For almost ten years, running was nothing more than a distant memory for me. In high school, I could run 5K in about 25 minutes, and at the end of my mandatory military service I even passed the magical 3000m mark in the Cooper test. After that, life happened: student years full of parties, long nights behind the computer, and later on, sitting at a desk for work.

Now I’m 29, and this summer I decided it was finally time to get back into shape. The biggest motivator? Buying a brand new Suunto Run sports watch.

This post is part personal comeback story, part review of the Suunto Run — and why it might be a perfect choice for beginners or returning runners like me.

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Why I Chose the Suunto Run

Before purchasing, I spent a lot of time researching different running watches. My biggest concern was software updates: many competitors in the same price range hadn’t released anything new in years. I wanted a device that would stay up-to-date.

Suunto, being a Finnish brand, caught my attention. The Suunto Run had just been released, which meant fresh hardware and, hopefully, a longer update cycle. The price point of around €250 felt fair for what I needed.

The only downside I noticed beforehand was that it runs on a completely new operating system. This means no Suunto Plus Store, so apps and integrations like Strava aren’t available. But to be honest, I didn’t buy the watch to compete with friends online — I bought it for myself.

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First Impressions After a Month of Use

I’ve now used the watch for about a month, and it has been on my wrist every single day. Here’s what stood out:

• Running and walking tracking: Works flawlessly, which is all I really need.
• Heart rate, steps, and sleep tracking: Simple but motivating. Seeing step goals gamifies daily movement, and sleep tracking helps me make sure I get enough rest.
• Notifications: The only real annoyance. On iOS, notifications don’t clear automatically when you read them on your phone, so you have to manually clear them on the watch.
• Battery life: Easily lasts multiple days, even with regular runs and GPS tracking.
• Design: I bought the black version — it looks good with everything and doesn’t feel like a bulky sports gadget.

Overall, it does everything I expected. As someone who has never owned a sports watch before (my only experience was a Honor Band 5 fitness tracker years ago), this feels like a big upgrade.

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About the Software and Features

Suunto’s app is improving quickly. Just last week, they released an AI coach. It doesn’t work perfectly with the Suunto Run yet — for example, during a run the watch won’t guide you through the daily workout plan. But I don’t really mind. I prefer to follow my own training plan, listening to my body and adjusting as I go.

Some services that used to require third-party apps are now integrated directly into the watch as widgets, which makes the lack of app store less painful.

Still, I’m curious to see whether Suunto continues developing this operating system for future models or if the Run remains a one-off experiment.

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Why the Suunto Run Motivates Me

Here’s the surprising part: buying the Suunto Run didn’t just give me a tool — it gave me motivation. When you invest money into gear, you want to make sure it’s not wasted. For me, this watch has become a daily reminder to move.

• I go for runs multiple times a week again, for the first time in years.
• I walk more, just to hit my step goals.
• I sleep better, because I want to see the app’s sleep score hit the target.

In short: it got me back into running. In one month, my fitness age has dropped from 38 to 35 according to the Suunto App. Slowly but steady, I hope one day it will actually display my actual physical age as my fitness age.

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Final Verdict: Is the Suunto Run Worth It?

If you’re an experienced runner with years of data on Strava and a need for advanced features, the Suunto Run might feel limiting. But for beginners, casual runners, or anyone restarting their running journey, it’s an excellent choice.

✅ Reliable GPS and activity tracking
✅ Comfortable design
✅ Good price at around €250
❌ Limited integrations and notifications on iOS

For me, those trade-offs are more than worth it. After a decade-long break, I’m back on the road — and I can honestly say the Suunto Run helped me take that first step.

If you are looking on buying the watch and want to know more about my personal experiences with it, please reach me via email. I’d be happy to tell more :)

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Disclaimer: This is not a professional review. My only prior experience was with a cheap fitness band years ago. But maybe that makes my perspective useful: if you’re in the same shoes, thinking of picking up running again, the Suunto Run could be exactly what you need.