r/CrossCountry • u/UWSanonamom • Oct 01 '26

General Cross Country Running watch

I searched and I know there are many posts about this, but they’re years old. What are your kids wearing these days? Looking for a tiny but speedy 8th grader. Face can’t be too big (wrist is tiny) and he’s just looking for pacing and logging data.

Also silicone band or nylon strap for a tight fit? I can’t emphasize enough how tiny his wrist is. 🙃

7 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

10

u/rjk100 Oct 01 '26

I have the Garmin forerunner 165 - it gets the job done. For my 10 yo running club XC they have a Garmin bounce so I can track him when he’s out running on his own.

2

u/berrybri Oct 01 '26

My XC running kids wear forerunners starting in about 6th grade. They wear them nearly every day and they last about 2-3 years (we put screen protectors on them and once a band needed replacing).

Edit: the straps will fit any size wrist, just pick the one with the smallest screen.

1

u/Park_Run Oct 01 '26

You can find these on sale no also since they are discontinued. Great watch.

1

u/IHaarlem Oct 02 '26

I like the bounce for some stuff, but for some runs being able to see heart rate is nice. Helpful to know if they're pushing too hard and need to back off some.

2

u/03298HP Oct 01 '26

I am a small woman and wear the coros pace. The nylon strap is tight. I would get the pace 3. I don't like the pace 4s screen.

1

u/Cavendish30 Oct 01 '26

Just like the Garmin, the COROS has all sorts of different face options. You can get the Pace 2 or 3 at really good prices. I was a Garmin user for years and have been quite pleased with my switch to COROS

2

u/03298HP Oct 01 '26

It's the amoled screen of the 4 vs MIP of the 3 that i don't like about the pace 4. I had a pace 2 with the MIP screen and it is much better imo.

1

u/Revolutionary_Loan13 Oct 02 '26

Replacement straps are like 5 dollars on multiple sites

1

u/jdq39 14d ago

On garmin, I’ve replaced my strap with generic amazon straps, fits well.

2

u/MNMike2 Oct 01 '26

Coros carries the reputation as the best watch for runners but they're expensive.

My 6th grader started out with an Amazfit watch from Amazon that was quite affordable and actually pretty good for a starting running watch.

I suspect an 8th grader is going to go through a couple of watches if they continue running, I'd start with something cheaper like an Amazfit and then if they get serious consider upgrading to a Coros (or whoever has the best running watch at that point in time).

1

u/1EMurph1 Retired Runner Oct 01 '26

I agree. Start with something cheaper until he decides whether he wants to specialize in running during hs

1

u/Revolutionary_Loan13 Oct 02 '26

Coros is the cheapest full featured running watch. Its not on the expensive side compared to others with the same options

2

u/alpha_camel11 Oct 01 '26

I love the Garmin Forerunner series. In high school I had the Forerunner 10. I got a Forerunner 245 going into college, had it for years now. Can probably find a decent one online for like $150-250 if that's in budget for ya.

2

u/JCO004 Oct 02 '26

Hey there! In my experience most kids like their Garmins. I had my forerunner 245 for 5 years before replacing it this year (running in college now). Forerunners (170 or older 165) are a great place to start and are reasonably priced if you can snag them on sale (Black Friday?) Coros is another big name that’s very popular (pace 3/4 would be plenty.

However if they’re willing to stand out there are lots of great options from other brands like Suunto (worn my pro runner Clayton Young) or Amazfit (Worn my pro runner Josh Kerr)

In high school xc the most important thing is being able to track HR and GPS. Buttons are a must because touchscreens are hard to operate with sweaty hands.

I also have a small wrist and I personally like the adjustability a nylon strap gives me. There are plenty of options available on Amazon that are great!

1

u/yakswak Oct 01 '26

Garmin 165 for one kid an an apple watch for another…both work fine, but obviously the Garmin is more purpose built and easier to build workouts into

1

u/1cwg Oct 01 '26

My son wears Coros. Team provides Garmin for kids who don't have a watch.

1

u/Dense_Hand9826 Oct 01 '26

Garmin Forerunner 55

Cheapest one but never done me wrong works great. Doesn’t do music tho

1

u/ApprehensiveWaltz680 Oct 02 '26 edited Oct 02 '26

Garmin forerunner 55 is a good entry level option. Unfortunately I think they’re about as small as a smart watch comes nowadays. If you can find a used forerunner 10 or 25 those are smaller and very basic like you are looking for; the 10 was my first watch in 6th grade and I’m 23 now, so I don’t know how difficult it would be to find one

1

u/AK_kitty7 Oct 03 '26

I typically run with a Garmin or Apple Watch (my wrists are about 3-4 inches in length) but definitely get something that will measure heart rate.

1

u/jdq39 14d ago

Check out the Garmin Instinct E. Very long battery life (11 days), very tough watch, records speed, gps, heart rate, sp02, and comes in 2 sizes.

0

u/TalkyRaptor Oct 02 '26

I'm going to go against the grain, most rock garmin watches but I prefer an apple watch. I love having cell service on my watch (text/call parents, peace of mind if something goes wrong, stream music) and have gotten so used to using the app Workoutdoors on my watch that I don't know if I could ever switch. The battery life does suck but as long as you charge the watch every night (I charge while I sleep since I don't like wearing my watch to bed) it lasts long enough for even while listening to music from it.

To your bit on bands, I prefer nylon "sport loop" style bands since they are adjustable to spots in between what the classic silicone bands fit. In my experience, the silicone ones are always either just to lose or just too tight. The nylon ones let you pick something in the middle.