First Gear: Beginner Run Coach
Rubber Bands LLC Health & Fitness iPhoneiPadiPod touchApple Watch
First Gear: Beginner Run Coach is a free Health & Fitness app for iPhone and iPad by Rubber Bands LLC. Rated 4.7/5 from 3 ratings. Requires iOS 18.0.
- Rating
- 4.7
- 3 ratings
- Price
- Free
- on the App Store
- Size
- 156 MB
- Age 17+
- Updated
- Oct 19
- 2026 · v1.9
Screenshots
About First Gear: Beginner Run Coach
Starting running, or starting again? First Gear guides easy jogs and walking breaks using your live heart rate. Your Apple Watch speaks the cues, so your phone can stay home. ON THE WAY TO A FIRST 5K Most beginner 5K plans run on a stopwatch: jog for 60 seconds whether you are ready or not. First Gear listens to your heart instead, so the easy effort that builds toward a 5K never turns into a slog, and a hard day gets more room to walk instead of a failed workout. Your coach calls out each mile or kilometer as you pass it. A ROUTINE YOU CAN KEEP Sessions aim for 20 minutes, or the length you set from 10 to 60. Start with three days a week, with room to walk whenever you need to. Six stages shape your coaching range while keeping the run length you choose. Qualifying sessions can offer the next stage. You choose whether to try it or stay where you are. COACHING THAT PAYS ATTENTION Your coach can give you more room for walking recovery on warm days, after a break, or when recent sessions felt hard. It explains the adjustment before you start. After a run of shorter outings, it can set a shorter goal instead. There is no daily readiness rating. You choose your run length and how the top of your heart rate range is set: First Gear's estimate, MAF, Zone 2 (Apple's own on iOS 27) or your own number. ON YOUR WATCH, THEN ON YOUR PHONE • Voice cues guide when to jog and when to walk • Two coach voices, Lana and Cal • Guided mobility before you set off • Outdoor route maps shaded by effort • Session history, heart-rate charts, and Easy score trends • Workouts saved to Apple Health Your Easy score shows time inside your coaching range during scored portions of a session. It is feedback on that session, not a fitness test. NO WATCH? RUN WITH YOUR IPHONE (BETA) With AirPods Pro 3 or Powerbeats Pro 2, your coach can run on your iPhone instead. It reads the heart rate your earbuds measure and speaks through them, and your run shows on the Lock Screen while the phone stays in your pocket. Phone runs are outdoors for now, and they count like any other run. NO STREAKS. NO GUILT. No catch-up workouts. A break does not take away your stage. Your coach makes room for your return, and your badges stay yours. No account required. Set up on iPhone, run with Apple Watch, and review your sessions afterward on your phone. First Gear requires an iPhone with iOS 18 or later and, for watch runs, an Apple Watch with watchOS 11 or later. Phone runs, in beta, need iOS 26 or later and AirPods Pro 3 or Powerbeats Pro 2, and setup offers them only when none of its heart-rate questions applies to you. SUBSCRIPTION First Gear Coaching. 7 days free, then billed monthly or yearly, at the price shown in your local currency before you confirm. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the period, and you can manage or cancel it in your Apple Account settings. Cancel at least a day before the free week is up and you pay nothing. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://firstgear.run/privacy
What’s new
Version 1.9 · Updated October 19, 2026
- The Run tab now invites a run on any day and names your last run by its day. Reminders still follow your plan's days. - Settings > How it works adds two demos for watch runs: how a run starts and ends, and how to hear your coach in headphones. - If your volume is low, a demo asks you to turn it up first. - Phone runs (beta): swipe the big number for pace and distance, then your Easy score.
App privacy
The developer, Rubber Bands LLC, reported these privacy practices to Apple.
Data Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected and linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Purchases: Purchase History
- Identifiers: Device ID
- Usage Data: Product Interaction
Used for: Third-Party Advertising, Developer’s Advertising or Marketing, Analytics, App Functionality
Data Not Linked to You
The following data, which may be collected but is not linked to your identity, may be used for the following purposes:
- Location: Coarse Location
- Usage Data: Advertising Data
- Diagnostics: Other Diagnostic Data, Crash Data
- Other Data: Other Data Types
- User Content: Customer Support
Used for: Analytics, App Functionality
Alternatives to First Gear: Beginner Run Coach
Looking for apps like First Gear: Beginner Run Coach? Here are 6 similar apps on the App Store. The highest rated is Alloop AI (4.8/5), and all 6 are free to download.
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Rivlo: AI Step Tracker & Coach
4.6
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Alloop AI
4.8
-
Zone 2 AI: Vo2 Max & Endurance
4.5
-
Preffect: Wellness Companion
4.8
-
Ruckaroo: Ruck & Weighted Walk
4.7
-
NXT RUN: AI Running Coach
4.6
| App | Rating | Price | Last updated | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Gear: Beginner Run Coach | 4.7 / 5 (3 ratings) | Free | October 19, 2026 | |
| Rivlo: AI Step Tracker & Coach | 4.6 / 5 (46) | Free | Oct 9, 2026 | Compare |
| Alloop AI | 4.8 / 5 (16) | Free | Oct 18, 2026 | Compare |
| Zone 2 AI: Vo2 Max & Endurance | 4.5 / 5 (132) | Free | Oct 19, 2026 | Compare |
| Preffect: Wellness Companion | 4.8 / 5 (110) | Free | Oct 20, 2026 | Compare |
| Ruckaroo: Ruck & Weighted Walk | 4.7 / 5 (523) | Free | Oct 12, 2026 | Compare |
| NXT RUN: AI Running Coach | 4.6 / 5 (37) | Free | Oct 9, 2026 | Compare |