This is the running app I’m using to train for my sixth marathon, and it just got even better for beginners, too

a woman stretching wearing a running watch — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

As a fitness editor, I review some of the best running apps on the market as my day job. That said, there’s one I keep returning to — Runna. I used the app to train for my fifth (and fastest) marathon back in 2023. When I returned to running a year and a half ago following the birth of my son, I went back, yet again, to Runna as I gear up for my sixth marathon in April.

Yet you don’t have to be a marathon runner to get the most out of the app. Runna has recently relaunched its New to Running and Return to Running plans, which are currently free, to motivate new or returning runners to lace up their shoes. Read on to find out more.

Runna’s updated plans

Runna has updated its New to Running and Return to Running plans to focus on gentle progression. The New to Running plan ranges from 6-16 weeks, giving beginners time to build up slowly. The plan starts with time-based run/walking workouts, up to running your first 5K.

Return to Running spans from 4-16 weeks, and again builds from the basics. Like with all plans, runners can easily drag and change training sessions to fit in with their schedule, and sync the workouts to their running watch. Both of the plans are free, so you won’t need to commit to a Runna subscription to use them.

After using Runna for years, here’s my honest review

Every time I re-download Runna, I’ll be prompted to answer the same questions before the app builds my plan. It’ll ask for a recent race time, a training goal, my preferred training freqency and available days, before building my program.

Once the program is built, I can easily see my weekly breakdown of workouts, a progress scale, and have the ability to tweak my schedule based on my week. Recently, Runna added a Not Feeling 100% feature, allowing you to tweak your plan if you’re unwell or injured.

After using the app for three different training blocks, here’s my honest review:

screenshots of the Runna app on writer Jessica's phone — (Image credit: Jessica Downey/Runna)

The Pros

Tech integration: I’ve used Runna on Garmin and Apple Watch, and with both devices, it’s been pretty seamless. I’ve only had one glitch where I’ve lost a run (and we all know, if it’s not on Strava, it didn’t happen), and I’ve been able to customize the experience on both. On the run itself, the app can tell you if you’re starting too fast, or need to speed up, helping you stay on pace.
Plan flexibility: I’ve trained for six marathons — two with a real-life running coach, two with Runna, and two with old-school PDF running plans I printed out and stuck on my fridge. While nothing can truly replace the one-to-one coaching experience of working with a real person, Runna comes close. Being able to drag the runs around based on your life is fantastic. It’ll also alert you if you have too difficult sessions too close together to avoid overtraining, or putting too much stress on your legs as you build up your mileage.
Strength sessions: Another thing Runna does well is add strength training sessions to my week, a key component of marathon training to avoid getting injured. I was able to choose how many strength sessions I could fit in, the equipment I had at hand, and how long I wanted the workouts to be, and Runna slotted those into my plan.

Runna app on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The Cons

The sessions are intense: I’ve run enough marathons to know that sometimes I’ll take Runna’s speed sessions with a pinch of salt. The speed and tempo sessions can be pretty rapid, and the first time I used the app a few years back, I remember manually tweaking things to make the paces more achievable. Remember, if your “easy” pace on the app feels difficult, your speed sessions are probably too fast.
The cost: There’s no doubt about it, the app isn’t the cheapest on the market, and will set you back $19.99 a month for a monthly subscription, or $119.99 a year for an annual plan. Since Strava purchased Runna, you now have the option to buy a subscription bundle for $149.99 a year. That said, this is a lot cheaper than paying for a real-life running coach.

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Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.

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