Garmin reveals its Garmin Forerunner 70 and Garmin Forerunner 170 'easy-to-use' running watches just after its predecessor was used to break the 2-hour marathon world record

Date:
Tue, 12 May 2026 12:08:26 +0000

Description:
Garmin is upgrading its most affordable running watches after Sebastian Sawe used a Forerunner 55 to make running history.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Garmin just dropped three new watches: the Garmin Forerunner 70, 170 and 170 Music Designed to be 'easy to use', the watches are equipped 'with everything a runner needs to start their running journey' Some of Garmin's software from more expensive Forerunners makes the cut here, such as wrist-based running power and running dynamics
Our best Garmin watches list has been overdue for a new budget entry for a while, and we're now spoiled for choice. Garmin just dropped three 'easy-to-use' running watches equipped, according to Susan Lyman, Garmin Vice President of Consumer Sales and Marketing, with "everything a runner needs to start their running journey". The Garmin Forerunner 70, the successor to Garmin's long-serving Garmin Forerunner 55 running watch, will cost 219.99 (around $300 / AU$410), while the Forerunner 170 will start at 259.99 (around $350 / AU$485). The 170 Music, which allows you to download music and connect headphones with 4GB of memory, costs 299.99 (around $400 / AU$560). All three watches come with a 1.2-inch AMOLED screen and Garmin's standard Forerunner five-button configuration. The Garmin Forerunner 70 offers up to 13 days of battery life, while the more feature-rich Forerunner 170 series both get up
to 10 days of battery life in smartwatch mode. The Forerunner 170 series adds more smartwatch features, such as Garmin Pay. Latest Videos From You may like Where to pick up a bargain Garmin Forerunner 55 just like Sebastian Sawe's Garmin Forerunner 970 review: Testing Garmin's top-flight running watch over nine months One of Garmin's best running watches crashes to its lowest-ever price on Amazon

In a press release, Lyman said the "Forerunner 70 and Forerunner 170 include premium running and training features pulled in from our more advanced Forerunners, plus popular health and wellness metrics".

Those tools include Training Readiness scores, wrist-based Running Power (a popular metric to base your performance on, a measure of total effort rather than heart rate), and Running Dynamics features which calculate stride, cadence and more. It's not clear yet whether the watches are packing the older, less accurate Elevate V4 heart rate sensors common in cheaper watches, or Garmin's newer Elevate V5 series.

The Garmin Forerunner 70 and 170 series are available to pre-order now, releasing on May 15. A well-timed replacement While there's plenty of entry-level and beginner-friendly language used when describing these
watches, Garmin's simpler, cheaper Forerunners are still used by the best runners in the world. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.
Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from
us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

As recently as April this year, the five-year-old, still-cheap Garmin Forerunner 55 was used by marathon runner Sebastian Sawe to break the
two-hour time barrier at London 2026.

So even though any of these watches are ideal for beginners, serious runners should be looking at them very closely too. Stay tuned for our full reviews. The best Garmin watches for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best Garmin watches 1. Best overall: Garmin Venu
4 2. Best premium: Garmin Fenix 8 3. Best budget: Garmin Vivoactive 6 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/health-fitness/garmin-reveals-its-garmin-forerunner- 70-and-garmin-forerunner-170-easy-to-use-running-watches-just-after-its-predec essor-was-used-to-break-the-2-hour-marathon-world-record


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)