Garmin launches Forerunner 570 and 970, new flagship running watches to compete with Apple

Garmin has launched its new best running watch, the Forerunner 970 and a cheaper Forerunner 570.

The watches are now the two flagship products in Garmin's smartwatch line-up focused on runners and other athletes. Some of the new features are focused on triathletes and other kinds of activities, despite the name.

They include all of the expected features in a modern smartwatch: GPS and heartrate tracking for exercise, as well as tools focused on the rest of the day, such as those that measure recovery and sleep.

The new premium Forerunner 970 watch replaces the 965, which was released in 2023. The Forerunner 570 is a replacement for the 265, but Garmin said that the additional features of that cheaper watch had meant that it increased the number and led to it remove the 200-series watches.

Many of the new tools are focused on triathletes. They include the ability to use Garmin’s own suggested workouts to train for triathlons, for instance.

The cheaper 570 misses out on some of those features, such as the torch and mapping. It also does not have the scratch-resistant display and other premium materials of the 970.

But they add new hardware features such as a torch and a brighter display, as well as software tools that look to measure how efficient people’s running is and how much impact their workouts are taking on their body.

The watches are released on 21 May. The Forerunner 970 costs £629.99 or $749.99, and the 570 is £459.99 or $549.99.