Is GPS the most accurate for tracking pace and distance?

[RubyTiger]

I have a Garmin Forerunner 15 and normally set it on indoor running ie, not GPS. Today I set it on GPS and registered my slowest pace. Is this more accurate than when I just used the watch as an activity tracker? Very disappointing run today, seems to be getting harder. I am on week 9 run 2 so have only one to go. Ran for 35 mins (by mistake as my app failed) and only managed 4.55 km. Decided not to push myself doing a Park Run on Saturday as I was tired today after the run. Think 5 km is too much at the moment as I want to run all if not most of it. Plan to listen more to my body and have a 2 day break at least once a week instead of running every other day. I will see if two rest days before my graduation day on Saturday does the trick. I want to get back to feeling exhilarated after my runs, not disappointed and a bit low.

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

I’d have to question how your gamin knows how far you’ve run without GPS... has to be a stride counter going on, which is unlikely to be 100% accurate. GPS accuracy varies, a lot of the time my phone is to within 10 feet, and your watch is most likely to be within 6.... occasionally accuracy is in the 100 feet range though.

So... assuming your pace is right on GPS, that’s 38 minute 5k pace and as less than 10% of C25Kers do 5k in 30 minutes on the plan, that’s very good pace... no need to be disappointed at all. Most runs I do now post grad I aim for 36/37 minutes at the 5k mark. Edit: ALL my runs, I’m yet to have a 5k on my plan and my tempo and speed runs are nowhere near 5k yet.

[damienair Graduate]

Hello. I too have a Garmin Forerunner 15. I have only ever used it outside as a GPS. It is very accurate. I like the watch, does everything I need it to do.

Nothing wrong with 4.55 km in 35 mins. You were just 1 lap of an athletics track shy of 5K. Don’t be put off Parkrun at the moment. Just do it. Run and walk it if you need to for the first time. Run a couple of times during the week and do Parkrun the next Saturday. You will run a little more and your time will improve each week. Before you know it you will be hooked and chasing a PB.

Park run is amazing, you’ll love it. Best to start before you get any faster, it’s easier to beat your PB times.😀

[ArthurJG Graduate]

It depends. GPS would normally be more accurate than simply counting the steps and guessing your stride length as an activity tracker does. However it is still not 100% accurate and there can be problems with signal in certain places and in certain weather conditions. Look at the map of your run generated by your GPS data. Does it look like your route, or are there straight lines between points where your route was actually indirect, or even gaps in your route? If you can see that the run has been tracked accurately then the distance estimate will be reasonable, not as good as using a professional measuring wheel as they do for athletics events and even parkruns, but certainly better than an estimate based on step count.

[davelinks Graduate]

I find my Garmin watch 99% accurate at Parkrun and comes out about the same as my Parkrun result, dedicated GPS watches are more accurate than a phone or activity tracker..

[damienair Graduate]

Forgot to say also that there is a huge difference between running indoors on a thread mill and running outside. Outdoor running is much harder. But much nicer, even in the rain.

[John_W Graduate Ambassador]

Use GPS for running outdoors and 'indoor running' for indoor running.

GPS is a satellite system used for navigation. It tracks where you go and tells you distance very accurately. Coupled with time, it can therefore help your watch tell you your pace.

The 'indoor running' setting is used for when you're running indoors, e.g. at the gym on a treadmill. It calculates your speed and distance from the movement of your arm, so it's only an approximate estimate.

As for your running, a 2 day break is very sensible at this stage.... most C25Kers do a Mon/Wed/Fri or Tue/Thu/Sat cycle with a 2 day break.

AS for being disappointed with your W9R2... think BIG PICTURE... if you're going to plan continue running for the foreseeable future, what difference does 1 difficult run make? Honestly, you have all the time in the world (hopefully!) ... relax. As for running 5k, only 10% of C25Kers manage it during Week 9, so no worries. Chill! If it takes you 35 or 40 mins, so what?

Good luck!

John

[RubyTiger Graduate in reply to John_W]

Ta- I so much prefer running outdoors. Only used the treadmill once and I kept looking at my watch, hoping I was nearly finished ! The reason I tend to use the indoor mode is that I don't need a record of the track- it's up the path and back! It's because the GPS eats into the battery life.I have to charge my phone and tablets most days where as my watch lasts at least two or three weeks on indoor mode. Will have to get used to recharging it if I want an accurate record