lifestyle-running.png – Apple
Apple announced on Monday that it’s the TCS London Marathon’s official performance technology product partner. The London Marathon, on April 26, is one of the biggest and most renowned races in the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The race partnership is fitting, as many runners use Apple Watches to track their training runs and races.
“Apple’s technologies support runners at every level with powerful tools and insights that help them stay motivated, track their progress and better understand their health and fitness,” Jay Blahnik, Apple’s vice president of fitness technologies, said in a press release.
To celebrate the new partnership and the city’s popular running culture, Apple Fitness Plus trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm ran a 5-mile route through central London, which resulted in an Apple logo on his Strava map.
Apple Fitness Plus trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm ran a five-mile route through central London, which resulted in an Apple logo on his Strava map. Apple
Apple isn’t the only fitness tech company focusing on the running boom. Garmin, creator of the Garmin Forerunner 201, the first smartwatch designed with runners in mind, introduced its Garmin Marathon Series last April, which focused on road running in locations such as Toledo, Ohio, and Tucson, Arizona. Garmin took ownership and produced the race series instead of partnering with another brand.
Apple’s official partnership shows that the brand is aware of the growing interest in running, as evidenced by the millions of runners signing up for races such as the London Marathon, for which a world record-breaking 1,133,813 people applied in the ballot. We reached out to Apple for insight into what this could mean for runners using their products, but a representative did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Perhaps this could look like race-specific tools that incorporate competitor insights, or more breathable, sweat-wicking bands designed for long-distance runs. As an Apple Watch owner and recreational runner, I’d like to see a personalized training plan for different race distances based on your data.
Another helpful feature would be if the Apple Watch could use AI to detect if you’re running at the right speed for a prescribed workout based on your collected data, or if you could use an extra rest day. Having trained for a marathon and multiple half-marathons, it’s sometimes hard to detect when you’re going out too fast or when to take a break, and a wearable that can read these cues and guide you would be helpful.
Having witnessed Apple’s software and wearables evolve, it’s possible that this partnership signals that Apple will have more app updates and Apple Watch features in the works, geared toward loyal runners.
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