Best Running Apps for Android

This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Android enabled smartphones can help accomplish a lot of great tasks including helping to stay healthy and fit.

It is becoming increasingly possible day by day to be able to do virtually all things on our smartphones or GPS watches. One ability is to plan and track our running/fitness goals.

Android smartphones possess a spectrum of sensors that can transmit intuitive information about runs and workouts.

The running apps considered in this article, can collect data from these sensors and display valuable insights that can help with gaining muscles, lose weight, or maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Although Google Play Store is full of so many running apps, making a choice of your best-personalized coaching app can be very daunting, hence our recommended Android running apps may help you to make a better choice.

What Makes a Great Android Running App?

There are certain features that an Android running app must possess before it can be deemed a top performing app. These include:

• Ability to track runs, walks, jogs, bike rides, workouts and other get fit exercises using GPS built into Android smartphones

• Ability to provide accurate stats on pace, elevation, speed, distance, time and many more and achieve such data for future reference

• Able to sync seamlessly with other fitness apps and wearables

• Ability to get you connected with other athletes, trainers, and friends

• Allows setting of custom goals and monitoring progress

• Provides tunes that get you motivated and keep you on track

• Access to personalized insightful recommendation content and personal coaches

• Ability to provide analysis of performance and log activities

• Must have an attractive user interface and should be simple to navigate

Our Top Recommended Apps

There are many running apps currently available to runners, especially on Android devices. We have taken out some time to review most of these apps and the ones recommended here seem to be the top picks for most Android users.

Endomondo

This running app is perfectly designed for athletes who are into many fitness activities. It is a simple and user-friendly app that allows you to track and archive numerous fitness activities such as cycling, running, kayaking, mountain biking, squatting and a lot more. With this app, you can monitor your workouts with the aid of GPS, check your statistics and reach your set goal.

Features

• Exciting features that allow tracking of fitness activities, viewing stats on speed, duration, distance and calories, and getting audio feedback.
• Analysis of performance such as split times for each workout and keeping of complete training log.
• Syncs well with other apps and wearable such as MyFitneePal, Google Fit, Garmin, Gear and Pebble.
• Allows setting of goals and taking challenges while motivating to stay true to your goal.
• Get social by exchanging real-time audio pep talks from friends and other runners.

Pros:

• Helpful and easy to use
• The best route tracking app
• Excellent app to track exercise
• Offers personalized training plans

Cons:

• ANT+ has been removed
• Inaccurate stats on distance tracking

Google Fit

This fitness app is developed to make tracking of fitness activities easy and convenient. Google Fit allows you to set a specific fitness goal and monitor overall progress powered by an insightful chart.

Features

• Track any activity of your choice without stress throughout the period of that exercise.
• Offers real-time statistics of your pace, speed, elevation, routes and many more.
• Gives intuitive personalized recommendations and coaching for exercise goals.
• Syncs well with other fitness wearables and apps to measure your overall wellness.
• Allows you to track your progress from anywhere, from the phone, tab, or web.

Pros:

• Very useful for losing weight
• Much easier to navigate through the app
• It is a good app for health
• Accurately tracks and measure progress and performance
• Great tool to keep motivated and on track

Cons:

• Does not sync properly with other fitness apps sometimes
• Reported cases of battery drains

Pumatrac

This running app is designed to be your personal coach with custom-made workout content that understands what you need and gets you motivated to do it. Pumatrac is simple, lightweight and possesses many advanced navigation capabilities.

Features

• A smart learning engine offers running and training content that is custom-made for you.
• Opportunity to train and workout with Puma Global Athletes.
• Get motivated with Puma Team Faster trainers that take you through beyond the ordinary exercises, such as boxing, ballet, Pilates and lots more.
• With its schedule, you can create a complete plan of runs and workout.
• You can share your workout and runs with PUMA Team Faster trainers and friends in your circle.

Pros:

• It is simple and easy to use
• Perfect for beginners
• An informative and accurate running app
• Amazing user interface with lite processes
• Motivating and inspiring during workout

Cons:

• Some users reported difficulty in downloading workout videos
• Inaccurate GPS mapping display sometimes

RockMyRun

This running app is built to get you motivated with exciting workout music. It was featured in major news outlets and mags such as New York Times, TIME Magazine and LA Times, that RockMyRun has proven to up motivation and enjoyment by almost 35%.

Features

• Experience best exercise music mixtapes as created by pro DJs like Zedd, David Guetta and much more.
• Its Body Driven Music feature matches music tempo with your steps.
• Offers chances to choose any genre such as Gospel, Pop, R&B, Rock, Oldies, etc.
• Syncs seamlessly with other fitness apps like Runtastic and MapMyFitness.
• Music mixtapes are built in beats per second to keep you motivated during a workout.

Pros:

• It is surprisingly energizing
• Runners can change music tempo to keep up with their steps
• Gives motivation to run the extra mile
• Varieties of music genre to choose from
• It is super easy to use and Selecting

Cons:

• The premium version can be too expensive
• There are some audio player bugs and non-responsive UI issues

Zombies, Run!

This running game app is built to get you on your toes while running. Zombies, Run! is an ultra-immersive, adventurous running game designed to get you out there and run.

Each run in this app is a mission where you have deemed the hero, with an audio drama that puts you in the middle of a peculiar zombie adventure story.

With Zombies, you are allowed to join over 5 million runners on an epic adventure.

Features

• Works anywhere and at any speed. Walk, run or jog in a park, along with a beach or even treadmills.
• Become the hero in an epic story of humanity’s struggle for survival where your runs can save the world.
• Opportunity to make a choice of a custom playlist right before you start a running course.
• Showcases detailed stats and graphs for your entire game and running progress together with the most played songs while escaping zombies.
• Register with free ZombieLink service to view and share your runs online.

Pros:

• It has won a lot of love and respect from most users
• Makes running attractive exciting
• Offers interesting stories to keep you on track
• One of the most engaging, amazing workout apps
• The pro version offers more value for money

Cons:

• The minimalist icon seems less easy to use
• There are some issues with tracking

Final Thoughts

Android smartphones come with an inbuilt GPS that enables a lot of other functions.

No doubt, many app developers have leveraged the power of this tool to build a ton of running apps, all competing for users’ attention on the Google Play Store.

However, there are a number of features that usually mark a running app as the best on the market. Prominent among these features is the ability to accurately track and map run routines.

In case you are a fitness freak looking for an Android running app companion, our selections in this article may greatly be of tremendous help.