Fitness apps are great – It is nice to keep a record of our performance and set ourselves personal goals.  You can add even your friends to them too. If I’m sat at home in my PJs and an app notifies me a friend has finished a workout – I feel like I need to work out too! Personally, that is all the motivation I need to get my trainers on – I’m a little competitive.

With so many apps around it’s tricky to know what’s what, here is a round-up of the best running apps around… and they’re all FREE!

Mapmyrun
With mapmyrun you can plan routes using the route planner tool or load any of your previous routes. You can log different activities too – i.e. cycling, gym workouts etc.  You can link it to the music on your phone. The GPS can measure on the generous side. The only downside is it keeps emailing me my last year’s achievements and reminding me that I’m not as fit as I used to be!!

Strava
I’ve not personally used Strava – but it is the go-to app for a lot of my friends. Like the other apps, it has GPS tracking (which is the most accurate when tested alongside my Garmin) and shows you a feed of your friends’ most recent activities allowing you to compete against them in challenges during a 30-day period.

Runkeeper
A long time since I have used it but looking at some of it’s features I think it is worth a revisit. Runkeeper is great for setting goals and following training plans – it will even prompt you with reminders to work out. Also has Spotify integration.

Couch-to-5K
Perfect for beginners and the app I would recommend to anyone wanting to start running. It helps you avoid injury from doing too much, too soon and will have you running your first 5k in only nine weeks. Again distances are tracked with GPS, and a virtual coach gives you verbal cues about your workout.