Strava Routes Now Navigate on Apple Watch: Hands-On Test

Strava just pushed a major Apple Watch update that brings saved routes, turn-by-turn map navigation, and segment tracking directly to your wrist. No phone needed mid-run. For Apple Watch Ultra and Series 9 users who already live inside Strava, this is a meaningful shift in how the app competes with dedicated running watches.

The route navigation works by syncing your saved Strava routes to the watch before you head out. On-wrist maps render cleanly, and turn alerts fire early enough to be useful at race pace. Segment tracking is the real draw here: you get live effort comparisons against your PR or the local KOM without touching your phone. That alone puts it ahead of what WorkOutDoors offers natively.

Where it still falls short is battery and reliability. Apple Watch Ultra 2 gets roughly 18 to 20 hours in low-power GPS mode, which trails a Garmin Forerunner 965 (up to 31 hours) or a Coros Pace 3 (up to 38 hours) for longer efforts. The Strava app also adds a measurable drain on top of native workout tracking, so ultramarathon athletes should not ditch their Garmin just yet.

Compared to WorkOutDoors, Strava's new interface is cleaner but less customizable. WorkOutDoors still wins on data field density and offline map quality. Native Apple Maps navigation is more stable for cycling, but it has zero Strava segment awareness. If your training revolves around segment hunting and you are already paying for Strava Premium, this update makes the Apple Watch a genuinely competitive option for runs under a marathon distance.

Solid update. Not a full replacement for a dedicated GPS watch, but for urban runners and segment chasers already on Apple Watch, Strava just made the platform a lot harder to leave.