Can you use a Garmin to Run with Power?

Can you use a Garmin to Run with Power?

Yes, with some caveats based on your power meter and the Which Watch? criteria.

Garmin with a Stryd footpod

The Stryd Zones datafield is your best choice – it’s fully compatible with Garmin watches running Connect IQ 5.0.0 or later.

Stryd Zones:
⌚ Downloads workouts planned in the Stryd Ecosystem (via Garmin Connect)
⌚ Can show various power numbers while running
⌚ Records power (second-by-second) into your workout file
⌚ Uploads completed runs into the Stryd Ecosystem (via Garmin Connect)
⚡ Supports Structured Workouts
⚡ Provides 3s, 10s, and 30s Power Smoothing
⚡ Provides current and last Lap Averages.

If you have an older watch (running Connect IQ 3.0.0 through 4.x.x), you’ll need to use the Stryd Workout app (for Garmin) to run Structured Workouts.

Garmin with Wrist-based Power

Garmin provides a full list of watches and their ability to support running power at Running Power on Garmin Watches in the section ‘Compatible Watches and Accessories’:

✅ Fully compatible watches are listed as ‘Native’. I tested two different Native watches and they produced repeatable, valid results.

❌ Other watches are listed as ‘Connect IQ’. Garmin’s ‘Connect IQ Running Power Apps’ did not provide repeatable and concurrently valid results when I tested their output. For that reason, I cannot recommend Garmin’s ‘Power’ datafields.

Garmin’s native running power implementation (on newer watches) meets the criteria but note that:
❌ While you can use Garmin Connect to plan your workouts, it does not provide power-based metrics that would enable you to calculate your threshold, monitor your training, and plan your events and races. You’ll need to connect a 3rd-party reviewing app to Garmin Connect to obtain metrics.
❌ Garmin only offers 10s smoothing. This makes it less useful when running short-duration intervals. Fortunately, it’s possible to use a 3rd-party datafield (like pbRun) to achieve a shorter smoothing interval.

Instead of using the Run app by itself, I’d recommend the pbRun datafield, which:
⌚ Relies on Garmin Connect to download planned workouts, making them available to any app connected to Garmin Connect
⌚ Can show real-time and lap power numbers while running
⌚ Records power (second-by-second) into your workout file
⌚ Relies on Garmin Connect to upload completed workouts, making them available to any app connected to Garmin Connect
⚡ Supports Structured Workouts
⚡ Provides 3s, 5s, 10s and 30s Power Smoothing
⚡ Provides current and last Lap Averages

In summary

You can use a Garmin to Run with Power.

If you’re using a Stryd footpod, the Stryd Zones datafield is the obvious choice.

If you’re using wrist-based power, pbRun is a better choice than using Garmin’s Run app by itself, and you should avoid using the Garmin ‘Power’ datafields.