17 running apps you need to know about

The saying goes: if it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen. Which gives you some idea of how popular with cyclists and runners this app is. It’s partly an activity-based social media platform and partly an analytical tool. The free version offers sharable tracking across a variety of sports, routes and monthly challenges, as well as Beacon, a safety feature that allows three designated contacts to monitor your location while you’re running. Subscription (£8.99 per month or £54.99 annually) opens up customisable training plans, deeper analytics and segment leaderboards, which shows how you stack up against other runners on the same route.

iOS, Android

The tech giant’s own fitness service offers an impressive range of trainer-led classes in a variety of activities – core, HIIT, strength, Pilates, yoga, cycling, dance, treadmill running and rowing. The regularly updated classes are of varying intensities and length and suitable for all abilities, and most require only minimal kit like dumbbells. There are guided meditation sessions, walks and runs, in which trainers (including RW columnist Cory Wharton-Malcolm) accompany you through global cities with coaching tips, playlists and photos. The app integrates with other Apple products – you follow the workout on your iPhone or iPad, while an Apple Watch transmits your heart rate to the screen and places you on a live leaderboard. Even the most obsessive users will be hard pushed to get through everything here.

£9.99 per month, iOS

Garmin’s free fitness and tracking app offers a wealth of features to those using the brand’s GPS watches or fitness bands, to which it syncs seamlessly. It’ll keep track of all your run and activity data – and there’s enough here for the most committed stat-head, with metrics like like blood oxygen, stress, sleep, heart rate, hydration, respiration and more, as well as trend graphs and charts for a deeper understanding of your health. The Garmin Coach feature offers dynamic training plans that adapt according to your goals and performance, with the workouts syncing with your watch. You can also share workouts, connect to friends, earn badges and create challenges, so there’s plenty to keep you going on the motivation side.

iOS, Android

A useful app for anyone who enjoys getting off the beaten track for long trail runs or hikes, a subscription to the Ordnance Survey Maps app allows you to access OS maps for the whole country. You can also search for thousands of routes as rated by other outdoorsy types, as well as plot your own. You can download areas to view offline in case of loss of phone signal, and export routes to your GPX-file compatible device. You can preview routes in 3D to check the steepness of the terrain, while a clever augmented reality feature allows you to scan your surroundings for features like transport and settlements.

Subscription: 1 month £4.99; 12 months £28.99. iOS, Android

Looking for a local run route that will be less crowded? Choose from one of more than 70 million routes on Map My Run, Under Armour’s comprehensive tracker that records distance, pace, elevation, calories burned and more. You can also create your own routes on the map function and save them for other members to take advantage of (if you feel like sharing). It integrates with a variety of major wearable trackers, as well as the MyFitnessPal app, so you can sync your diet and exercise info to get a clearer picture of your health. Paid Premium features (£5.49 per month, £27.99 per year) include live location tracking for safety, heart rate zone analysis and audio coaching.