Question for Garmin Forerunner users

[Aftabs]

I am thinking of getting the Garmin Forerunner 610 because the app I use to track my runs is not accurate enough. Does anyone use this watch and if you do how accurate do you find it? The app I use has shown me as running about 5.25km by the end of my last two ParkRuns and that means a difference of about 1 minute in the overall times.

[Landesman Graduate]

This guy writes a very good blog, including highly detailed product reviews (including the 610), which may be of interest. dcrainmaker.com/product-rev...

I use the Forerunner 10 which I find really helpful and useful, but I've not measured its accuracy against a precise distance.

There's a long answer to GPS tracking accuracy for runners here: hamptonhalf.com/hamptonhalf...

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Landesman]

Thanks for the links. The GPS blog is a very good summary of the inherent problems in using GPS. I have started to read the product review, I think it'll take me a while to finish it!

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Landesman]

I found this review of various GPS devices to be helpful too

dcrainmaker.com/2010/11/spo...

Basically we should expect the GRmin devices to be about 98% accurate. The last two Parkruns i have done show the Nike+ app is about 95% accurate, so it's an improvement.

[crox Graduate]

It's great, love mine. It's a massive improvement over the 210. The touch screen takes some getting used to though.

[Hidden]

I don't know the answer to your specific question, but I believe it is more accurate than smartphone apps, I've got the forerunner 410 and I'd definately replace with another forerunner if anything happened to it, that is unless there was some new gadget on the scene

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Hidden]

It is my hope that a dedicated watch would be better than a smartphone app. I didn't want to spend all that money when I began C25K but now that I've graduated and kept it up for a month I'm pretty sure that I'm a runner now, so I can justify the expense!

[Oldgirl Graduate]

connect.garmin.com/activity... Garmin stats from this morning but my Nike fitness App says it was 10.98K which I run at the same time with my music. If I set it to my height of 5' it under states if I set it to 5'1" it over states so its never going to be spot on but its about 10% out with Garmin stats which is a lot, I don't have the answer to which is more accurate but would trust the Garmin more than Nike Fit.

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Oldgirl]

Thanks for sharing!

[Hidden]

Just done a 5k race and my Garmin says 5.03 and I think I can account for most of the 30 metres in the start line up and after the finish line, so quite accurate

[Aftabs Graduate in reply to Hidden]

That is very accurate. Thanks for sharing.

[Aftabs Graduate]

I've ordered the watch now, I found an amazon seller selling it with the HRM for £205. It's new but the box is apparently scratched. I think I'll get the footpod eventually so I can track runs on the treadmill.

Thanks everyone for your help.