Ready to face the 42.195 kilometers of the 2022 Paris Marathon? The competition, of which “20 Minutes” is a partner, takes place on April 3 and expects tens of thousands of participants. Many of them will no doubt have taken care to prepare for the event with a connected watch. During the race, it will also give them ultra-precise information on their route, their distance traveled, their heart rate…
Imposing itself in the sport and in particular for the runningthese tocantes democratized by the Apple Watch since 2014 are not only reserved for high-level athletes and make it possible to accompany everyone in competition, but also in everyday life.
The beginner: Amazfit GTR 3
With its domed round screen with a diameter of 1.39 inches, the RTG 3 from Amazfit has a style of its own.
Running on ZeppOS, the Asian brand’s in-house operating system, it offers heart rate, blood oxygen, stress and sleep monitoring. A barometric altimeter monitors altitude and atmospheric pressure. Able to track up to 150 disciplines, the watch automatically recognizes eight, including running. Originality: it is compatible with Alexa from Amazon, but its integration can still be improved.
Waterproof to minus 50 meters, the advertised autonomy of 21 days drops to 38 hours with the activity GPS… but that’s quite enough for a marathon! 159 euros.
Our opinion : Affordable, this watch can appeal to beginners who will appreciate its operating system, good ergonomics and where it is easy to navigate. But downside: its application store is still practically empty. Its sports functions are quite developed. Among them, novices in running will have fun with the Virtual Pacer, which allows you to measure yourself against yourself by challenging yourself according to a previous race.
The coach: GT Runner from Huawei
Sports version of the Watch GT 3, the GT Runner stands out for its very large AMOLED screen (1.43 inches, with a resolution of 466 x 466 pixels).
Another particularity: its GPS antenna is floating. Extracted from the case, it is inserted into the strap attachments. Waterproof to less than 50 meters, equipped with an optical heart rate and blood oxygen saturation sensor, the GT Runner runs on Harmony OS, Huawei’s operating system. This does not prevent it from being compatible with Android or iOS smartphones. A storage of 4 GB is provided to embed music.
Its autonomy of 7 to 14 days in connected use drops to around 20 hours with GPS activated. 299 euro.
Our opinion : With one of the largest screens on the market, the Watch GT Runner starts its race on a good footing. Beginner or expert, the personalized Huawei True Sport running program offered in the watch allows you to better prepare using training plans, from simple warm-up to marathon.
Another advantage: this program allows you to evaluate yourself by indicating, for example, your running aptitude index determined according to your history of outings. And thanks to the race time predictor, you will know your arrival time on the Paris Marathon podium!
Rare on a watch that does not come from a manufacturer of sports products: it is possible to associate a heart rate monitor with Bluetooth. But black point: the coaching vocal de la tocante is only in English.
Expert: Garmin Venu 2
Launched by Gamin in 2021, the came 2 can be personalized using 22 wallpapers. With a diameter of 1.30 inches (for 416 x 416 pixels), that of this watch is modest in size. It is a sports product, but also lifestyle which can be worn daily.
Like other Garmin watches, this one comes with its own operating system. On the menu, the classic measurements, including that of the continuous heart rate, as well as the SpO2 (oxygen level in the blood). Note the calculation of a level ” body battery which gives an idea of the theoretical energy that can be spent in a day. The Venu 2 is waterproof to minus 50 meters and offers a battery life of 11 to 12 days.
A little extra: with a memory that can ingest 650 tracks, the Venu 2 allows you to run to music while doing without a smartphone. 399 euro.
Our opinion : This watch with precise measurements is practical for long runs, with its Amoled screen which offers perfect readability in the sun. Another advantage for monitoring performance is a mode Always On which permanently displays certain information, such as the heart rate. The Garmin Connect IQ application requires a little adaptation time to develop usage reflexes. Among other advantages, the organization and monitoring of training programs. During a race, its barometric altimeter will be an ally to properly understand the differences in altitude. Beware of the autonomy which can drop drastically in GPS and music use.
Health: Apple Watch Series 7
The latest version of theAppleWatch Apple has a large 1.9-inch OLED screen (396 x 484 pixels).
In addition to its almost infinite customization possibilities, the watch has all the necessary arsenal to follow us during a race: GPS, heart rate monitor, altimeter, pulse oximeter… This last sensor is a precious element for marathon runners who will be able, thanks to it , monitor upstream, but also during the race, the oxygen supply in their blood.
Waterproof up to 50 meters, the Apple Watch Series 7 has a battery life of 24 hours in moderate use. 429 euros.
Our opinion : More health-oriented than sport-oriented, the Apple Watch is nonetheless a partner of choice for many physical activities (running, walking, cycling, elliptical, rower…). Provided you have an iPhone… With its widened screen (its edges have been reduced by 40%), it gains above all in resistance (sealing, IPX6 standard against dust, 50% thicker glass). And we appreciate the precision of its GPS.
Its weak point: an autonomy which in use with activated GPS does not pass the course of the day.