The best GPS running watches for every budget
A running watch should make training easier, not more complicated. Most runners need accurate GPS, comfortable heart-rate tracking and a battery that lasts the week. Maps, music and advanced training metrics are worth paying for only if you’ll use them.
These picks cover a first watch through to a full-featured mapping watch.
How we choose: each pick starts from our finder’s ranking for the brief shown, and we check it makes sense for the job. We haven’t tested these products ourselves. Some links are affiliate links, and commission never affects the picks. About affiliate links
Quick picks
| Best for | Model | Reference price | Sold by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for marathon training | Garmin Forerunner 570 | £430 | GO Outdoors |
| Best first GPS watch | Garmin Forerunner 165 | £179.99 | Decathlon |
| Best budget GPS watch | COROS PACE 4 | £229 | COROS |
| Best mid-price watch with maps | COROS APEX 4 | £389.99 | Wahoo |
| Best premium all-rounder | Garmin Forerunner 970 | £559.99 | Garmin |
Best for marathon training
Garmin Forerunner 570
The brief: Training for a half or full marathon, wants the best all-round running watch.
Rated the best all-round running watch of 2026 and the best for marathon training, with a bright screen, accurate GPS, training readiness and long battery life. It covers triathlon too.
Designed for: Advanced running and triathlon
Optional for many events: a phone or existing watch may already cover basic needs.
Best first GPS watch
Garmin Forerunner 165
The brief: New to running, wants reliable GPS tracking and training insights.
A highly rated, easy-to-use GPS watch with a bright AMOLED screen, accurate tracking and helpful training suggestions. It covers everything most runners need without the complexity of pricier models.
Confirm the current price, your size and stock on the retailer page. EVENT/READY has not independently tested this model yet.
Best budget GPS watch
COROS PACE 4
The brief: Wants a capable GPS watch for as little as possible.
Rated the best budget running watch of 2026: light, with long battery life, an AMOLED screen and serious training features for the price.
Designed for: Value-oriented multisport GPS
Very strong value; maps and advanced navigation vary by model and firmware.
Best mid-price watch with maps
COROS APEX 4
The brief: Trail, ultra or hill runner who needs navigation and long battery life.
A trail and endurance watch with maps and long battery life for runners who head into unfamiliar country. If you only run familiar routes, you can save money with a simpler watch.
Designed for: Trail, endurance and navigation
Optional for many events: a phone or existing watch may already cover basic needs.
Not quite your brief?
Answer a few questions and the finder will pick the best model for your exact sport, experience, priorities and budget, plus two alternatives.
How to choose
What you actually need
For most runners: accurate GPS, wrist heart rate, a battery that lasts a week of training, and automatic syncing to your phone and to apps such as Strava. Everything else is optional.
Maps: breadcrumb or full?
Some watches only show a breadcrumb trail of a route you’ve loaded, while others have full topographic maps. Full maps are genuinely useful in the hills and on long trail races, and unnecessary for road running.
Battery life
Check the battery life in GPS mode, not in smartwatch mode. For marathons, 10+ hours is comfortable. For ultras or multi-day events, look at extended GPS modes.
Heart rate
Wrist heart rate is fine for steady running. For intervals or if you want precise data, pair your watch with a chest strap.
Questions people ask
Garmin or COROS?
Both make excellent running watches and sync with the main training apps. Garmin has the widest range and features. COROS is often praised for battery life and value. Choose on the features and price that suit you.
Do I need a GPS watch to start running?
No. A free phone app tracks pace and distance well enough to start. A watch becomes worthwhile when you run regularly and want data without carrying your phone.
Is an older model worth buying?
Often, yes. When a new generation launches, the previous model is frequently discounted and still does everything most runners need.
How we pick
Every pick starts from the EVENT/READY finder’s ranking for the brief shown. Products only qualify if we’ve opened and checked a UK retailer page for that exact model. We only include products that independent testers rated highly, and the best-rated rank highest, but we don’t reproduce anyone’s reviews here. We then check each result makes sense for the job. Prices are dated reference prices, not live prices. Read our full approach.