Is the app timing accurate?!?!

[Chokka]

For my last four runs (3 x 25mins & 1 x 28min) I’ve been using mapmyrun alongside the C25k app .... each time Mapmyrun has shown that I’ve run for one minute and 10 seconds longer than the C25k app shows ... which presumably brings into question my distance & split time too.

Does anyone know which app is more accurate? I know it doesn’t really matter in the long run (phnar phnar!), but it would be good to know! It would be nice to know roughly what distance I’ll be covering when I get to 30 minutes next week.

Thank you!!

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

This has been questioned in the past, but I have never checked out the timings of the app or podcasts, so you probably know more about it than most of us.

[Chokka Graduate in reply to IannodaTruffe]

Oh, sorry to repeat a question ... I did search for it, but couldn’t find anything!

I just used a stop watch to time a 28minute c25k run (albeit sitting at my desk!) & it was spot on. Will do it again tomorrow on a real run & let you know.

[Bea7 Graduate]

I noticed that the walking intervals were a few seconds to half a minute longer sometimes. I have not checked the longer running intervals yet but will do so tonight when I go on my 25 minute run

[Chokka Graduate in reply to Bea7]

Oh that’s interesting ... look forward to hearing about tonight’s run times.

Hope it goes well!

[SmilelikeImeanIt Graduate]

The app timing doesn’t always take into account the intro and outro portions. I use Nike running club and turn that on when I start running (ie after 5 min warmup walk) and stop it when finish running (so before cool down walk) and the times seem to coincide almost perfectly with the app. Hope that helps.

[Chokka Graduate in reply to SmilelikeImeanIt]

Yep, that’s what I’ve been doing & even talking into account the few seconds it takes me to switch apps, it’s still about 1min 10secs more on MapMyRun!

Maybe I need to change to Nike!

Thank you!

[SmilelikeImeanIt Graduate]

Sounds like you’ll be faster than Mapmyrun is telling you!

Also, possibly not relevant, but right near the end of my run I reach a spot with poor signal and the distance on NRC stays at 2.8km for ages then jumps straight to 3km! Gives me a very fast fastest pace 😂 but it’s def not right. The split times seem accurate though. Might need to change my route and see if it makes a difference.

[Chokka Graduate in reply to SmilelikeImeanIt]

Ha ha ... maybe you get super human strides at that point!!

I live in rural Africa & the signal isn’t great, so you’ve probably hit the nail on the head!

Guess I’ll have to be old school & measure 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5km in the car first!

Thank you for your thoughts!

[SmilelikeImeanIt Graduate in reply to Chokka]

Wow! Loving the global community. You must laugh at us worrying about running in the heat here 😂😂

[Chokka Graduate in reply to SmilelikeImeanIt]

Not at all ... although I fancy the idea of a run in the rain. That sounds blissful ... at least it would disguise the sweat ... er, I mean humidity (!), that pours off me!!!

I do get laughed at here though .. I have a gaggle of tiny school kids effortlessly running /skipping / dancing along side me ... bare foot with their school bags on their heads, whilst I’m gasping!!

[SmilelikeImeanIt Graduate in reply to Chokka]

Yes rain can be nice when it’s hot out. Fairly constant rain last few days is getting boring now!

My 13yr old son came with me once (about Week 4 or 5) and thought it hilarious that his brisk walk was faster than my “run”. But he hasn’t come again and I’m still doing 30 mins 2 or 3 times a week.

[Bariruns]

I use MapMyRun run. I noticed on my last run that when the voice cuts in to tell you split times and distances the countdown on the C25K pauses. This may account for discrepancy?