GPS tracking v real time running information

[Ironmanrocks]

Please help. I'm new to running and want to buy a fitness watch to track my activities. I have been looking at a tom tom spark or a tom tom runner but I am not sure of the difference between the tracking system. One has gps tracking the other real time running information. What does that mean? All I want is to know how far I am running ie so when I get to 2.5k I can turn round and come home. Slowly!
Thanks!

My reading says that their tracking is the same. In fact, the only difference between the Spark and Runner is their design.

Any sports watch with GPS will have a live read of the distance you've travelled. Many will buzz/bing on the km.

Be warned though: I have a FitBit Surge and the GPS is nowhere near as accurate as Strava on my phone. Tomtom may perform better though.

Ooh thank you. Any idea which are most accurate? It's like a minefield, and I don't have spare money to get it wrong! I thought tom tom would be pretty accurate!?

If money's tight and you're happy with something basic that will use gps tracking to tell you how far you've gone and how long it took, just download a free app like Runkeeper on your phone. You can buy a cheap holder thing to strap the phone to your arm.

As above. By far the cheapest option right now is a phone app, a waist belt or arm strap, and a pair of headphones.

I use Runkeeper, you can set up reminders for during your run. I'm reminded by time, but you can set it up by distance (both miles and km available).

It'll show you splits, and then charts for speed, elevation and pace, plus a map of each run, and you can track how far your shoes have been and add comment.

There are other features if you subscribe to the Premier version, but the free version does all the things I find important

I have a basic tomtom runner, it has tallied well with race distances & times so I think it's pretty accurate. Mine was £50. While running the basic screen shows the time, distance and time spent running. I can change the screens to display pace, distance etc if I wish, and set it to intervals as well. I then sync it with the app and get loads more run info there. I am very fond of my Tomtom!

agree with emummy - my tomtom is easy to use and syncs to strava, which keeps records of my runs (and links to other peoples if you want). There are a lot of second hand models on ebay and you don't need to spend more than £50. I really enjoy being able to see what pace I'm running at which helps me to slow down on longer runs and understand my running better. Hope you get something that suits.

Runkeeper if you have an iPhone is perfect when you start running. My Dh used it for his first half marathon training and the run. Zero cost, reasonable accuracy.

I have been using Runkeeper since my old Garmin broke and for a free app it is marvellous! Never shelling out for a running watch again. Admittedly I have dialled back my running in recent yearz.

I think TomTom runner is the slightly older model. Spark 3 is the latest.
Both have gps. The spark 3 has option of heart rate monitoring, music and has multi sport (run, swim, cycle) ability.
I have a running app on my phone called iSmoothrun, but I bought a TomTom as I find its gps is better than the iPhone.