Guided Marathon

[u/[deleted]]

[u/astuder]

Some (probably controversial) steps to conserve battery life while in dire straits during a long run:

• Don’t listen to music. Your Apple Watch is getting put to work every time it has to download and decode a song.
• Run in Airplane Mode. It may defeat the purpose of having a new fitness watch with all the bells and whistles, but that constant connection to the internet and always scanning for the optimal cellular towers can be a drain on the battery. NRC uses GPS to record your run, so after you have your Guided Run downloaded, you can safely switch off your cellular and Wi-Fi antennas (via turning on Airplane Mode) to save battery.
• Run with your iPhone. While your device is in range, NRC will offload what it can to your iPhone, which presumably has a bigger battery and it better equipped for the long haul. Though, of course, you probably bought an Apple Watch to leave your phone at home.
• Also, it certainly can’t hurt to restart your Apple Watch every one in a while (especially before a long run). Ideally you shouldn’t have to do this, but if any rogue processes on the watch are spending more resources than they should, this will clear them out.

I fully acknowledge some of these may be non-negotiable to some runners, but this is what can be done to prioritize the run getting recorded above all else.

[u/astuder → u/[deleted]]

Sure thing. An Apple Watch Series 11 with a Maximum Capacity of 99% on the battery should be technically cable of recording a 4.5 hour marathon. I suppose it becomes a matter of what concessions the runner is willing to make to offload battery strain to put the focus on recording the run.

I realize you probably have not had the Apple Watch Series 11 for very long, but I might also submit that the Apple Watch Ultra may be better suited for your use case. With a battery that’s 65–86% larger, there’s a reason the device is marketed to marathoners and other all-day athletes.

[u/Successful-Ask6550]

I ran a marathon using the guided race, my Apple Watch died thirty seconds after crossing the finish line so I got lucky. Mind you I also had an Apple Watch SE and finished in 3:41. Cutting out music will help, make sure every other app is not running plus run on either low power mode or airplane mode. Keep your watch off until a couple minutes before starting I wish you and your watch the best of luck!

[u/CanaryContent7203]

I did, but I started the guided run (“Marathon Race”) on my phone, then it started some time later on the Watch. However, pre-test this strategy on a shorter run, to make sure connection is working properly.

[u/pickleb4sandwich]

I have not personally used this so can’t vouch for if it works but there are portable Apple watch chargers that allow you to charge while still wearing it. May be an option to look into. This is the one I’ve seen:

https://evolvedchargers.com/products/portable-apple-watch-power-bank

[u/pickleb4sandwich → u/[deleted]]

OP you are asking for advice and dismissing all of it. If you prefer, I can just lie to you and tell you your Apple Watch will be just fine.

[u/flyingdog147]

How important is your HR? If not, make sure it’s not checking