Garmin has quietly announced a new update to its Fenix 7, Epix 2 and Instinct 2 watches, revealing that Garmin's Race Widget, HRV Status, SatiQ and Stock Tracker are now available on the aforementioned watches. Previously, these features were only available on Garmin's latest Forerunner watches, the Forerunner 955 and 255 series.
Race Widget seems very well chosen for a wider release as summer moves into fall and marathon season kicks off in the US and Europe. I am in the process of setting up my own Race Widget on the 955 Solar for my first 26,2 mile race in April, so I anticipate many more racers to do the same in the coming months.
Race Widget is a comprehensive widget that allows you to better prepare for an upcoming event. When you pin an upcoming run to your Garmin Connect online calendar, it changes your training recommendations and, closer to your event, gives you details like the probable weather forecast. If you have several upcoming events, you can select one as the "main" event.
You'll be able to set a time goal and upload a course, which can help Garmin tailor your recommended daily workouts to your next event. Combined with other features like Training Readiness Score, you can ensure you arrive at the starting line well-equipped, properly trained, and sufficiently recovered. This is useful if you're running a local 10k, but absolutely essential if you're running a marathon in the next few months.
Find out how to set up and use your running widget in the video below.
However, Race Widget is only a feature of Instinct 2, Epix 2 and Fenix 7. Heart Rate Variability, or HRV Status, allows you to "track heart rate variability during sleep to better manage recovery and overall health." wellness image. Training Status has also received an update that allows you to incorporate improved sleep tracking, via HRV status, into your recovery metrics.
SatIQ is another new feature that automatically turns off multi-band GPS to save battery power, then turns it back on when you need it most, like when you're near tall buildings or in deep valleys.
How to get the latest update
According to Garmin, "Customers can update their smartwatch by turning on automatic updates from their device or by using Garmin Express." Express is free software for your computer, which you can download from the Garmin website (opens in a new tab) for PC or Mac. Express can help you regularly update your device automatically, syncing new programs and maps. Express will automatically sync with Garmin Connect if you regularly update your Garmin account online.
Remember that only Garmin Instinct 2, Epix 2 and Fenix 7 smartwatch users will receive these free updates. Edge 1040 bike computer users get a separate set of features, including music controls, HRV status, recent exercise history, and full e-bike support, but we'll cover that in a separate article.
Do you want to get the most out of Garmin? Here are five Garmin Connect features you should be using.