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May 16, 2025 12 mins

A deep dive into what's new on the Forerunner 970. To say we've just exploded with excitement might be an understatement. Things have got very messy here in the world of tech neutrality.


Resources & Links:

  • Source Written Article by the5krunner: “https://the5krunner.com/2025/05/15/garmin-forerunner-970-comparison-965/”

  • Main Channel: https://the5krunner.com

  • My other channels: https://linktr.ee/the5krunner

    Credits:Content in this episode was generated using AI tools (NotebookLM) based on original content from @the5krunner, and other sources as cited.


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Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive. Today we're taking a really
close look at the brand new Garmin 4 Runner 970.
It's their latest premium running watch.
Yeah, lots to unpack here. We've looked at Garmin's own
stuff, naturally, but also checked out DC Rainmaker's first
impressions and a super detailedanalysis from the 5K runner.
Right. So if you're a runner, maybe a

(00:20):
triathlete, or just, you know, afitness tech enthusiast, this is
definitely for you. We want to give you the key
insights quickly. Exactly.
Our goal isn't just to list features, but to really
understand what's new and significant about the 970,
especially things that might actually change how you train,
drawing on those expert takes like the 5K runners.
OK, let's get started the mission today, unpack the

(00:43):
biggest new features, see what they mean for performance,
especially through those different expert lenses.
First up, hardware and design. What's changed?
Well, the first, maybe most visible thing is the built in
LED flashlight. It's the flashlight.
DC rainmakers seem pretty keen on that.
Yeah, he called it surprisingly practical.
It's got different white brightness levels plus a red

(01:04):
light option handy for those really early starts or, you
know, finding stuff in a dark transition zone.
Definitely see the appeal. What about under the hood
sensors? Big news there is the new Garmin
Elevate Gen 5 optical heart ratesensor.
They're promising better accuracy, especially when you're
doing high intensity stuff like intervals.

(01:26):
OK, improved accuracy is always good.
Anything else with that sensor? Yes, quite a bit actually.
It enables ECG functionality, atrial fibrillation detection,
though that's dependent on approval in your country like
the US and EU currently. Right, so you get a notification
if it detects something potentially concerning prompting
a checkup. Exactly, and it also adds skin

(01:46):
temperature monitoring, specifically during sleep.
Interesting. And I heard something about a
speaker and microphone that's new for the Forerunner line,
right? It is.
It's a pretty big step. Means you can actually take
calls from your wrist. Use your phone's Voice
Assistant. Get audio prompts during
workouts. So similar to what we saw on the
Venu 3 and maybe bit like the Phoenix 8.

(02:06):
Kind of. It has the speaker and mic like
the Venu 3 and bars the idea from the Phoenix line, though
maybe not quite the full mic capability you'd get on a
Phoenix 8, but still it makes itmuch more interactive.
Gotcha. And durability the screen.
Good point. They've upgraded the lens to
sapphire crystal. That's up from a Gorilla Glass
3DX on the 965. The 5K runner specifically

(02:28):
called that out as a really positive change.
Sapphire is definitely tougher. What about the physical size?
It's actually slightly thinner, believe it or not, just a tiny
bit. 12.9 millimetre thick versus 13.2 millimetres on the
965. But it is slightly heavier, 56
grammes versus 53. OK, minor tweaks there and the
user interface. Also updated the 5K runner

(02:49):
described it as feeling like a 4runner but borrowing some visual
cues from the Phoenix 8. So familiar, but refreshed.
OK. Moving on battery life, how does
it stack up against the 965? Well, here's where it gets
interesting. It's a bit of a mixed picture.
In standard smartwatch mode, thebattery life is actually down a
bit, up to 15 days, compared to 23 on the 965.

(03:10):
Oh, really? What about GPS modes?
Similar story for basic GPS onlymode up to 26 hours versus 31,
but, and this is important when you get into the more advanced
GNSS modes. Like Santa Q or the multiband?
Exactly. SATA Q auto select mode is
slightly better up to 23 hours versus 22 and the all systems

(03:31):
GNSS mode with multiband is alsoup 21 hours versus 19.
And that's especially true if you're playing music.
So they've optimised for the high accuracy training
scenarios. Seems like it.
The 5K runner highlighted that specifically.
It suggests they're focusing battery games where serious
athletes might need the most during those long, demanding

(03:51):
sessions with everything running.
Plus you get customizable battery profiles now.
Power modes to tweak things yourself.
OK, So maybe less day-to-day battery, but potentially more
juice when you're really pushingit with all the features on?
Makes sense now that speaker Mike Lee.
What new smart features does that unlock?
Well, the obvious ones are making and taking calls right on
the watch. Assuming your phone's connected,
of course. Right, Bluetooth calling?

(04:13):
Yep. And you can send texts using
your Voice Assistant. Again, needs the phone paired
and general Voice Assistant support is there too.
And the VIRB remote feature for controlling Garmin cameras.
So it's leaning a bit more into the smartwatch territory.
Definitely, as the 5K runner noted, it does kind of blur
those lines a bit more than previous Forerunners.

(04:35):
Adds convenience outside of puresport tracking.
Let's shift to health and Wellness.
You mentioned skin temperature tracking earlier.
What's the application there? Primarily, it feeds into the
Women's Health tracking features.
Garmin says it allows for more accurate period predictions and
can even provide retrospective ovulation estimates.
OK, that could be really valuable for users tracking

(04:57):
their cycles. And building on the morning
report, which people seem to like, there's now an evening
report. Evening Report.
What does that do? It's kind of a wind down
summary. Reminds you about your sleep
goal for the night. Shows tomorrow's planned
workout, the weather forecast, upcoming calendar events.
It's just a nice way to wrap up the day and prep for the next.
Cool, and I assume it still has all the other health stuff from

(05:18):
the 965. Oh yeah, absolutely.
Training, readiness, sleep score, body battery, HRV status,
nap detection, all that comprehensive health monitoring
is still there. It's a very complete package on
that front. Good, now let's talk training,
workouts, plans. This is core 400 territory.
What's new? Especially thinking about that

(05:40):
multi sport focus the 5K runner has.
Big news for triathletes. Actual Garmin triathlon coach
support is built in now. What does that mean exactly?
It means you can set a triathlonrace date and the watch through
Garmin Connect will generate A tailored training plan leading
up to it. It's much more integrated than
before. That's a major upgrade for the
multi sport crowd. OK, that sounds significant.

(06:01):
What about creating your own workouts?
Also improved, you can now buildcomplex structured multi sport
workouts in Garmin Connect and sync them over.
Think custom bricks, specific session sequences, much more
flexibility for athletes who have very particular training
structures. Right, more granular control.
Now let's get into those runningspecific metrics.
The 5K runners analysis seemed particularly interested here.

(06:24):
What have we got? OK, first up is something called
running tolerance. It's designed to help you
understand the impact of your weekly mileage.
How so? It looks at your training load
over time and essentially gives you feedback on whether your
current volume is sustainable, and even suggests a recommended
maximum weekly distance to potentially help you avoid
overdoing it. Interesting.
Like a dynamic mileage guide? What else?

(06:45):
Impact load. This one is fascinating.
It tries to quantify the stress on your body, not just from
distance or pace, but from the surface you run on and the
gradient. So it considers if you're
running uphill, downhill on pavement versus trail.
Exactly. DC Rainmaker noted how much more
impact running downhill generates, for instance.

(07:05):
This metric aims to capture that.
It could be really useful for managing injury risk, especially
for someone like the 5K runner who might mix road and trail.
That does sound useful. OK.
What other new running metrics are there?
There's running economy and stepspeed loss.
These aim to give deeper insights into your running
efficiency and form. Right efficiency and form

(07:26):
analysis sounds advanced. It is, but there's a catch, and
the 5K runner really hammered this point home.
To get these specific new metrics, you need Garmin's new
HRM 600 chest strap. Sold separately I assume?
Sold separately, so that's an additional cost to factor in.
Running economy looks at your efficiency at a given pace,
while step speed loss measures how much your speed dips while

(07:49):
your foot is on the ground. And the 5K runners take on that.
He questioned whether the insights from these, given the
extra cost of the strap, are substantially more actionable
than existing metrics. Or, you know, compared to data
you might get from something like a stride pod.
It's a valid point about value. OK, so potentially powerful
data, but requires an extra purchase and maybe needs

(08:10):
comparison to other tools. What else for runners?
There's a feature called Auto Lap by Timing Gates.
This is designed for races. How does it work?
You can essentially link your watch's lapping function to
specific points on a race coursemap, like official mile or
kilometre markers. So even if your actual GPS path
isn't perfect, your watch shouldrecord the lat split right as

(08:31):
you pass the timing mat or marker.
For more accurate race splits regardless of tangents, could be
very useful in triathlons to on on the run course.
Precisely, And then you also have existing but potentially
refined features like running power displayed natively.
He'll score to quantify your climbing ability and Endurance
score to gauge your overall aerobic fitness, plus the

(08:53):
projected race time feature using your data to estimate
finish times. Wow, OK, quite a suite of
running tools. Does it add any new types of
activities? It does quite a few actually.
Beyond the standard stuff, you now get dedicated profiles for
brick workouts, duathlon, pool, triathlon specifically.
Makes sense for the multi sport focus.
Anything else? Yep, also obstacle racing,
hunting, horseback riding, fishing, different types like

(09:16):
boating, sailing, sail racing, even snorkelling in a sailing
expedition mode. So really, branching out beyond
run, bike, swim broadens the appeal significantly, especially
for someone like the 5K runner who might do various cross
training. Definitely makes it more of an
all around outdoor watch too. OK, what about mapping and
navigation? Any upgrades there?

(09:36):
The full colour mapping is apparently improved, meant to be
more dynamic and intuitive. Dynamic round trip routing where
it creates routes for you now lets you replan things mid
activity. Well, that's handy if you need
to change course, yeah. For golfers there are auto
course view updates and it comespre loaded with Rd, trail and
even ski resort maps. The expedition GPS mode for long

(10:00):
tracks is still there too. Seems pretty comprehensive on
the navigation front. Any other sort of quality life
features worth mentioning? A few neat ones.
You can now migrate settings from your previous Garmin watch,
which should make setup way easier.
So. That's always appreciated.
There's a new large font mode option for better readability,
especially handy mid workout. A suggested finish line feature

(10:20):
can intelligently trim your activity if you forget to hit
stop right away after a race. Useful for clumsy fingers post
race. And something called Garmin
Share lets you sync locations, courses and workouts with other
compatible Garmin devices nearby.
OK, lots of little refinements too.
So let's talk brass tacks, priceand value.

(10:43):
What's the verdict, especially considering the 5K runners
analysis? Well, it's launching at a higher
price point than the 965 did, and the 5K runner definitely
raised the question of whether the upgrades, while numerous,
justify that price jump for everyone.
Especially if you already have a965 or maybe a high end Phoenix.
Exactly. It really depends on which of
these new features, the flashlight, the ECG, the

(11:05):
triathlon coach, the new runningmetrics, if you buy the strap,
are truly valuable to you and your specific training.
It's a personal calculation. And just to be clear, none of
this requires that Garmin Connect Plus subscription thing,
right? Correct.
All the features we've discussedare part of the watch purchase.
No ongoing subscription needed for the core functionality.
Good to know. OK, so wrapping up the 409

(11:27):
Seventy looks like a significantevolution.
You've got tangible hardware upgrades like the flashlight,
the better sensor with ECG, the speaker, ceramic, the Ahire
lens. Right, coupled with some pretty
deep software enhancements, especially for runners and
triathletes, the coaching, thosenew dynamics, better multi sport
workout support, plus the added smart features.

(11:48):
Our goal here was really to giveyou a clear picture of what this
watch brings to the table, filtering through the specs and
reviews, including that detailedperspective from the 5K runner.
Hopefully we've distilled the key changes and what they might
mean in practise. So the final thought we want to
leave you with is this. Considering everything we've
covered all the new hardware, the software, the running
metrics, and the insights from experts like the 5K Runner, what

(12:12):
features on the 4 Runner 970 actually resonate most with you?
How are they genuinely impact your training, your races, or
even just your day-to-day? Yeah, it's worth thinking about
and definitely check out those sources like the 5K Runner site
if you want to go even deeper onsome of these points.
Thanks for joining us for this deep dive.
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