A running watch in a downtown grid should draw the street you ran, not a shortcut through the buildings.
We ran with dual-frequency watches between tall blocks, then looked at the track, the elevation, and how fast the battery fell on a long day.
The track and the battery
Two frequencies help when the sky is a slot between towers. They also cost battery. A watch that is accurate and dead at mile fifteen has not finished the job. Elevation wandered on some days and settled when the sky opened.
- A track that follows the road you know, checked after a city run.
- Battery life that covers the longest day you actually do.
- A band that stays put when you sweat, so the optical sensor can work.
- Maps or breadcrumbs you can read at a glance, if you use them.
Accuracy you cannot last long enough to use is a spec, not a watch.
Before a long run
Charge it, give it a clear view of the sky for a moment before you start, and turn off the features you will not look at. A brighter screen and a second satellite band are choices, not obligations.
Pick the watch that is still recording at the end of your long day, on the route you really run.
