Before you download
Questions runners ask first
Short answers, checked against the current App Store version. If yours is missing, email the developer from the support page.
Do I need an Apple Watch?
Yes, to record runs. RunToMax records on the Apple Watch (watchOS 10 or later: Series 4 and newer, SE, Ultra) and analyzes on the iPhone (iOS 17 or later). Runs recorded by other devices can be read from Apple Health, but they carry basic data only.
Can I run without my phone?
Yes. GPS, heart rate and motion come from the Watch. Structured sessions, haptic cues, laps and your custom screens all work with the iPhone at home. The run syncs to the iPhone when the two are back in range.
Can I use it without a training plan?
Yes. Without a plan, every run is still classified, gets a plain-language verdict, updates your threshold and training paces, and feeds the daily readiness read. Plans are optional and anchored to a race date when you want one.
What works with cloud coaching disabled?
Everything except the longer written coach notes. Recording, the starting profile from Apple Health, threshold and training paces, run classification, the post-run verdict, plan building, plan scores, adaptation proposals, readiness and heat-adjusted targets are all computed on your iPhone. Cloud coaching is opt-in and only generates the written notes.
Is RunToMax free?
Recording is. Outdoor and treadmill runs on the Apple Watch, with one data screen showing five fields you choose, chest-strap heart rate, a basic summary, your history, Apple Health and FIT/GPX export stay free, with no account and no time limit. From version 1.3.2 the 3D flyover replay of your route is free too. Coaching is the paid part, and you can try it first: see the next two answers.
What are the three coached runs?
When you are ready, activate coaching once in the app. Your next three saved RunToMax runs of at least 1 km and 5 active minutes include the coach: the morning readiness read and today’s call, a first-week training proposal, and a guided workout with a matching route sent to your Watch, each with its post-run analysis. There is no calendar deadline, nothing is charged and no subscription starts. Shorter or discarded runs do not count. The three runs use on-device coaching; cloud AI notes are Pro only. Runners who already had a Pro trial or subscription are not eligible for a new set.
What does RunToMax Pro include?
Ongoing coaching: today’s call and readiness every day, race-date plans that adapt, structured sessions and the session library, route planning, deeper run analysis and Trends, customizable Watch screens, Stryd support and optional cloud coaching notes. In the US it is $29.99 per year with a 14-day free trial, or $5.99 per month with a 7-day trial, billed by Apple; local prices vary. If you stop subscribing, recording stays free and your saved runs, exports and earned reports remain. Cancel any time in your Apple ID subscriptions.
I run with a Garmin (or Coros, Polar, Suunto). Can I use RunToMax?
Partly. If your watch syncs to Apple Health, RunToMax can read those runs, but they carry only distance, time and heart rate — no route, laps or splits — so the analysis is limited. Recording and the full analysis need the Apple Watch. Direct sync for other watches is planned, not available today.
Does it sync with Strava?
Not in the App Store version yet. Strava sync is built and in testing with a limited number of runners while Strava reviews the integration. Every run is written to Apple Health, and runs can be exported as FIT files in the meantime.
Which languages does it support?
English and French, on both the iPhone and the Watch.
Why is it 18+?
RunToMax gives training advice, and we chose to offer it to adults only. The first screen confirms you are 18 or older; on iOS 26 it can use Apple’s Declared Age Range service. The app keeps only the yes/no result, never a birth date.
Where is my data stored?
Runs, routes and heart rate are stored in Apple Health and local app storage; no account is required. Optional account sync with Sign in with Apple is planned for version 1.3 and is currently in controlled development testing. If you enable it when offered, Cloudflare stores an encrypted training archive, including workout heart rate but no raw GPS routes, for recovery. Optional cloud coaching and analytics have separate consent. See the privacy policy for the data, controls and retention. No ads, no data sale.
How accurate is the distance?
On steady runs, within about 1% of a Garmin worn on the other wrist. On runs with many stops and restarts the gap widens to 1–3%, mostly from how the two watches handle pauses. The method and the numbers are on the accuracy page.
Still unsure?
Recording is free, so pair the Watch and go for a run. When you want to see the coach, activate the three coached runs — nothing is charged, and you decide afterwards. Support is one email away on the support page.
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