Tata Mumbai Marathon, India’s flagship running event, this year will take place on January 21. Around 57,000 participants will run through the streets of Mumbai which includes 40,365 men and 16,180 women. Professional athletes and hobbyists have taken part in this marathon over the years. For some, it’s about winning the race while for others it’s about breaking their own fitness records and for the sheer joy of staying connected to Mumbai culture.

For marathon runner Swati Mukund, it’s all about preparing for the big race. “Having been a runner for over 5 years now, and only loving it more every single day, training for the Tata Mumbai Marathon is something I look forward to every year,” she said.

While everyone has their own unique approach to fitness, Swati included the Apple Watch 9 to monitor her progress and what exactly she can expect to achieve out of the Tata Mumbai Marathon 2024.

“I’ve been training to run the half marathon this year as well, and my Apple Watch series 9 is testimony to the progress I’ve made over a period of all these years. For this event in particular, I train twice a week at the gym where I do strength and weight training workouts, and I run thrice a week,” said Swati.

As for the Apple Watch 9, she uses it regularly for long distance runs. “I hit press on the workout icon on my watch and begin my “Outdoor run” and of course, plug into my Apple Music playlist on my AirPods. For the speed runs I use the Nike running app to track my laps and it gives me an idea of how my entire schedule looks like. My further training runs at times change as per the current pace I’m comfortable at.”

Here’s how Swati uses her Apple Watch 9 while training for marathons.

The Workout app on watchOS 10 includes all new running form metrics like vertical oscillation, stride length, and ground contact time. There are a number of metrics to help you get the most out of your running workout.

Vertical Oscillation: tap to add an estimate of how much your body travels vertically as you run in centimetres. This measurement, along with stride length, can give you a sense of how much energy you’re using to drive upwards versus forwards. Apple Watch can log your vertical oscillation automatically during outdoor running workouts.

Running Stride Length: tap to add an estimate of how much distance you cover from one step to the next while running in metres. Along with cadence, stride length determines your overall running speed. Apple Watch can log your running stride length automatically during outdoor running workouts. For the best Stride Length estimates, run for approximately 200 metres to calibrate your Apple Watch.

Ground Contact Time: tap to add an estimate of the time each foot spends touching the ground while running in milliseconds. Apple Watch can log your ground contact time automatically during outdoor running workouts.

Heart Rate Zones: tap Include to add Heart Rate Zones to get a sense of your intensity level.

Running Power: tap Include to show an estimate of the work you’re doing while running measured in watts. Running Power reflects the intensity of your run and can give a sense of your effort as your speed or incline changes. Apple Watch can log your Running Power automatically during outdoor running workouts. Running Power is only reported during running workouts and cannot capture any extra load, such as a weighted rucksack.

Elevation: tap Include to show your elevation while you’re running.

Race your last or best time with Race Route- As you run, your Apple Watch will show you a comparison of your current and previous run. You can check your progress to see how far ahead or behind you are, as well as the distance remaining. You’ll also receive an “Off Route” notification if you run off-course. If you’re near the starting point of a previous route, available routes will appear as a suggested workout. To view all routes, tap Suggested, then Route.

To get ready for a long-distance run, you will have to save battery on the Apple Watch. Here’s how you can do it.

Use Low Power Mode. It disables the Always On display. You can sync music, podcasts and audiobooks directly to your Apple Watch ahead of time, to stay focused. If you bring your iPhone with you, your watch can use Bluetooth for battery-intensive functions such as connectivity, streaming music or podcasts, accessing Siri and more.If your long-distance run is later in the day, you can preserve battery life by turning off mobile data and the Always On display in the hours before your run.