Race 2 Suunto's sapphire-screened trainer with a 55-hour battery

What is new about the Race 2?

The Race 2 replaces the original Suunto Race, which arrived in late 2023. Tom's Guide dates its launch to 27 August 2025, and Notebookcheck reported the debut two days later. It comes in two versions: stainless steel bezel and titanium bezel. This first look covers the steel Race 2 in All Black, Suunto code SS051200000. Tom's Guide and TechRadar both give the UK price as £429 for steel and £529 for titanium.

The biggest change is the screen. Suunto now fits a 1.5 inch AMOLED display at 466 by 466 pixels, which Notebookcheck reports is rated to 2,000 nits. Suunto says it redesigned the back panel for better wrist heart rate, and it describes the hardware as faster with significantly more memory. The charging connector is new as well, a "secure-snap" design. Software adds Suunto Coach for training load and recovery insight, ZoneSense real-time intensity tracking, Climb Guidance on planned routes, heatmaps and more than 115 sport modes.

How big is it, and how will it wear?

Suunto lists the case at 49 by 49 by 12.5 mm and 76 g for the steel version. That is a big watch. The case itself is glass fibre reinforced polyamide, with the stainless steel bezel on top, and the strap is silicone in a standard 22 mm width, so aftermarket straps fit. TechRadar called the design premium-feeling. If 49 mm is too large for your wrist, Suunto's own Race S and Run are smaller and lighter.

How long does the battery last, and how accurate is it?

Suunto quotes up to 55 hours of training in Performance mode with its best GPS accuracy, and up to 200 hours in Tour mode, which drops GPS accuracy and switches heart rate off. In daily use without training, Suunto quotes up to 18 days with daily heart rate on, or up to 30 days with it off. Tom's Guide got 7 to 8 days per charge with the always-on screen and the most accurate GPS mode, which is a fair real-world guide for regular runners.

The GPS is dual-band, and the watch carries free offline maps. TechRadar found it tracked well along busy London streets and closely matched an Apple Watch Ultra. Tom's Guide saw a few small errors, such as running wide on corners.

Heart rate is less settled. TechRadar thought it was similar to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, while Tom's Guide found errors early in runs and a couple of sessions that were well off throughout, and said it would pair a chest strap for peace of mind. Owners on Suunto's forum report the same early lag. TechRadar notes there is no music storage, no NFC payments and no installable apps.

How well is it built?

Suunto rates the Race 2 to 100 m water resistance and fits a sapphire crystal over the screen, which is unusual at this price. The steel bezel adds weight against the titanium version, which Notebookcheck says weighs 65 g. Suunto is a Finnish brand with a long record in outdoor instruments, and the Race 2 is built for trail running, ski touring and open water swimming as much as road racing.

Is it good value against its rivals?

At £429 the Race 2 sits about £200 under the Garmin Forerunner 970, which Tom's Guide lists at £629.99. Tom's Guide found the Race 2 lasts far longer on multi-band GPS, 50 hours against 21 hours for the Garmin. The Garmin has richer smart features and, by that review's account, more dependable wrist heart rate. TechRadar says the Race 2 is roughly the price of the Garmin Forerunner 570, the closer Garmin rival on price.

The original Race is still sold at £345 in steel, according to Tom's Guide, so the new screen, lighter build and better memory cost about £84 more. The other comparison is the Suunto Run, which TechRadar puts about $100 cheaper in the US with weaker heart rate accuracy.

What is the catch?

The catch is wrist heart rate. Tom's Guide and a busy owner thread on Suunto's own forum describe readings that stick low for the first minutes of a run or lag on climbs, though some owners report no problems and say a firmware reset helped. If you train by heart rate zones, budget for a chest strap. The second catch is smart features: no payments, no music and no app store. If those matter, look at Garmin. If you want sapphire, maps, dual-band GPS and very long battery life for £429, the Race 2 is strong value.

“Sapphire, maps and 55 hours of dual-band GPS for £429, if you can live with a chest strap.”

What do owners say?

Themes from public owner feedback, paraphrased. We never copy Amazon reviews or ratings.

• Several owners report wrist heart rate sticking low for the first 10 to 20 minutes of a workout, or lagging on climbs, and some now train with a chest strap

  Suunto Community Forum (opens in a new tab)

• Others report no problems with optical heart rate on steady runs, and one says a hard reset improved it significantly after a firmware update

  Suunto Community Forum (opens in a new tab)