to a new area or simply looking to break out of the routine of running the same roads every week. Users can create their own routes or explore routes created by other members of the community, helping to discover new places to run while also having a good idea of the distance involved before heading out. For runners training for specific race distances, being able to plan routes in advance can make long runs much easier to organise and complete. Challenges And Goals Motivation can often be one of the biggest challenges in running, particularly during the winter months or between race targets. Runkeeper tackles this by offering both personal goal setting and community challenges. You can create your own targets based on distance, activity frequency or other milestones, while the challenge section allows you to compete alongside thousands of other users attempting similar goals. These challenges add a social and competitive element without overwhelming the app, helping runners stay focused when enthusiasm starts to dip. Audio Updates And Other Useful Features The audio updates remain one of Runkeeper's strongest features. During a run, the app can provide regular progress reports announcing distance covered, pace, elapsed time and other key statistics. Because these updates can be customised, runners can choose exactly what information they hear and how frequently they hear it. The Auto Pause feature is also useful, automatically stopping the activity timer when you come to a halt at road crossings or traffic lights and restarting when you begin moving again. Small touches like these make the app feel polished and practical for everyday use. How Social Is Runkeeper? Unlike Strava, Runkeeper has never tried to become a social media platform for runners. Community features exist and allow users to connect with friends, share activities and join groups, but they sit firmly in the background rather than dominating the experience. For many runners this is actually one of the app's strengths. If you enjoy sharing every workout and competing on leaderboards, you may prefer Strava. However, if you simply want to track your training without feeling pressured to post every run publicly, Runkeeper offers a much more relaxed environment. How Easy Is It To Use? This is where Runkeeper continues to excel. The app manages to provide a wide range of features without ever feeling complicated. Most functions are exactly where you'd expect them to be, the menus are easy to navigate and there is plenty of opportunity to customise the experience to suit your own preferences. Whether you're tracking shoe mileage, setting goals, following a training plan or simply recording your morning run, everything feels straightforward. There are more advanced platforms available, but few strike the balance between simplicity and functionality quite as well as Runkeeper. The Verdict Runkeeper remains one of the strongest all-round running apps available today. It offers reliable GPS tracking, useful training features, personalised coaching options and enough flexibility to suit runners of all abilities. The free version is generous enough that many users will never feel the need to upgrade, while Runkeeper Go provides valuable extras for those working towards a specific race goal. It may not generate the same level of social engagement as Strava or offer the deep ecosystem integration of Garmin Connect, but for runners who want an easy-to-use app that focuses on training rather than comparing workouts with others then Runkeeper remains a very good choice. Its AI features are very limited but that is bound to change quickly.

runkeeper-getting-to-know-its-features