Huawei Watch GT Runner 2 GPS Watch: Review and Verdict

It may not be the first brand runners and triathletes name-drop, but it’s definitely one that deserves more attention. Nearly five years after the original Watch GT Runner, Huawei is back this spring with the GT Runner 2: a feature-packed (sometimes too packed for the less geeky among us) GPS watch in a compact case and a clean, minimalist design.

No oversized, luxury-watch cosplay here. If you’ve got slimmer wrists, you’re in luck. And the GT Runner 2 hides plenty of little “treasures” inside its minimalist “case”, plus in the Huawei Health app that syncs with the watch.

The Chinese app is built for dead-simple use, and the clarity is genuinely welcome. You’ll find ready-made training plans for everything from beginner to marathoner, plus 5K, 10K and half-marathon plans. You can also test yourself with interval sessions, and even build your own workouts in the app, then sync them straight to the watch.

For the data nerds among you, Huawei adds a lactate threshold detection algorithm as well as a running power metric. This advanced tech aims to estimate lactate threshold with real precision, giving users a deeper read on workout intensity and muscular capacity. With the automatic analysis, runners can tweak sessions, tailor training plans and sharpen race strategy.

Its Marathon mode doesn’t just track performance, it supports you from the gun to the finish line. Running power, dynamic pace guidance, hydration and fueling reminders: the essentials are right there on your wrist in real time, helping you optimize your effort and push your limits with confidence.

Fitness, strength, mental health and nutrition….

Alongside the pure training side, this model also rolls out fitness resources: conditioning, strength training, muscle work and mobility/stretching, with voice and on-screen guidance. Not all of these programs are free, and some (the ones labeled VIP) require a paid subscription.

The GT Runner 2 also keeps an eye on mental health and nutrition, with meditation programs, breathing exercises (some free), and a paid food analysis based on what you log day to day.

The app’s Health tab is also very comprehensive (and sometimes seen as a bit intrusive by some users, who can choose to enable it or not). The watch’s sensors can measure, among other things, blood oxygen saturation (in 15 seconds, as long as you cinch that fabric strap nice and tight), blood pressure, skin temperature, emotional well-being (stress), and sleep quality. It can also flag arterial stiffness or your adaptation to altitude. A real doctor-on-the-wrist, with one caveat: as the manufacturer warns, the data is provided “for reference only” and “cannot be used to establish a diagnosis or medical treatment.”

Of course, with just two buttons and a touchscreen, you also get access to all the everyday “gadgets” that can distract you mid-session (phone, notifications, calendar, alarm), or make things more useful and enjoyable (pre-workout warm-up, compass, barometer, music, timer, weather, stopwatch, flashlight, voice notes….).

Your workouts will also sync to all the “social” apps (Strava, Komoot, etc.), with impressive accuracy. With a 3D floating antenna architecture and an optimized antenna seal, the watch significantly improves positioning accuracy over the previous generation. It delivers reliable tracking even in tricky environments like tunnels or heavily shaded areas.

Made from nano-molded titanium alloy, both light and highly durable, it tips the scales at just 43.5 g, for a natural, comfortable feel on the skin.

Exceptionally reliable in the pool

Ergonomically spot-on (at least if you like a discreet watch), this touchscreen model also covers a big range of sports profiles. We counted around thirty “classic” ones (including triathlon, the various flavors of cycling and running, plus open-water swimming and pool swimming for the tri crowd), but also diving, golf, jump rope and the main winter sports. You can even create custom activities… and use them for a long time too, because battery life is in line with expectations: 32 hours claimed in outdoor training mode, and 7 to 14 days outside of workouts, depending on how many features you have enabled…

Like the first model, we were seriously impressed by its accuracy in the pool: it’s the only watch we’ve tested across the major brands that never gets a pool session wrong, whether you’re swimming in a 25 m or 50 m pool. A genuinely useful bonus that lets you focus on feel instead of counting lengths.

+ What we like: the ergonomics, compact size, pool accuracy, ease of use, the number of available data screens, and the screen’s readability.

- What we like less: it can feel a bit intrusive at times (though you can always turn features off, like automatic movement detection) and a bit “chatty” during workouts (again, you can mute it…).

Price: €399.99