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Over 60,000 runners crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon last week. When you think of the elites fighting for a spot on the podium, you might expect to see only the priciest, most feature-packed GPS watches money can buy—historically, this meant the most premium Garmin Forerunners. Looking at the wrists of this year’s New York City Marathon podium finishers, though, you’ll see that Garmin—the name most recreational runners reach for by default—was far from the only brand on the course.
Here are the watches I’ve been able to confirm among the top NYC Marathon finishers:
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Men’s winner, Andreas Almgren: Coros Pace 4 (sponsored)
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Men’s runner-up, Yemaneberhan Crippa: Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro (sponsored)
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Women’s runner-up, Jessica McClain: Garmin Forerunner 570 (sponsored)
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Women’s third place, Hellen Obiri: Coros Pace 4 (sponsored)
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Nonbinary winner, Ryan Montgomery: Suunto Race 3S (almost certainly sponsored, since this watch was released last month)
An important disclaimer: I haven’t spoken with any of these athletes. What follows is my opinion, based on what I know running watches offer the people who wear them.
$249.00
at Coros
$249.00
at Coros
$449.99
at Amazon
$449.99
at Amazon
$549.99
at Amazon
$549.99
at Amazon
$599.00
at Amazon
$599.00
at Amazon
Is Garmin still the king?
“Garmin” has long been the default answer to “what running watch should I buy?” It earned that spot with reliable GPS, excellent software, and a huge ecosystem. And on this podium, it’s represented by a Forerunner 570—a great watch, but at a price tag most runners would struggle to justify.
Of course, sponsorships muddy the water, since athletes wear what their sponsors put on their wrists. But that’s exactly the point: Other brands are investing in elite runners because they believe their products can stand next to Garmin’s, and it looks like they’re making the right bet.
It’s fair to ask whether Garmin’s grip is loosening. The company has increasingly pushed toward the fanciest watches with the most features at higher and higher price points. The Forerunner 570 starts north of $500. Meanwhile, COROS, Amazfit, and others are proving that a perfectly solid, competitive watch doesn’t need to cost that much. Is Garmin still the best running watch overall? For ecosystem, polish, and depth of features, it’s still a strong contender. But “best” no longer means “the only serious option,” and the gap between Garmin and the field is narrower than it has been in years. Sponsored or not, seeing two Coros Pace 4s and an Amazfit Cheetah 2 Pro among the top finishers is worth noting.
What I look for in a solid running watch
You don’t need an expensive watch to be elite—just look at the cheap running watches worn by the men who broke the sub-two-hour barrier at the London Marathon this past spring. Training load scores, recovery metrics, maps, music, and smart notifications are nice, but they’re extras. If you’re shopping for a watch, spend your money on the basics being done right, and don’t feel pressured to pay for features you’ll never use. Everything besides your time and pace is icing on the cake.
Whichever brand you choose, focus on these basics in your running watch:
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Reliable pace and distance
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Accurate heart rate sensor
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A screen you can read at a glance
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Easy, dependable buttons
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Battery that outlasts your race
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Comfort
The New York City Marathon podium shows a running-watch market that’s a bit more competitive and intriguing than the era of “just buy a Garmin” suggests. Garmin is still excellent, but now we’re seeing proof that Coros, Amazfit, and Suunto are all making watches good enough for the fastest humans on the planet. If they can trust those watches on their biggest days, the rest of us can probably trust them with our Saturday long runs.
