Running with a GPS watch is reassuring, whether you’re hitting hard kilometre repeats or just cruising through base miles. The real-time data gives you an accurate view of your session, but sometimes you might question its accuracy—did you really just drop a five-minute mile, or is your heart rate really over 200 BPM?

While GPS watches can occasionally give inaccurate readings, many issues can be fixed in the settings or understood with a better knowledge of how the watch works. In this post, I’ll cover common problems and simple fixes, along with tips to help you get the most out of your running watch.