The iPod and (since its introduction) iPhone have become a staple at the gym and during exercise for many throughout the world. Having thousands of songs at your fingertips can make a quiet and lonely run much more exciting and enjoyable. Marx Runner for iPhone takes that energy a step further, allowing you to create your own unique soundtrack for your trek.
Overview:
Marx Runner ($0.99 for iPhone in the App Store) is designed to help motivate runners by creating unique music out of movement. As you run, Marx Runner uses your movement to add drum breaks, vocal hits, sound effects, and instrumentation to help push you through your journey.
The simple user interface of Marx Runner makes it an easy addition to your routine Upon launching the app, you’re greeted with a clean dashboard. Choose your running pace (BPM), shuffle to a beat that suits your taste, and hit “reset & run.”
As you venture out, Marx Runner uses your location data to track your pace. Normally, listening to music while running can become a distraction. There’s nothing more challenging in a run than hunting for a new song. Sometimes, songs on your iPod just don’t have the right tempo or mood for running. Marx Runner uses it’s 100+ song library, takes your pace, and matches it with the proper musical energy.
Marx Runner also features 3 speed settings, depending on your pace. Slow brings all elements into your song at 6.5 mph, where as fast doesn’t reach it’s full potential until 8 mph, which can be quite a pace to maintain on a long run. Marx Runner also includes a unique Speed Motivator settings that adjusts the tempo of the song through 4 levels as your pace increases or decreases.
The biggest drawback I could find was that lack of support for indoor running on a treadmill. Due to the use of GPS to monitor your movement and speed, stationary exercise isn’t supported.
Marx Runner also tracks the distance you run, how long your run lasted, your average speed, and the location of your run. After each adventure, hitting stop running prompts you with the details and allows you to share them on Facebook to Twitter – allowing you to tell your friends how great of a running companion you’ve found in Marx Runner.
Verdict: [rating: 3.5]
Marx Runner is a great running motivator for a specific group of enthusiasts. If you do long-distance training, cross country running, or enjoy competing in marathons, Marx Runner could be the perfect partner. For those of you who enjoy running in the privacy of your own home, or spending some time on the treadmill at the local gym, the motivational diversity of Marx Runners soundtrack may not be your best bet. The unique speed-dependent adjustments of Marx Runner makes using the app a rewarding experience during short and long runs. Marx Runner can really push your workout that extra mile (literally and figuratively).
Pros:
- Vast library of unique techno-eqsue music
- Speed-dependent instrumentation
- Speed Motivator (for changing tempo as your change speed)
Cons:
- Lack of treadmill support
- No record feature to share or save your custom soundtrack
Marx Runner, the outdoor running companion. $0.99 for iPhone in the App Store
