Thus, buying Runtastic is a smart play by Adidas to try and break into an area that Nike has been leading. (It has since shifted focus away from the hardware, but still has its Nike+ app featured on the Apple Watch.) It launched Nike+ years back with Apple and the iPod, then was one of the first fitness-trackers to market with FuelBand in 2012. What Hainer doesn’t say there is what industry watchdogs know: Nike has long dominated running footwear, and the Swoosh has also seen big success with its running-related tech offerings.

“This investment will add considerable value on our journey to deliver new world-class sports experiences.” “Digital technologies are providing new capabilities and insights to help athletes of all levels take control of their sporting destiny,” said Adidas Group CEO Herbert Hainer in a statement. Adidas bought out Axel Springer’s shares and will be sole owner of the app-maker. While running you can see your heart rate as well as what zone you are in via color bars, total run time, your pace, distance, split times, and music controls.In a press release announcing the deal, Adidas boasts that Runtastic, “is already one of the most diverse global players in the health and fitness app market, operating a multi-app strategy with over 20 apps covering a wide variety of endurance, health and fitness activities… With high user satisfaction, an impressive pipeline of innovative concepts and relentless speed to market, momentum is expected to remain robust in the coming years.” The company was private and majority-owned by German media company Axel Springer (owner of Germany’s largest tabloid, Bild). When you are stop your activity, the Apple Watch switches back to its normal mode of displaying the clock when you raise your wrist. In the past if I was using an app other than Workout I had to tell my watch to go to the last app when I raise my wrist.

As I run it is measuring my heart rate, distance, speed, route (as long as I have my iPhone on me), and even filling my activity rings in the Activity app! While running, when I raise my wrist it goes right to Runtastic Pro instead of the clock. When I start a running activity, I just press the big green button for start and I am off.

You can use it for running, biking, walking, and other activities. Well with watchOS 2 I no longer need to rely on the Workout App when I go for a run! Runtastic Pro is one of the first workout apps that I’ve seen that can receive information from the Apple Watches sensors including heart rate.

Apple watch adidas running app