Health

I ran a half marathon with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 — here’s the winner

AnyFans 2025-09-18

By Nick Harris-Fry

Tom’s Guide

Newsletters

View Profile

Search Tom’s Guide

You may like

I raced a 10K with the Garmin Venu X1 vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 and there was a clear winner

I wore the Garmin Forerunner 970 vs. Suunto Race 2 for over a week — which should you buy?

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2 — which should you buy?

Flawless accuracy is what I got. Both logged exactly 13.1miles in total, and since this wasn’t a crowded race, I was able to run more or less the perfect racing line, so the distance should be spot on.
Looking at the GPS tracks, there were no errors from either watch, and the split pace accuracy was consistent throughout the race as well, helping me to pace my effort consistently.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Connectivity

(Image credit: Future)
This is the key new feature Garmin introduced on the Fenix 8 Pro, which has LTE and satellite connectivity you can use when you don’t carry your phone with you. You need a Garmin subscription for these services, which include being able to send and receive messages and make calls, send SOS alerts, and also use Garmin’s LiveTrack feature.
These features are most useful for those heading for the wilderness with their watch, but also have some handy applications for road running events, I’ve found.
LiveTrack in particular is a useful feature for races, because once set up, it will alert selected contacts that you’ve started your event, and then they can track you during the race. It does reduce battery life, but the Fenix 8 Pro still offers enough juice for most events, even with LiveTrack active.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Battery life

(Image credit: Future)
Using LiveTrack during the race meant that the Fenix 8 Pro drained at a faster rate than the Forerunner 970. I had both watches in the most accurate and power-intensive multi-band GPS mode, and the screens were set to always-on and the maximum brightness.
According to the DCR Analyzer, the Forerunner 970 drained at a rate of 3.69% per hour, which would result in 27 hours of tracking in total. The Fenix 8 Pro drained at a rate of 6.46% per hour, which would result in 15.5 hours of total tracking.
Both watches actually outlasted Garmin’s estimates comfortably — the Fenix 8 Pro should last 11 hours in this mode, and the Forerunner 970 should last 21 hours. In other tests I’ve done, both watches have been more in line with Garmin’s estimates, so this seems an unusually good day.
In my day-to-day testing of the two watches, I’ve found they both last five days or so on a charge with the screen always-on, running every day, and they offer similar GPS battery life if you don’t use the connectivity features on the Fenix 8 Pro.
Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970: Verdict

(Image credit: Future)
When I compared the standard Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Garmin Forerunner 970, I landed in favor of the Forerunner 970 because of its slimmer, lighter design and lower price. Those advantages are even more prominent when compared to the Fenix 8 Pro, which is pricier and thicker than the standard Fenix 8, and I preferred the Forerunner 970 during the half-marathon.
However, you do get the added bonus of satellite connectivity with the Fenix 8 Pro, though, and this will be a vital feature for those regularly in the great outdoors, who will also benefit from the watch’s more durable design.
Follow Tom’s Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
More from Tom’s Guide

I ditched my Apple Watch 10 for the Garmin Fenix 8 for a month — and I’m never going back
Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs Garmin Fenix 8: Which smartwatch should you buy?
I wore the Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 for over a week — which should you buy?

Today’s best Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED, Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED andGarmin Forerunner 970 deals

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro AMOLED

$1,209.99View Deal
See all prices

Garmin Fenix 8 Pro MicroLED

$1,999.99View Deal
See all prices

Garmin Forerunner 970

$749.99View Deal
See all prices

We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices

See more Smartwatches Face-Offs

Nick Harris-Fry

Social Links Navigation
Senior Writer

Nick Harris-Fry is an experienced health and fitness journalist, writing professionally since 2012. He spent nine years working on the Coach magazine and website before moving to the fitness team at Tom’s Guide in 2024. Nick is a keen runner and also the founder of YouTube channel The Run Testers, which specialises in reviewing running shoes, watches, headphones and other gear.

Nick ran his first marathon in 2016 after six weeks of training for a magazine feature and subsequently became obsessed with the sport. He now has PBs of 2hr 27min for the marathon and 15min 30sec for 5K, and has run 13 marathons in total, as well as a 50-mile ultramarathon. Nick is also a qualified Run Leader in the UK.

Nick is an established expert in the health and fitness area and along with writing for many publications, including Live Science, Expert Reviews, Wareable, Coach and Get Sweat Go, he has been quoted on The Guardian and The Independent.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

I raced a 10K with the Garmin Venu X1 vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 and there was a clear winner

I wore the Garmin Forerunner 970 vs. Suunto Race 2 for over a week — which should you buy?

Garmin Forerunner 970 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2 — which should you buy?

Apple Watch Ultra 2 vs. Garmin Venu X1: I raced 5 miles wearing both watches — here’s the winner

Garmin Fenix 8 vs. Garmin Fenix 8 Pro: should you upgrade?

I biked 11 miles with the Apple Watch 10 vs Garmin Forerunner 570 — here’s the winner

Latest in Smartwatches

Garmin launches Bounce 2 — new smartwatch for kids with LTE challenges Apple Watch SE 3

I’ve been using watchOS 26 for months, and this one feature makes it worth the upgrade

Garmin launches the Venu 4 smartwatch to rival the Apple Watch Series 11 — and it has a built-in flashlight

Garmin Instinct Crossover AMOLED announced — a rugged, high-tech sports watch with old-school mechanical timekeeping

Apple Watch 11 vs Ultra 3 vs SE 3 — here’s how all the new Apple Watch models compare

I reviewed the Apple Watch Series 11 for a week and this is the feature that blew me away

Latest in Face Off

I ran a half marathon with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 — here’s the winner

I tested ChatGPT vs Claude with 7 personal productivity tests — here’s the clear winner

Panasonic Z95A vs Panasonic Z95B: Which OLED TV wins?

LG G5 vs Sony A95L: Which OLED TV is best for cinema?

I’ve tested both the Coop Original Adjustable and the Tempur-Neck pillows — this is the best one for side sleepers who need firm support

I love my Hatch Restore 3 but this sunrise alarm clock is almost as good – and it’s on sale for just $59

Hot News_tariffs news_big country news_anyfans news

I ran a half marathon with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 — here’s the winner

Authorities acted lawfully over alleged stench from a landfill site in Co Antrim

Alberta to become 1st province with mandatory ‘citizenship markers’ on driver’s licences

Livingston vet treats dog suffering with paralysed oesophagus

24 million Nigerians have sight loss – DUFUHS VC

I ran a half marathon with the Garmin Fenix 8 Pro vs. Garmin Forerunner 970 — here’s the winner

You Might Also Like

Authorities acted lawfully over alleged stench from a landfill site in Co Antrim

Alberta to become 1st province with mandatory ‘citizenship markers’ on driver’s licences

Livingston vet treats dog suffering with paralysed oesophagus

24 million Nigerians have sight loss – DUFUHS VC