Garmin is doubling down on performance with the launch of its latest GPS running and triathlon smartwatches, the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Garmin Forerunner 970. Built for athletes who take their training seriously, both devices pack advanced tools, deeper recovery insights and smarter connectivity into Garmin’s brightest AMOLED displays yet.
Whether you are chasing a new PB or building towards your first big race, these watches are designed to guide every step of your journey with precision and purpose.
A Smarter Way to Train
At the core of both models is a stronger focus on personalised training. Garmin’s new Triathlon Coach training plans adapt daily based on your performance, recovery and overall health metrics, giving you workouts that actually reflect how your body feels.
READ MORE: Not Sure Which Garmin Running Watch to Get? Start Here
You can also build custom multisport workouts in the Garmin Connect app and send them directly to your watch, making transitions between disciplines seamless. Features like auto lap by timing gates and a projected race time predictor help fine tune pacing and race day strategy, while suggested finish line tracking ensures your data stays accurate even if you forget to stop your watch.
Built for Real World Performance
The Forerunner 570 and 970 introduce a built in speaker and microphone, allowing you to take calls, use voice commands or respond to messages when paired with your smartphone. There is also a new evening report that prepares you for the next day with insights on sleep needs, upcoming workouts, weather and schedule.
Recovery and health tracking get a boost too. Skin temperature monitoring and breathing variation tracking offer deeper insights into how your body is adapting to training, sleep and stress. These tools give a more complete picture of recovery, helping you decide when to push and when to pull back.
Forerunner 570 Balances Performance and Everyday Use
The Garmin Forerunner 570 is built for runners who want powerful metrics without overcomplicating things. It includes advanced data like VO2 max, training status, wrist based running power and training readiness, which combines sleep, recovery and training load into a single score.
Daily suggested workouts adapt after every run, while Garmin Coach plans support running, cycling and strength training. On the health side, it tracks everything from sleep score and stress to HRV status and energy levels through Body Battery monitoring.
Battery life stretches up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, making it a solid option for consistent daily use without constant charging.
Forerunner® 570 – 42mm
Forerunner® 570 – 47mm
Forerunner 970 Pushes Into Elite Territory
The Garmin Forerunner 970 takes things further with premium materials and advanced performance insights aimed at serious athletes. A sapphire lens and titanium bezel add durability, while a built in LED flashlight improves visibility for early morning or late night sessions.
New metrics like running tolerance, running economy and step speed loss offer deeper analysis into efficiency and impact, helping athletes train smarter and reduce injury risk over time.
It also introduces full colour built in mapping with turn by turn navigation, making it ideal for both city runs and trail sessions. Dynamic round trip routing suggests routes based on your chosen distance, keeping your sessions structured and efficient.
With up to 15 days of battery life, it is built to handle heavy training loads without interruption.
Tried & Tested
“Having used the Garmin Forerunner 965 for a full year, the jump to the Garmin Forerunner 970 is surprisingly subtle at first glance. Visually, the two feel very similar, which speaks to how refined Garmin’s design language has become.
What you do notice immediately, though, is just how intuitive the ecosystem is. Once you connect your new watch to Garmin Connect, the setup process is seamless. Your watch face, data screens and activity preferences carry over effortlessly, so there is no need to manually rebuild your setup from scratch.
The standout feature here is the built in torch. It doubles as a flashing strobe, making you far more visible during early morning or late night runs. The smart functionality takes it even further. The Forerunner 970 can detect how dark it is and automatically switch the strobe on, then turn it off again once daylight kicks in to help preserve battery life.
It is a small addition that makes a real world difference. Whether you are navigating a race village before sunrise or getting your kit together in low light, it quickly becomes one of those features you do not want to go without.
Just when you think Garmin has reached the ceiling with the Forerunner range, it finds another way to push things forward.” – Paul Goddard, Chief Ad Guy
A Stronger Ecosystem With Garmin Connect
Both watches integrate seamlessly with Garmin Connect, where athletes can plan workouts, analyse performance and track long term progress. New features like timing gate laps, race predictors and personalised training plans are all managed within the app, creating a more connected and adaptive training experience.
The Bottom Line
With the Garmin Forerunner 570 and Garmin Forerunner 970, Garmin is clearly targeting athletes who want more than just basic tracking. These are tools built to optimise performance, improve recovery and make training decisions easier.
If your goal is to get stronger, faster and better, this is the kind of tech that can help close the gap between effort and results.
