How to create running app similar to standard Garmin running app?

jim_m_58 said:

If you think there's something that needs to be extended in a native activity, you can do it as a CIQ data field.

For starter I would love to have (former DSW) Workout target screen with larger gauge as mentioned here:
If you need glasses to read - please Share Idea - Forerunner 955 Series - Running/Multisport - Garmin Forums

And second thing which I would love to have that ability to select Gear per activity vs editing (which I always forgot to do) in GC Mobile or Web.

For me this would be two reasons why create "own Run application" might have sense.

pdurys said:

For starter I would love to have (former DSW) Workout target screen with larger gauge as mentioned here:

Workout targets are available in the Connect IQ API, so you should be able to create a CIQ data field that implements your own workout target screen that has whatever look and behaviour you want. This data field would ofc exist in the context of a built in application like Run.

You could also create a dedicated device app which replaces built-in activities like Run, with your custom workout gauge screen. Ofc you'd have to reinvent the wheel for every running-related feature you want to include.

Stryd has taken both approaches for power workouts. But you'll notice that their data field was last updated in June 2025, while their dedicated workout device app was last updated 2023. I think this proves my point that Garmin users (at least runners) prefer the built-in run activity to a device app that replaces the run activity.

Maybe I will look at data field. It has only 3 pieces of information.

About dedicated app - it is exactly as you describe. I am lazy, and do not like idea of reinventing wheel.

But, If it would be possible to have eg. glance with all available gears from GC, and select it before starting Run..., but that gear stuff exists only in GC not on wearables.

pdurys said:

About dedicated app - it is exactly as you describe. I am lazy, and do not like idea of reinventing wheel.

I mean, even if you were willing to reinvent the wheel, it will never be as good as a native activity. That is by Garmin's design - there are obviously a lot of intentional limitations and missing features here.

It's like how an Apple Watch app has the freedom to write any FIT file it wants (for example), while Garmin device apps and data fields can never override native data.

pdurys said:

But, If it would be possible to have eg. glance with all available gears from GC, and select it before starting Run..., but that gear stuff exists only in GC not on wearables.

Yeah I wish we could be prompted to select gear on the watch after a run too.

Maybe it points to how the gear selection process in the Connect app is abysmal.

e.g.

- The gear selection list is displayed in a different, random order each time (makes it annoying to change gear for multiple activities)

- If you go to the activity gear tab and it's empty, there's a big button to add gear (good). If the gear tab already has gear selected (which it will if you have default gear for the activity type), then you have to go somewhere *else* to add gear (bad)

- When you select new gear (e.g. shoes), the already selected gear is not deselected. It's another manual tap to deselect the already selected gear. This makes no sense for shoes because people rarely wear multiple shoes for a single run, and even if they did (like for an ultra), Connect has no way to split up the activity distance between multiple shoes anyway - each pair of shoes would just receive the total activity distance, which is almost certainly not what's desired

FlowState said:

Maybe it points to how the gear selection process in the Connect app is abysmal

But that would not explain why Gear information is not saved explicitly in activity FIT file.