[sc name=”numlist” number=”1″ title=”C25K® 5K Trainer FREE (Couch Potato to Running 5K)”]
Are you a running newbie looking for an app that takes you by the hand and gently guides you through the strenuous process of turning yourself into a lean, long-distance-running athlete from a gasping-for-air, smartphone addict couch potato? Well, look no further, because when it comes to running apps tailor-made for inexperienced runners, C25K® 5K Trainer is the best in the business. C25K® 5K Trainer not only brings you an exercise routine boasting an impressive, proven track record in the form of millions of success stories, but also makes sure that you don’t quit. The training program that makes up the backbone of C25K® 5K Trainer starts off with a blend of running and walking, gradually building up your stamina and strength, and most importantly your confidence. This guaranteed-to-work routine consists of 3-days-a-week, 30-minute-long sessions, encompassing 8 weeks in total. C25K® 5K Trainer is compatible with all music apps – allowing you to listen to your favorite workout songs -, pedometer apps, and social media apps. Moreover, you can use your MyFitnessPal account at the end of each running session to see the amount of calories you’ve burnt. Since the creators of C25K® 5K Trainer firmly believe that less is more, the app packs a simple design and an easy-to-use user interface, with the former being customizable thanks to a wide selection of skins. To top it all off, C25K® 5K Trainer has a message board-based, active community bursting with eager-to-help running veterans and thousands of topics, ensuring that whatever running-related question boggles your mind, it will be answered and sorted out.
[sc name=”numlist” number=”2″ title=”Runtastic GPS Running, Jogging and Fitness Tracker”]
On the surface, Runtastic looks like little to nothing more than a fitness activity tracking app with a GPS feature, but once again proving that looks are deceiving, this multifaceted iPhone running app offers much more than that once you dig a little deeper. Although Runtastic is very much capable of tracking a wide range of fitness activities and metrics (time, speed, elevation, distance, and calories burned, to name just a few), it comes equipped with a plethora of unique and immensely useful tools. First and foremost, you can set a yearly running goal. Once your goal is set, Runtastic will make sure to keep you motivated and on track to reach it. Runtastic also packs a shoe tracking feature, keeping you updated on the mileage on your most instrumental running equipment, notifying you when it’s time to get a new pair of sneakers. As for providing motivation, Runtastic brings you Real Voice Coach, which gives you audio feedback on your first mile, and a Running Leaderboard perfect for competing with your friends to decide who the resident Haile Gebrselassie is in your circle. In case you’re looking for additional, more professional features, you can always opt for a Premium Membership starting at $4.99. Premium content includes a personalized 12-week body transformation plan, a broad selection of miscellaneous training plans (such as 5K, 10K, half-marathon, and marathon), tutorial videos aimed at improving your running technique, advanced stats and analysis, and weekly fitness reports.
[sc name=”numlist” number=”3″ title=”RUNNING for Weight Loss: Workout & Meal Plans”]
RUNNING for Weight Loss: Workout & Meal Plans is a true unicorn among iPhone running apps, being the only app in its category designed specifically for achieving weight loss goals. Since a weight loss plan is at its most effective when it’s made up of a combination of a healthy, goal-specific diet and regular workouts, RUNNING for Weight Loss: Workout & Meal Plans brings you the best of both worlds, promising to slim you down in only 8 weeks. The app contains multiple training plans, allowing you to choose the one that fits your goal and current physical conditions the most. Whether you’re striving to lose weight, maintain results that you’re proud of, or you’d just like to remain fit and active, RUNNING for Weight Loss: Workout & Meal Plans delivers smart interval training plans for each goal. In case you’re scoring at home, an interval training plan consists of running, walking, and sprint intervals, guaranteeing fast results via short workouts. For each workout, you can choose a personal trainer depending on the type of personality you prefer: there’s sweet and encouraging for the less hardcore, and a tough-as-nails, military drill sergeant kind of dude for the less faint-hearted. Detailed audio instructions, voice encouragements, and real-time stats updates are also at your disposal, and you can even adjust the amount of audio feedback you get during your runs. Regarding diets, RUNNING for Weight Loss: Workout & Meal Plans brings you the full package: tailored meal plans, hundreds of recipes with step-by-step instructions, tips for making healthy nutritional choices, and a water tracker equipped with reminders. The app also trots out an innovative music player in which the music tempo adjusts to the rhythm of your workout, and which contains more than 1,000 running-compatible mixes courtesy of renowned DJs. RUNNING for Weight Loss: Workout & Meal Plans is free to download and use, although the app’s premium membership ($11.99 per month or $49.99 per annum) gives you access to additional meal plans, training programs, coach’s guidance, running playlists, and last not least turns the advertisements off.
[sc name=”numlist” number=”4″ title=”Nike+ Run Club”]
An essential iPhone running app brought to you by none other than the Swoosh brand. With Nike+ Run Club, you can track a wide range of metrics during your runs (including heart rate, distance, pace, and mile splits), get real-time audio feedback, listen to Nike+ Run Club playlists, and score much-needed doses of extra motivation from in-run cheers from friends and from encouragement from Nike’s elite athletes, each ensuring that you’ll literally go the extra mile. Nike+ Run Club also brings you personalized coaching plans that adapt to your progress, leaderboards, and customizable post-run sharing.
[sc name=”numlist” number=”5″ title=”Runkeeper – Track Running with GPS”]
Runkeeper – Track Running with GPS is the Swiss army knife of running apps, trotting out so many features that they’re harder to count than Usain Bolt’s gold medals. Since Runkeeper is used and trusted by more than 50 million users (and counting) worldwide, it’s safe to say that it has something more up its sweaty-from-running sleeves than run-of-the-mill running apps. With Runkeeper, you can track your workouts in real time, set a goal – a prime example being weight loss – and get coaching to reach that goal, select a training plan that is harmonious with your fitness level, lifestyle, and schedule, join or create custom challenges to keep yourself and fellow runners motivated, and review your stats to see how far you’ve come. Runkeeper comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity, making the use of wireless headphones and various activity tracking devices a breeze, and it also supports all the top iPhone health apps such as MyFitnessPal and Fitbit. Furthermore, Runkeeper packs a stopwatch mode, allowing you to easily log indoor cardio and gym workouts, and even has audio cues with 6 motivating voices to choose from. If you’re starving for premium features, go for Runkeeper Go ($9.99 per month or $39.99 per year), which nets you tailored weekly workout programs, heaps of stats with detailed insights, live tracking with location sharing, and weather data.
[sc name=”numlist” number=”6″ title=”Strava Running and Cycling GPS”]
Lauded by many as the best iPhone running app around, Strava Running and Cycling GPS is a powerful activity tracking tool. With Strava, you can get info on key running stats such as calories burned, speed, distance, and pace, and even see your performance based on sub-sections with a feature called Strava Segments. If you’re a natural-born lone wolf, you can go (or rather run) all by your lonesome and set personal monthly challenges to keep yourself motivated and push yourself further and further; or you can take advantage of Strava’s strong social side and connect with fellow runners to view their stats and applaud their performance, and even engage in stamina-boosting competitions to grab as many top spots as you can on various segment leaderboards. As you’d expect, Strava has subscription-only features (for $5.99 per month or for $59.99 per year) – three of them, to be exact: personalized coaching, live performance feedback, and detailed analysis for each workout.
[sc name=”numlist” number=”7″ title=”MapMyRun”]
Brought to you by the Baltimore-based sportswear goliath, Under Armour (in case you forgot: Steph Curry choked and the Warriors blew a 3-1 lead), MapMyRun lacks word spacing but boasts a community of over 40 million members and has been praised as a GOAT (as in Greatest Of All Time) iPhone running app, being equally perfect for running newbies and seen-it-all marathon-running iron men and iron women. With MapMyRun, tracking and mapping your workouts is a breeze – especially because you can track more than 600 different activities, and get in-depth insights and detailed stats on each, allowing you to closely monitor your progress. Speaking of progress, you can set adjustable personal goals, and take part in various challenges to win runtastic prizes. To take your performance to the max, subscribe to MapMyRun’s premium MVP Features ($5.99 per month or $29.99 per year) and get personalized, dynamic training plans, heart rate monitoring and analysis, an ad-free user experience, and the ability to create custom splits based on the distance you want to track.
