The most effective headphones, watches, and apps for half-marathon runners

The RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon, which takes place in Could yearly, is a enjoyable 13.1-mile course. You spend the primary half battling hills within the shade and fantastic thing about Prospect Park, solely to swap that for a brand new problem through the second half of the race — the convenience of a comparatively low-grade downhill trek on the shadeless, scorching Ocean Parkway. The race’s relaxed hill guarantees a PR for a lot of runners, whereas the daunting warmth dusts different runners right into a PW. Final yr, I hit the previous; this yr, the latter.

For a lot of runners, myself included, tech is especially essential for a race like this. You rely in your headphones to maintain music alive and also you motivated throughout the previous couple of miles; you rely in your watch to inform you precisely what number of miles you could have left; you rely in your therapeutic massage gun to save lots of your muscle mass when you lastly get house.

Mashable caught up with a couple of people operating the race — or accountable for the race’s success — to see what tech they use to coach and run the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon. Personally, I used my Apple Watch (which died on me as quickly because the race ended), Strava, Spotify, and a pair of Plantronics wi-fi operating headphones I bought in 2019 which are nonetheless, in some way, my go-to operating headphones.

Alan Bersten

Bersten, the skilled dancer you may acknowledge from Dancing with the Stars, used this race to lift cash for the New York Street Runners (NYRR)Staff for Youngsters, a charity that helps NYRR’s free youth and group packages. It was his first-ever race, however he got here ready with a Garmin “primarily as a result of I noticed a bunch of movies on TikTok saying that Apple Watch wasn’t correct.”

For what it is price, when Mashable in contrast the Garmin Fenix 8 and the Apple Watch Extremely 2, the Fenix got here out on prime with battery life, an essential high quality for lengthy races.

He additionally makes use of the Runna app, which was simply acquired by Strava, to trace his runs. He listens to tunes whereas operating utilizing Apple Music and SHOKZ, though he admits you may “barely hear the music,” a standard grievance from SHOKZ customers as a result of it makes use of bone conduction as an alternative of typical in-ear audio system.

To get well, he makes use of a Theragun and Normatec boots, compression boots supposed to reinforce blood circulation, cut back muscle soreness, and velocity up restoration time, “which are amazing.”

Matt James

Matt James on the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Credit score: Courtesy / New York Street Runners

James, the titular bachelor from Season 25 of The Bachelor, has completed the TCS New York Metropolis Marathon 4 instances, however this was his first-ever RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon.

He makes use of the Coros world watch “at all times,” however particularly whereas operating. On his cellphone, you will discover the Strava app, Endorphins app, the Coros International app for his watch, and Spotify “for the vibes.” He rolls out with a lacrosse ball (fairly low-tech) and loves a “good session in the sauna and cold plunge,” however he additionally makes use of the Hyperice Normatec restoration boots. His newest obsession? JLab headphones.

Meris Pena

Meris Pena works with NYRR Striders, a free strolling and health program for older adults. For this race, although, she wasn’t strolling — though she does not want a lot tech, even when she’s operating.

Pena does not use headphones when she runs as a result of she’s “having fun on [her] own.” She desires to “feel the love of the [running] community.” She has a Garmin however does not use it a lot. What she completely does love — and desires — is a low-tech app referred to as Stepz, which she likes as a pedometer.

NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer

Matt James, heart, with NYRR CEO Rob Simmelkjaer, left, on the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Credit score: Courtesy / New York Street Runners

Simmelkjaer, the CEO of NYRR, did not run the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon this yr, however he did guarantee everybody else may, and he spends a number of time operating. His daughter gifted him a Garmin for his birthday final yr, and he “absolutely loves it.” Earlier than that, he was utilizing an Apple Watch, and whereas he says they “both have benefits for sure,” he appreciates Garmin’s superior battery life.

He makes use of Bose headphones to hearken to Pandora whereas he runs as a result of he “likes to be surprised sometimes” by the music Pandora places on. He syncs his Garmin to his Strava account and all the time makes use of it to trace his runs. He additionally makes use of the Runna app, which he says helped get him by way of coaching for a profitable Berlin Marathon final fall.

Rob Dalto

Dalto, a operating content material creator @pursuitofperformance__, efficiently (!) tried a private report when he ran the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon. To get there, he used his Garmin watch and tracked his runs on Strava.

If he listens to music or podcasts on runs, he makes use of SHOKZ, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts, however you may usually discover him operating with out something plugged into his ears. He additionally makes use of Lingo for steady glucose monitoring. The 2 items of tech he completely needed to should run the half marathon? His Garmin watch and iPhone.

Patina Miller

Patina Miller on the RBC Brooklyn Half Marathon.
Credit score: Courtesy / New York Street Runners

Miller, a Tony-award successful actor and singer who runs with Outline New York Run Membership, is “obsessed” along with her Coros merchandise: the International Watch, Coros Pod 2, Coros coronary heart price monitor, and the Coros App, V.O2, which her coach makes use of to trace her information for higher efficiency. After all, she additionally makes use of Strava. To get well, she makes use of a low-tech curler, together with the Normatec compression gear and a Theragun therapeutic massage gun.

She says she predominantly makes use of Beats for operating however sometimes switches to SHOKZ OpenRun headphones.