Fenix 8 v22.35: Pace stays at 0:00 and gets stuck, even though GPS is working fine

Garmin, this response is no longer acceptable.

This issue has now been reported for more than six weeks. Multiple users have provided consistent reports, screenshots, activity files and reliable reproduction steps:

• pace works normally at the beginning of a run;

• after a stride, sprint or rapid acceleration, it drops to 0:00 and often remains there;

• GPS position, distance and average lap pace continue to be recorded correctly;

• the FIT files contain invalid speed data;

• running power and other derived metrics can consequently become seriously corrupted;

• the issue started with firmware 22.35 and is still present in 22.38;

• resetting activity settings, reinstalling the firmware and even performing a full factory reset do not provide a reliable solution.

In my own FIT files, enhanced_speed becomes exactly 0.000 m/s after 30–37 seconds and remains zero while GPS position and distance continue normally. The same activities also contain invalid total-ascent values of 0–1 m despite a valid altitude profile. In one interval session, running power fell to approximately 170–210 W during intervals at around 3:20 min/km and faster, although plausible values of up to 485 W were recorded before the speed data failed.

This is not a minor display glitch. It corrupts activity data, running power, training analysis and performance metrics. It also makes the watch unreliable during intervals and races—precisely the situations in which athletes most need a premium sports watch to work correctly.

Fēnix 8 is sold as a flagship sports watch. Repeatedly asking customers to reset settings, reinstall software, factory-reset their watches and provide the same information again is not an adequate response after six weeks. At this stage, Garmin is effectively transferring the burden of software testing and diagnosis to paying customers.

We need a concrete and transparent response, not another request to collect details:

1. Has Garmin formally acknowledged this as a firmware defect?

2. Which watch models and firmware versions are affected?

3. Has the defect been reproduced internally?

4. Is there an internal bug or case reference?

5. What is the expected firmware version or timeframe for a fix?

6. Until a fix is available, will Garmin provide an officially supported downgrade to a version before 22.35?

7. What should users with races and structured interval training do in the meantime?

“Thank you, we will contact you to collect details” is no longer sufficient. Garmin has already received enough reports to reproduce and classify this issue. Please escalate it to the engineering team, publish an official acknowledgement and provide a real status update.

A flagship running watch that cannot reliably record pace during fast running is not performing its primary function.