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The Runtastic app (Review)

Tiffany Leong

Tue Sep 04 2012

Runtastic

HOW well does the Runtastic app run? Tiffany Leong tested out the app that’s meant to track your progress while you run, cycle and even hike. Here’s what she thought.

Runtastic is a fitness app that helps you track your progress while running, cycling, and hiking. It even provides “live cheering during your workouts to stay motivated”. I wasn’t sure what that meant.

The basic version of Runtastic is free but the PRO version costs $6.49. But before I could start using the app, I had to log in using my Facebook account (using regular email or creating a Runtastic account would have also sufficed). I was then prompted to enter information such as my height and weight, so the app could measure my calorie count, before I was able to monitor my running progress in terms of time, distance, speed, pace, and altitude.

But the readings I got while using Runtastic were pretty bewildering and possibly erroneous.Just take a look. There was no way I would have traveled 180 meters vertically while running on flat ground!

That being said, Runtastic’s interface was relatively sleek and easy-to-use.

I found the real time inbuilt Global Positioning System (GPS) extremely useful for navigating Melbourne. It even made me feel more confident roaming beyond my “comfort zone” in Carlton. I only needed to hit the start icon in the app and  I was good to go. But my phone needed a stable 3G connection to display my current location accurately.

After each workout session, you can share your progress with friends by uploading it to social media. Runtastic also allows you to view the progress of other users and befriend them. But that’s just kind of creepy.

On a different note, the app has iPod Control, which allows songs to be played while you exercise. You can even take pictures while the app’s running. But these functions come at a price – $1.99 for the music player. And if you don’t want any ads on the app, chalk on an extra $0.99.

Verdict

Overall, Runtastic is easy to use and functions relatively well. The app certainly encourages its user to exercise more, as it breaks down their progress into understandable terms so they can easily see how they’re improving.

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