The Apple Watch Series 11 isn't just a fantastic smartwatch, it's a top fitness tracker too.

If your goal this year is to run a half marathon or the whole thing, this watch is ideal for helping to track your progress, monitor your heart rate, and plan your workouts. It's obviously not a dedicated running watch like Garmin's Forerunner range, but this watch has plenty of features to guide your training and keep you motivated along the way.

Why the Apple Watch Series 11 is a great running aid

The Apple Watch Series 11 thrives as a lifestyle watch. If you have an iPhone, the connection between the two is seamless, especially when it comes to notifications and phone calls. But it's also built with incredible fitness tracking metrics, like built-in GPS (for accurate distance, pace, and route mapping), heart rate monitoring, and cadence tracking. All of these stats make for a very happy runner, covering that basics you'll want to track when training for any race, including a marathon.

Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

It also comes with training support in the form of the Workout Buddy. This uses a text-to-speech model to generate personalized pep talks based on voice data from an Apple Fitness+ trainer to keep you motivated during your workout. It’s like having a coach in your ear. There's also the Training Load function that shows you how much stress your workouts are putting on your body over time. It makes it easier to see when you can push yourself and when you might need to take it easy, helping you avoid overtraining. It also has built-in pacing alerts and split notifications that will help to keep you in your target range during workouts. The Series 11 also measures your VO₂ max (a stat that shows how efficiently your body uses oxygen during exercise) to track your aerobic improvement over time.

If you're looking for daily workout suggestions, this is lacking on the Apple Watch. If you want recommendations on types of runs based on your fitness and recovery levels, the Garmin Forerunner 55 and other running-specific watches will give you that.

Extended battery life is what keeps me going back to Garmin, but the Apple Watch Series 11 can keep up. The Apple Watch Series 11 can last up to 24 hours of normal use, so it’ll comfortably get you through a long training day or a series of runs. Plus, with fast charging, just 15 minutes on the charger gives you up to eight hours of use, so it's easy to top up between sessions.

Can the Apple Watch Series 11 support marathon training?

The Series 11 is a great choice of fitness tracker if you want the stats to assist your training as well as lifestyle features. Built-in GPS, training support, and heart rate monitoring all give you the information you need to see how you're training. And Apple's "close your rings" feature might be the push you need to tick off your training plan.

Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The lack of personalized daily workouts is worth noting, but as a fitness tracker, the Apple Watch Series 11 still has a lot going for it in this space.

Where to buy the Apple Watch Series 11

The Apple Watch Series 11 can be purchased at many large retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart.

$407.47 at Amazon
$429 Save $21.53