The Coros Pace 2
A training device that sets the benchmark for budget running watches
Coros Pace 2
£179.99, coros.com
THE BASICS
A 30-hour GPS battery life – extendable to 60 hours in low-power mode – puts the Pace 2 miles ahead at this price. Its nearest rival, the Polar Ignite (£174.50), manages just 17 hours. This alone will make it worth the price for many runners. The GPS uses US, Russian, and Chinese satellite systems to ensure the best possible signal and there’s also something called Intelligent Stride Algorithm, which uses machine learning to track your gait to build a personalised stride model that plugs the gaps in areas with a weak GPS signal. With all those systems in play it was just as reliable as you’d imagine.
As well as the Pace 2’s customisable road, trail and treadmill running, we loved the impressive ‘track mode’ that lets you log your lane to improve the accuracy of those 8x400m intervals (helpful in an age of socially distanced track sessions). The barometric altimeter and magnetic compass are also premium features, so trail runners looking for accurate elevation stats will get on really well with this, although, sadly, there is no mapping or route guidance. Another slight irritation was the fact that, while you can prioritise metrics on a total of five screens, you can only do so in the app and not on the watch itself.
TRACKING SMARTS There’s all the form data any sane runner could want; we loved nerding out on our stats on cadence, stride length, left/right balance, ground contact time, stride height, stride ratio and running economy It also tracks running power from your wrist and a novel feature was ‘Stamina’. On the run, it uses your heart rate to estimate how much you have left in the tank. It was fun to use but of, course, it doesn’t take into account factors such as experience and mental strength – so it’s a guide rather than the gospel.
TRAINING TOOLS There’s a session builder on the app that is simple and intuitive, complete with warm-up time, intervals by distance and time, plus target intensity based on heart rate or pace. It’s pretty easy to create, edit and share training plans in the app and sync them to your watch. There are loads of postrun/ fitness features, too: estimated VO2 max, lactate threshold and threshold pace; and we were delighted to see a training-effect function that reveals if you’ve worked your aerobic or anaerobic system, recommendations on your rest period and tracking of long-term training loads.
RW VERDICT Outstanding. The price, huge range of run-tracking features, comprehensive training insights and an everimproving app make this the best bang-for-buck budget watch you can buy right now. Smartwatch skills are limited to notifications (no music or contactless payments) and although it’s light, it’s a bit plasticky, too. But, overall, this is a watch that punches way above its price-tag weight. Granular detail is no longer just for the well heeled.