There are two other options I would look at. It all depends on what you would be willing to spend. There is the timex speed and distance watch. It has a gps censor you strap around your arm. The other is garmin. I am looking at gettin the forerunner 50 model. It is their newest item. You can buy it with the foot pod or with the foot pod and heart rate monitor etc... This model has a foot pod gps that straps to your shoe laces. I have seen the foot pod and it is small, so it would not bother you when you run. Garmin has some good information on their website about the forerunner 50. While the other models are good, they are bigger than a regular watch which might be a concern. I hope this information can help you out. Good luck in your search. Also usatf.org has a mapping section that I use.

http://This message has been edited by kfuller (edited Nov-10-2007).

My local running store gives out a free shoe pocket (little pouch that attaches to the laces) when you buy the Nike+ system. Apparantly it works just fine in the pouch and you don't need the Nike shoes.

I haven't tried it myself. Mapmyrun.com does a fine job.

Thanks for all the replies, everyone!

I tried mapmyrun today for a good 3.5 mile run. I think it'll work well for most of my runs, but I'd still like a pedometer type tracker for times when I just want to go out running without following a set course - such as laps at my local park or running in a new city (I do a lot of traveling).

The GPS solutions seem a bit expensive, but I guess you've gotta pay the price. I'd love any other suggestions or reviews if anyone has any! Thanks again!

The cheapest method is to use something like mapmyrun.com or gmap-pedometer which you can use in the hybrid mode to even see the visual landmarks like trees or buildings on your route. They are accurate enough. Also, if you run on the road or sidewalks next to roads, you can ride them on a bike with a decent odometer or drive them with your car and use those readings.

I find that these solutions are good enough. It really doesn't matter if you ran 10 miles or 10.12 or 9.78 miles anyhow. The most important thing in marathon training is the consistency with which you train. Good luck!

I like to try to keep track of both time and distance while running as a means of motivation and self-improvement... though it seems like most people are saying I should just run for time and forget about distance for a while if I'm thinking about marathon training. Thoughts on this?