Forerunner 970

GPS Running Smartwatch

Titanium with Whitestone Case and Whitestone/Translucent Amp Yellow Band

Part Number 010-02969-61

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Feature
Specs
In The Box
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Accessories
Compatible Devices

OUR BEST AND BRIGHTEST RUNNING SMARTWATCHES

AMOLED DISPLAY | DURABLE SAPPHIRE LENS | TITANIUM BEZEL

LET THEM KNOW YOU’RE OUT THERE

WITH A BUILT-IN LED FLASHLIGHT

BUILT FOR THE DEMANDS OF TRAINING

With up to 15 days OF BATTERY in smartwatch mode

WE’VE GOT YOUR ROUTE

FULL-COLOR MAPS WITH ENHANCED NAVIGATION

“CAN’T TALK, ON A RUN”

SOUNDS BETTER WITH A BUILT-IN SPEAKER AND MICROPHONE

FIND A NEW FAST

WITH RUNNING ECONOMY AND RUNNING TOLERANCE

BRIGHT 1.4-INCH AMOLED DISPLAY

UP TO 26 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE IN GPS MODE

PREMIUM TRAINING AND RECOVERY FEATURES

BUILT-IN MAPS WITH SATIQ TECHNOLOGY AND MULTI-BAND GPS

LIGHTWEIGHT TITANIUM BEZEL AND DURABLE SAPPHIRE LENS

BUILT-IN LED FLASHLIGHT

WHAT YOU'LL LOVE

RUNNING ECONOMY

Measure your overall energy efficiency while running — using long-term running volume, stride length and step speed loss, which tells you how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground — when you pair your watch with the HRM 600 monitor (sold separately).

RUNNING TOLERANCE

Better understand the impact each run has on your body, and get a recommended weekly maximum mileage so you can keep training effectively without taking on too much.

FULL-COLOR MAPPING

Whether you’re running on city streets or riding densely covered trails, the Forerunner 970 smartwatch provides full-color, built-in mapping — now even more dynamic, intuitive and simpler to follow.

GARMIN COACH

Reach your goals with Garmin Coach training plans for running, cycling, strength and fitness; some even adapt based on your health and fitness metrics.

TRAINING READINESS

From the moment you wake up, get a readiness score based on your sleep quality, recovery, training load and more, so you can determine whether it’s a good day to go hard — or take it easy.

BUILT-IN SPEAKER AND MICROPHONE

Make and take phone calls from your watch when it’s paired to your smartphone. Plus, control watch functions with voice command — or use your smartphone’s voice assistant to respond to text messages and more.

YOUR BEST JUST GOT BETTER

PLAN

MORNING REPORT

Receive an overview of your sleep, recovery, daily calendar, HRV status and more as soon as you wake up. You can even customize your reports theme, data shown and more.

EVENING REPORT

Prepare for tomorrow before bed with a reminder of sleep need, tomorrow’s workout, weather and events.

TURN-BY-TURN DIRECTIONS

Create or find existing courses in the Garmin Connect smartphone app, or sync from third-party platforms and get turn-by-turn directions.

DYNAMIC ROUND-TRIP ROUTING

Enter how far you want to go, and get suggested routes that will bring you back. If you break off course, your watch will map a new one that hits the same mileage.

COURSE PLANNER

Prepare for what’s to come with course planner. This feature lets you add cut-off times, notes, rest plans, checkpoints and aid stations to keep you on track throughout the race.

TRAINING STATUS

Using indicators such as HRV status, your recent exercise history and VO2 max, get an easy insight into training effectiveness — and know whether you’re training productively, peaking or strained.

DAILY SUGGESTED WORKOUTS

Get running, track run and cycling workouts made for you. They adapt after every run to match your performance and recovery.

RECOVERY TIME

Know how long you need to recover before your next high-effort workout based on your latest training.

HEALTH STATUS

Look for changes in your health data that could indicate added stress to your body, so you can know when you’re trending away from your usual range.

BODY BATTERY ENERGY MONITORING

Track your body’s energy levels to find the best times for activity and rest¹.

SLEEP COACH

Get a sleep score and personalized coaching for how much sleep you need. Track sleep stages, and get insights to improve sleep quality ¹.

SLEEP ALIGNMENT

See how aligned you are to your circadian rhythm to help maintain a more consistent sleep cycle.

NAP DETECTION

Automatically track or log your naps to see how they benefit your body and to check the recommended time and duration they should be.

SMART WAKE ALARM

Wake up more refreshed. Smart wake alarm can gently vibrate to wake you at the right time.

BREATHING VARIATIONS

For a closer glimpse of your health, the breathing variations feature helps you understand shifts in your breathing patterns as you sleep². These shifts could be related to environment, alcohol, or potential sleep disorders such as sleep apnea.

HRV STATUS

Gain a deeper understanding of your overall health, stress and recovery through heart rate variability while you sleep.

GARMIN ECG APP

The ECG app ³ uses sensors to record the electrical signals that control how your heart beats. It analyzes that recording to detect signs of an irregular heart rhythm called atrial fibrillation.

SKIN TEMPERATURE

When wearing your watch to sleep, see how your average skin temperature¹ changes, which can be related to your recent activity, sleep environment, potential illness and more.

WOMEN’S HEALTH TRACKING

Track your menstrual cycle or pregnancy, plus get exercise and nutrition education. With skin temperature tracking while you sleep, get better period predictions and past ovulation estimates⁴.

NATURAL CYCLES° COMPATIBILITY

Unlock deeper fertility insights when you sync your skin temperature data with the FDA-cleared Natural Cycles birth control app¹⁰(Natural Cycles subscription required).

NATURAL CYCLES° COMPATIBILITY

Unlock deeper fertility insights when you sync your skin temperature data with Natural Cycles birth control app⁸ (Natural Cycles subscription required).

RACE PREDICTOR

Get an estimate of what your pace could be for a 5K, 10K, half-marathon and marathon if you were to run it today.

PROJECTED RACE TIME

This race-time prediction is what your race time and pace could be if you keep training well all the way through to the race date entered.

PREPARE

WRIST-BASED RUNNING DYNAMICS

This smartwatch measures crucial running metrics such as cadence, stride length, ground contact time and more.

STEP SPEED LOSS

Improve your running form and understand how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground when you pair your watch with the HRM 600 monitor (sold separately).

WRIST-BASED HEART RATE

The watch constantly samples your heart rate to help you gauge how hard you work during activities¹.

MULTISPORT WORKOUTS

Create custom step-by-step multisport workouts in Garmin Connect and send them to your watch to seamlessly switch from different sport types.

HILL SCORE

Measure your capability for running uphill, and evaluate your progress over time based on your VO2 max and training history.

ENDURANCE SCORE

This feature measures your ability to sustain prolonged efforts to help you understand how training from your athletic pursuits impacts your overall endurance.

ACUTE LOAD

Compare your recent training load to the optimal range to help improve your fitness.

LOAD RATIO

Track short-term to mid-term load ratio to keep your rate of training growth within bounds that will help you stay healthy and avoid setbacks.

PERFORMANCE CONDITION

While you run, get an analysis of your pace and heart rate for a real-time assessment of your current ability to perform.

VO2 MAX

See your current fitness level, and track changes over time to set goals, evaluate progress and more.

STRESS TRACKING

Find out if you’re having a calm, balanced or stressful day.

TRAINING EFFECT

See how your workouts influence your endurance, speed and power.

QUICK WORKOUT

Simplify training with running workout suggestions tailored to your fitness level. Just input your desired time and intensity level.

HEALTH SNAPSHOT

Log a 2-minute session to record key health stats, then generate a report to share with your health care provider.

PULSE OX SENSOR

Track your blood oxygen saturation while you’re awake or asleep⁴.

CROSS TRAINING

Download free HIIT, strength, cardio, yoga, Pilates and mobility workouts so you can switch up how you sweat.

MIXED SESSION

Track multiple activities in one session. Just choose one activity, press stop, then move to the next.

XC SKI INDOOR ACTIVITY

Whether you’re preparing for a race or doing functional training, track your indoor ski sessions with this activity profile, which includes support for compatible indoor ski trainers.

PERFORM

TRIATHLON AND MULTISPORT PROFILES

Automatically record splits with built-in profiles for triathlons, duathlons, brick workouts and swimruns, or you can create your own.

WRIST-BASED RUNNING POWER

See how much power you’re applying to the trail or road so you can manage effort and fine-tune training.

SATIQ TECHNOLOGY AND MULTI-BAND GPS

Get superior positioning accuracy and optimized battery life.

PACEPRO PACING STRATEGIES

Plan race-day strategy with GPS-based pace guidance for a selected course or distance.

TRACK RUNNING

Your watch will record accurate lap distances in meters on tracks all over the world.

CLIMBPRO

See real-time information on your current and upcoming climbs.

REAL-TIME STAMINA

Use this data to help guide you toward your best possible performance and manage your exertion.

UP AHEAD

Get at-a-glance awareness of relevant stops along a preloaded course, including aid stations.

AUTO LAP BY TIMING GATES

Your watch will recognize when you cross mile or kilometer course points and trigger auto laps there versus GPS-based miles or kilometers when following a course.

SUGGESTED FINISH LINE

If you have a course loaded for your race, your watch can suggest trimming your data to the finish line if you forget to stop your timer.

BUILT-IN SPORTS APPS

Tap in to 30+ built-in activities, including cycling, open-water swimming, strength training and more.

MULTIPLE PAIRING OPTIONS

Connect with compatible cycling products, including Rally™ power meter pedals, to monitor performance and ride smarter, plus get haptic and voice alerts for approaching vehicles and more when paired with a Varia™ rearview radar.

CONNECT

MUSIC

Download songs and playlists from your Spotify, Deezer accounts for phone-free listening.

SAFETY AND TRACKING

If you feel unsafe or if your watch senses that an incident occurred, your watch will send a message with your live location⁵.

GARMIN PAY CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS

Breeze through checkout lines or transit systems with participating providers.

SMART NOTIFICATIONS

Receive emails, texts and alerts on your watch when paired with your iPhone or Android smartphone.

HANDS-FREE VOICE CONTROL

Say “OK, Garmin” to start a timer on your smartwatch, start an activity, turn on your flashlight and more. Or say “phone assistant” to access your paired smartphone’s virtual assistant.

LIVETRACK

Friends and family can follow your real-time location⁵ and view preplanned courses.

GARMIN CONNECT APP

See your health and fitness information, connect with friends and more.

CONNECT IQ STORE

Add watch faces, data fields and apps to your paired watch.

GARMIN SHARE

Sync up with friends by sharing saved locations, courses and workouts with other nearby compatible devices.

COLOR FILTERS

Get color display options — including gray scale, red/green, green/red or blue/yellow — to assist with various forms of color blindness.

WATCH FACE CUSTOMIZATION

Choose from various watch faces with customizable data and colors. Even hear the data fields spoken from the watch face.

WORKS WITH WHATSAPP

Stay up to date on WhatsApp while keeping your phone in your pocket. Read, reply and react to your messages right from your watch9. The app is available in the Connect IQ Store.

¹Activity tracking accuracy

²The ECG app is only available on select Garmin smartwatches with the latest version of the Garmin Connect smartphone app and watch software. The ECG app is not available in all regions; see Garmin.com/ECG for availability. The ECG app is only intended for adults aged 22 years and over. The ECG app is capable of recording an ECG similar to a Lead I ECG and detecting the presence of atrial fibrillation or normal sinus rhythm.

³The menstrual cycle tracking feature should not be used in support of conception, contraception or birth control. This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition.

⁴This is not a medical device and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or monitoring of any medical condition; see Garmin.com/ataccuracy. Pulse Ox not available in all countries.

⁵When paired with your compatible smartphone. For safety and tracking feature requirements and limitations, see Garmin.com/safety.

⁶Requires a paired smartphone with the WhatsApp mobile app

SPOTIFY and the Spotify logo are among the registered trademarks of Spotify AB. Amazon Music and all related logos are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. iPhone and Apple are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google LLC.

What You'll Love
Sleep score and insights
Battery life (smartwatch mode)	Up to 15 days
Built-in mapping
Pulse Ox blood oxygen	(spot-check, and optional all-day acclimation and in sleep)
Garmin ECG App
LED flashlight
Garmin Pay
Multi-band GPS
Music storage
Make calls and send texts via voice	(with paired compatible smartphone)
Training readiness
Training status	(improved)
Display type	AMOLED (optional always-on mode)
Touchscreen
Water rating	5 ATM

General
Strap material	silicone
Lens Material	Sapphire Crystal
Bezel Material	titanium
QuickFit watch band compatible	(22 mm)
Physical size	47 x 47 x 12.9 (mm) Fits wrists with a circumference of 135-205 mm
Weight	56 g
Built-in speaker/microphone
Display Size	1.4" (35.3 mm) diameter
Display resolution	454 x 454 pixels
Color display
Large font option
Battery type	Lithium ion
Battery life	Smartwatch mode: Up to 15 daysGPS-Only GNSS mode: Up to 26 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode: Up to 23 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band: Up to 21 hoursGPS-Only GNSS mode with music: Up to 14 hours SatIQ (AutoSelect) GNSS mode with music: Up to 13 hours All-Systems GNSS mode + Multi-Band with music: Up to 12 hoursSee Details
Charging method	Garmin proprietary plug charger
Memory/History	32 GB

Clock Features
Time/date
GPS Time Sync
Automatic daylight saving time
Alarm clock
Smart wake alarm
Timer
Stopwatch
Sunrise/sunset times

Health & Wellness Monitoring
Wrist-based heart rate (constant, every second)
Resting heart rate
Abnormal heart rate alerts	(high and low)
Respiration rate
Fitness age
Body Battery energy monitor
All-day stress
Relaxation reminders
Relaxation breathing timer
Meditation
Breathwork
Sleep	(advanced)
Sleep coach
Breathing variations
Nap detection
Hydration	(in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget)
Women's health	(in Garmin Connect and optional Connect IQ widget)
Health snapshot
Skin temperature
Jet lag adviser
Health status

Sensors
GPS
GLONASS
Galileo
QZSS
BeiDou
SatIQ Technology
Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate monitor
Pulse Ox Blood Oxygen Saturation Monitor
Barometric altimeter
Compass
Gyroscope
Accelerometer
Thermometer
Ambient light sensor

Daily Smart Features
Connectivity	Bluetooth, ANT+, Wi-Fi
Connect IQ (downloadable watch faces, data fields and apps)
On-device Connect IQ Store
Smart Notifications
Text response/reject phone call with text (Android only)
View images from notifications on watch (Android only)
Morning report
Evening report
Calendar
Weather forecasts
Realtime settings sync with Garmin Connect mobile
Battery saver (customizable low power watch)
Controls smartphone music
Plays and controls watch music
Find My Phone
Find My Watch
Find My Phone during GPS activity
Compatible with Garmin Messenger app
Smart trainer control
Pairs with Garmin Connect Mobile
Smartphone compatibility	iPhone, Android
Stocks	(optional Connect IQ app)
Bluetooth phone calling and voice assistant support
Voice command
Red shift mode
Garmin Share
Passcode
Calculator

Workout and Training Plans
Daily Suggested Workout - Running (Pace and Heart Rate Based)
Daily Suggested Workout - Cycling (Pace and Heart Rate Based)
Garmin Running Coach
Garmin Running Coach Experts
Garmin Cycling Coach
Garmin Coach - Prebuilt Cycling Plans
Garmin Coach - Strength
Garmin Triathlon Coach
Multisport workouts
Cardio workouts
Strength workouts
HIIT workouts
Yoga workouts
Pilates workouts
On-screen workout animations
On-screen workout muscle maps

Activity Profiles
Gym	Strength, HIIT, Cardio, Elliptical Training, Stair Stepping, Floor Climbing, Indoor Rowing, Jump Roping
Multisport	Triathlon, Duathlon, Brick, Pool Triathlon, Swimming/Running
Wellness	Walking, Pilates, Yoga, Indoor Walking, Mobility
Indoor running	Treadmill Running, Indoor Track Running, Virtual Running
Outdoor running	Running, Outdoor Track Running, Trail Running, Ultra Running, Obstacle Racing
Outdoor recreation	Hiking, Rucking, Mountaineering, Indoor Climbing, Bouldering, Hunting, Horseback Riding, Golfing, Disc Golf, Archery
Cycling	Biking, Road Biking, Mountain Biking, Gravel Biking, Bike Commuting, Bike Touring, eBiking, eMountain Biking, Indoor Biking, Cyclocross, BMX
Swim	Pool Swimming, Open Water Swimming
On the Water	Stand Up Paddleboarding, Rowing, Kayaking, Fishing, Boating, Sailing, Sail Racing, Snorkeling, Sailing Expedition
Motor sports	Motorcycling, Overlanding, Motocrossing, ATVing, Snowmobiling
Racket sports	Tennis, Pickleball, Badminton, Squash, Table Tennis, Padel, Platform Tennis, Racquetball
Snow & winter	Skiing, Snowboarding, Backcountry Snowboarding, XC Classic Skiing, XC Skate Skiing, Backcountry Skiing, Ice Skating, Snowshoeing
Team sports	Basketball, Volleyball, Field Hockey, Ice Hockey, Football/Soccer, American Football, Lacrosse, Rugby, Ultimate Disc, Cricket, Softball, Baseball
In the ring	Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts
Other activity profiles	Inline skating

Safety and Tracking Features
Incident Detection during select activities
Incident detection alert on phone for wearables
Assistance
Live Event Sharing	Android Only

Activity Tracking Features
Step counter
Move alerts (displays on device after a period of inactivity)
Auto goal (learns your activity level and assigns a daily step goal)
Calories burned
Floors climbed
Distance traveled
Intensity minutes
TrueUp
Move IQ
Garmin Connect Challenges app	(optional Connect IQ app)
Automatic rep counting

Training, Planning and Analysis Features
Customizable data pages
Downloadable training plans
Course guidance
HR zones
HR alerts
HR calories
% HR max
% HRR
Recovery time
Auto max HR
Race glance/widget
HRV status
HR broadcast (broadcasts HR data over ANT+ to paired devices)
Respiration rate (during exercise)	(with compatible accessory)
GPS speed and distance
Customizable activity profiles
Auto Pause automatic timer halt
Interval training
Improved interval (includes open repeats, intervals data page, rest screen and auto detection)
Advanced workouts
Power Modes - customizable in-activity battery settings
HRM running pace and distance
Auto Lap interval tracking feature
Manual lap
Rest timer
Configurable lap alerts
Heat and altitude acclimation
VO2 Max (Run)
VO2 Max (Trail Run)
Realtime stamina
Endurance score
Load ratio
Training load
Training load focus
Training effect
Training effect (anaerobic)
Primary benefit (Training Effect labels)
Improved recovery time
Custom alerts
Voice alerts
Multisport auto transition
Finish time
Virtual Partner
Race an Activity
Manual multisport activities
Garmin Live Segments
Strava Live Segments
Round-trip course creator (running/cycling)
Trendline Popularity Routing
Touch and/or button lock
Shortcuts
Auto scroll
Activity history on watch
Physio TrueUp
Unified training status

Running Features
GPS-based distance, time and pace
Running dynamics
Step speed loss	(with compatible accessory)
Vertical oscillation and ratio
Ground contact time and balance	(GCT balance with accessory)
Stride length (real time)
Cadence (provides real-time number of steps per minute)
Running Tolerance
Running Economy	(with compatible accessory)
Running power
Grade-adjusted pace
Performance condition
Lactate threshold
PacePro Pacing Strategies
Run workouts
Hill score
Trail run auto climb
Race predictor
Course- and weather-specific race predictor
Projected race time and pace
Foot pod capable
Run/Walk/Stand detection

Golfing Features
Preloaded with 43,000 courses worldwide
Yardage to F/M/B (distance to front, middle and back of green)
Yardage to layups/doglegs
Measures shot distance (calculates exact yardage for shots from anywhere on course)	automatic
Digital scorecard
Stat tracking (strokes, putts per round, greens and fairways hit)
Garmin AutoShot
Auto CourseView updates
Green View with manual pin position
Hazards and course targets
PinPointer
Handicap scoring
Round timer/odometer
CT10 Automatic club tracking compatible (requires accessory)
Pairs with Garmin Golf app
Tournament legal

Outdoor Recreation
Point-to-point navigation
Bread crumb trail in real time
Back to start
TracBack
UltraTrac mode
Explore Nearby
Up Ahead
NextFork navigation
Elevation profile
Distance to destination
Barometric trend indicator with Storm Alert
ClimbPro Ascent Planner
Vertical speed
Total ascent/descent
Rest Timer (Ultra Run only)
Auto rest
Future elevation plot
Preloaded road and trail maps
Preloaded ski resort maps
Downloadable cartography support
GPS coordinates
Sight 'N Go
Projected waypoint
Sun and moon information
Expedition GPS Activity

Cycling Features
Courses
Bike lap and lap maximum power (with power sensor)
Race an activity
Alerts (triggers alarm when you reach goals including time, distance, heart rate or calories)
FTP (Functional Threshold Power)	(with compatible accessory)
Power curve and % FTP workouts
Cycle Map (routable cycling-specific street map)
MTB Grit & Flow
Advanced cycling dynamics
Compatible with Vector and Rally (power meters)
Compatible with Varia Vision (head-mounted display)
Compatible with Varia radar (rear-facing radar)
Compatible with Varia lights
Compatible with Varia headlight camera
Speed and cadence sensor support (w/sensor)
Power meter compatible
Power guide

Swimming Features
Open-water swim metrics (distance, pace, stroke count/rate, stroke distance, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories)
Pool swim metrics (lengths, distance, pace, stroke count, swim efficiency (SWOLF), calories)
Stroke type detection (freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly) (pool swim only)
Drill logging (pool swim only)
Basic rest timer (up from 0) (pool swim only)
"Repeat on" rest timer (pool swim only)
Auto rest (pool swim only)
Time and distance alerts
Pacing alerts (pool swim only)
Countdown start (pool swim only)
Pool swim workouts
Critical swim speed
Underwater wrist-based heart rate
Heart rate from external HRM (real-time during rests, interval and session stats during rests, and automatic heart rate download post-swim)	(with HRM-Swim, HRM-Pro, HRM-Pro Plus or HRM 600)

Forerunner 970 GPS running watch
Charging cable
Documentation