Garmin vs. Coros: Which running watch has the legs for marathon day?

A sports watch is anything but a waste of time.Don’t get me wrong: I love running based on feel.I’m not the type of athlete who checks their pace every second, unless I’m doing a programmed speed workout.But keeping track of how fast you’re going is vital.

Even if you’re not seeking a personal record, watching your speed over long distances ensures you don’t gas out too early. I’m an active member of the NYC running community, and two particular names kept coming up when I asked for recommendations: Garmin and Coros.The watches look similar, have similar features and price points, and have both received thousands of positive reviews — so what’s the difference?I took the Garmin Forerunner 165 and Coros Pace 4 out for a spin to settle the debate as to which watch is superior.

Display: 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen, 390 × 390 pixels | Materials: Fiber-reinforced polymer case with chemically strengthened glass | GPS: GPS, GLONASS, Galileo (no dual-band) | Smart Features: Notifications, Garmin Pay, music on the Music edition, Garmin Connect and safety features | Health Metrics: Heart rate, SpO₂, sleep, stress, Body Battery, respiration, HRV, calories and fitness ageDisplay: 1.2 inch AMOLED touchscreen, up to 1,500 nits | Materials: Nylon-reinforced polymer case with mineral glass | GPS: Dual-frequency GPS with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and QZSS | Smart Features: Notifications, music playback, voice notes and COROS app integration | Health Metrics: Heart rate, SpO₂, sleep, HRV, stress, recovery, training load, calories and fitness metricsI’ve run two marathons with a subpar wrist accessory that died before I even hit mile 20.Ever heard of hitting “the wall?” By mile 20 of the New York City Marathon in 2022, I reached a point of intense exhaustion where I was sure I couldn’t put one foot in front of the other.I was dehydrated.

I hadn’t eaten enough carbs that week and I wasn’t taking gels often enough during the race.Above all, I came ou...