The question I kept coming back to while testing the Suunto Race 2 was simple: would I actually choose this for the stuff that matters most⌠daily runs, long trail days, and race efforts, without feeling like Iâm babysitting it?
After a few weeks of real use, I think Suuntoâs nailed the core brief: a genuinely readable screen, proper endurance battery, and mapping that makes you calmer on unfamiliar routes.
Itâs not trying to be a wrist phone like the Apple Watch Ultra 3, and itâs not drowning you in lifestyle features either.
Itâs basically a training tool first, and thatâs why runners will love it most.
Key specs (the ones that influence running life most)
- Price: $499 at suunto.com (stainless steel) the one I am reviewing, $599 (titanium bezel)
- Display: 1.5" LTPO AMOLED, 466 Ă 466
- Brightness: up to 2000 nits
- Size/weight: 49 Ă 49 Ă 12.5mm, 76g (steel)
- Battery: up to 55 hours in Performance GPS (dual-band), up to 200 hours in Tour
- Storage: 32GB for offline maps
- Water resistance: 100m
- Smart features: notifications + music controls (no onboard music)
On paper it looks like âbig watch energy,â and yeah⌠it is. But itâs big for a reason: screen readability and battery life.
The first 10 minutes setup that makes it feel like your watch
Suuntoâs defaults are fine, but theyâre conservative. A few changes make the Race 2 feel more like a training partner.
Display + power (how Iâd set it for most runners)
- Auto brightness on
- Raise-to-wake on
- Always-on display off (unless youâre fine charging more often)
- Night-time DND window so itâs not lighting up at 2am
This keeps the screen responsive when you need it, without quietly taxing the battery.
Alastair Dixon
Buttons + âstop the chaosâ shortcut
Suuntoâs touchscreen lock shortcut is one of those tiny things you only appreciate mid-run.
I map a quick lock so sweaty hands / rain / mud donât turn my watch into a touchscreen roulette wheel.
Zones + training metrics (if you do any structured work)
If you train with intent, itâs worth setting:
- your HR zones and power zones manually (instead of rolling with defaults)
- ZoneSense enabled (via SuuntoPlus) so you can see how intensity actually shifts during longer efforts
This matters most for tempo progression runs, long steady efforts, and anything where youâre trying to keep the effort honest.
Run screens (make the watch useful when youâre tired)
My go-to fields for the Race 2 are:
- ZoneSense
- ascent / descent
- vertical speed (trail days)
- current power
- estimated finish time (for races or long workouts)
It turns the watch into something you can use in the moment, not just review later.
Maps + heatmaps (only if youâll actually use them)
Before big trail sessions, I download offline maps and enable heatmaps. Itâs especially helpful if youâre:
- exploring new areas
- running routes backwards
- trying to choose âpopular and safeâ vs âquiet and unknownâ
Alastair Dixon
What it feels like on runs
Screen clarity (this is the headline)
That 1.5" AMOLED isnât just pretty, itâs also incredibly functional; in bright sun, it stays readable.
On the move, itâs smooth, and for navigation, that matters more than most people realise until theyâre deep into a long run and mentally cooked.
If youâve used a MIP watch like the COROS APEX 4, the Race 2 will feel more âmodernâ and more map-friendly.
Battery that fits real training blocks
This is the other big win for the RACE 2.
In dual-band GPS, Iâve been seeing the kind of battery life that makes the Race 2 realistic for heavy weeks and long trail days without the constant charging loop.
And charging is fast in my experience:
- 0 â 100% in ~45â60 minutes
- 0 â ~70â80% in ~20 minutes
- a 10â15 minute top-up can be enough for a big GPS day
Thatâs exactly the kind of behaviour you want if you train frequently, travel, or sometimes just⌠forget.
Build + buttons (quietly excellent)
It feels premium without being fussy: sapphire, stainless bezel, solid case materials.
The buttons are big, clicky, and easy to use when youâre sweaty or moving.
I also rate the stock silicone strap more than I expected; grippy without irritation, and it dries fast.
Wrist HR (better than older Suuntos)
From what Iâve seen so far, the improved sensor is finally good enough that Iâll trust it for steady runs without automatically reaching for a chest strap.
Intervals are still where wrist HR can get weird on any watch, but this one has been more usable than previous Suunto sensors in my testing.
Alastair Dixon
Maps and downloads (the one annoyance)
I love having offline maps on-wrist, but I donât love the process of getting them on this watch.
You have to download maps manually, and on my Wi-Fi, a 1GB map tile took over an hour which is way too long in 2026.
Once itâs on there, the experience is great, however, itâs just the âgetting thereâ part that feels slower than it should.
The ecosystem stuff: helpful without being bossy
I like the vibe of Suuntoâs training features because they feel less like the watch is judging you, and more like itâs interpreting trends.
ZoneSense and Suunto Coach can add context to effort and recovery without pushing you into a rigid âtoday is a bad dayâ type of dashboard.
If youâre used to Garmin style training readiness stacks, Suunto can feel simpler and more fluid. Whether thatâs better or worse depends on your personality.
What the Race 2 is not
If you want:
- onboard music
- payments
- calls/mic/speaker
- deep smartwatch integrations
âŚthatâs not the Race 2. Notifications are basic, itâs deliberately not trying to replace your phone.
And the 49mm case is big. It sits well on my wrist, but if youâve got smaller wrists or just hate chunky watches, Iâd seriously look at the COROS PACE 4 instead.
Alastair Dixon
Who Iâd recommend it to
Get the Race 2 if youâre the runner who:
- trains consistently (mostly on trails) and wants battery you can trust
- values screen clarity for pacing + maps
- does long runs, long trail days, or races where navigation stress is real
- likes control over settings, screens, and zones
Skip it if you want:
- integrated smartwatch life (go Apple Watch Ultra 3)
- the most feature-dense coaching ecosystem possible, go with a Garmin or COROS APEX 4 instead
- a smaller case, go PACE 4 instead
My verdict
The Suunto Race 2 feels like Suunto hitting the balance that a lot of runners actually want nowadays: modern screen clarity, real endurance battery, and a training-first experience that doesnât try to become your phone.
Itâs easy to read, hard to kill because it's so durable, and it supports the rhythm of training without demanding too much of your attention.
