Looking for some motivation for your running? Getting your hands on a good app to use can help you set, track and achieve running goals in minutes. Set up is quick and you will be out the door with a great plan in your pocket before you know it with these top 5 free running apps.

We’ve also included some information on premium upgrades available for each app. Premium versions are great if you want a more detailed user experience and don’t mind a little added cost for your training.

1 - Run with Hal

Hal Higdon is a life-long runner who has written more training plans than one could ever imagine reading. A well-accomplished athlete himself, Hal qualified for The Olympics 8 times and his turned his knowledge of marathons and half-marathons into guides for every runner at any stage.

Plans are personalized to your training schedule and abilities, right at your fingertips for year-round training. Basic features on the app will have you covered on general training, but for a more enhanced experience you can choose one of the 3 subscription options available for Hal+:

1 month - $6.99

6 months - $35.99

12 months - $59.99

Hal+ paid version upgrades you to a more detailed plan. Features include higher level of personalization and adjustment to your training program as you go along. You can update with additional races, re-scheduling & will adapt to you as you get into your training. Hal+ will also give you feedback post-workout to keep you on your game. There are many options out there for running apps, but Hal’s easy to use plans climbed quickly to our list of top 5 free running apps.

2 - Strava

Strava is a fan-favorite multi-sport app that ties in a little friendly competition as well. The app has basic features of speed, distance and time and applies them to leaderboards and challenges against your friends, family and community. You can post pictures and interact with each other’s workouts in a fun, social network format.

What we like about Strava is its cross functionality into other sports. The app also allows you to track running and cycling for cross training. This can be a great tool for any triathlon, duathlon, etc. training you are getting into. Many fitness trackers are able to directly integrate and download your workouts into Strava as well.

Strava has a premium upgrade version available for $7.99 a month or $30 for 12 months. This version enables personalized coaching, live feedback and a few more in-depth features for more insight to your training results.

3 - Peloton Digital

Peloton is best known for their Peloton bikes and Peloton Treads. A lesser known Peloton feature is their app’s usefulness and application outside of their machines.

The app is free to download on iOS and Android. For $12.99/month subscription, you can gain access to thousands of Peloton workouts on your phone. This includes a guide for outdoor runs and indoor treadmill running (even if not on a Peloton Tread). Peloton’s coaches provide multi-level, easy to digest workouts. They include great playlists to move along to and step-by-step coaching throughout the run to keep you motivated throughout the entire workout.

You can also subscribe to training programs to get you on a running regimen. Peloton doesn’t have to be as expensive as you think. The app is packed with a multitude of workouts and should be included in your consideration of top 5 free running apps (although we’d highly recommend the subscription off the bat).

4 - MapMyRun

MapMyRun is a great running app for the average runner who wants to track your miles, but don’t necessarily want to camaraderie of bringing your friends and community into the mix.

The app’s base version will allow you to track your running speed, distance, and route with GPS. The voice option on the app is great if you want updates as you go. Like a few other apps, this is also good for multi-sport including cycling, hiking and swimming.

MapMyRun allows you to create routes or choose from a library of routes from others in your area. Since the app has been around for quite some time, the route library and community is quite large.

An upgraded premium version opens up audio coaching, heart rate monitoring, training plans, advanced maps and many more neat features. The premium subscription is called MapMyRun MVP and has a low cost of $5.99 per month or $29.99 for 12 months.

5 - RunKeeper

RunKeeper is a great app that has been around for long enough to work out the kinks and deliver clean statistics with a sleek app aesthetic. This is a great all-around app for the average runner to the elite athlete. It checked a lot of our boxes to round out our list of top 5 free running apps to help you track and meet your running goals.

The interface is clean and simple with bright colors and large fonts - making it extremely user-friendly. Routes are very easy to pre-plan and load before you run making it great for running in unfamiliar areas. The app is great with tracking achievements and milestones to motivate you to continue to beat your best. You can also seamlessly log in to your Spotify and play music through the app.

Training and specific exercise plans are available with their premium plan, Runkeeper Go, for $9.99 per month or $39.99 for 12 months.

Wishing you happy running, and even happier tracking!

See related article - https://recoupfitness.com/blogs/news/here-are-the-top-6-best-fitness-trackers-to-buy-in-2020