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2012-07-13 5:46 PM

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Subject: Our Soleus 1.0 GPS & Timex Marathon GPS watch comparison

Anyone using the Soleus 1.0 GPS or the Timex Marathon GPS watches?

I bought my wife the Soleus 1.0 GPS black/pink trim for Mothers Day from the local running store.  She bought me the Timex Marathon GPS black/black for Fathers day. Bought each for $95. We recently ran the Boilermaker 15k running side by side for 6 miles for good comparison (before she chicked me!).  I've also used her watch a number of times to get a feel for it and she's worn the Timex once.  Here's some feedback:

FIT  & Feel:

  • Soleus - I found the fit & comfort on my wrist cumbersome, I kept turning it towards me and disliked the round face.  My wife doesn't like the band fit on her small wrist, says it "feels weird" at times.
  • Timex Marathon - Wraps better on the wrist and is more comfortable, wore it most of the day at the Boilermaker race and my wife agrees it feels better.  Display layout is easier to read, bottom line has larger font.

Distance Comparison: So far we've done 2 runs side by side up to 6 miles.

  • The Soleus has been constantly shorter on auto lap mile intervals than the Timex.  The instantaneous pace varied more than the Timex and it once recorded a known mile interval pace at 0:20 faster than what was run. The 15k distance was recorded as 9.56 miles (2.7% error).
  • Timex Marathon - Has been typically 1-5 seconds faster vs mile markers.  After 6.5 miles in the Boilermaker I had to walk for a bit due to a calf issue. When I started running again the instantaneous pace update rate slowed a lot, one point I thought it was frozen. Need to do more long runs to verifyTongue out!  The 15k distance was recorded as 9.42 miles (1.1% error).

Other Thoughts:

  • The Soleus auto lap doesn't have a beep tone.  Wife says she can hear her friends Garmin 610 beep on runs.  The Timex does emit a beep tone but its too low in volume with headphones to be heard.
  • Buttons layout and feel are better on the Timex. For some reason my wife finds the Soleus data retrieval cumbersome. 
  • Wife wishes the Timex Marathon had a pink or purple trim option.  Likes it better than the Soleus.
  • I'd pay $140-150 for the Timex Marathon with HRM integrated and data transfer.
  • I'd love to tryout the Timex Road Trainer GPS watch.  This could be a watch year!Money mouth

 

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