# Mesa Marathon vs Running Lab

The clearest difference is rating: Running Lab at 5.0 against Mesa Marathon's 4.0. Mesa Marathon's advantage is update cadence (every 4 months vs every 26 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Running Lab holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 2 respectively.

Mesa Marathon ships an update every 4 months, Running Lab every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Mesa Marathon | Running Lab |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mesa-marathon/id1607004369/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/running-lab/id1663562184/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **3** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 0.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 months** | Every 26 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 92 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.2 | **11.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Brooksee, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1190989001) | [MICHIGAN RUNNING COMPANY LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1663562186) |

## What reviewers say

### Mesa Marathon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mesa-marathon/id1607004369)

This app offers real-time race day tracking for runners and their loved ones. It also features a loyalty program to earn and redeem points for discounts on future events and merchandise.

**Highlights:** Real-time race tracking, Progress monitoring for friends and family, Points-based loyalty program, Earn rewards points, Redeem points for discounts, Event and merchandise offers

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Running Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/running-lab/id1663562184)

This app rewards you for shopping locally and staying active. Earn points for purchases and event check-ins, redeemable for gift cards. Sync runs to track mileage and unlock achievements.

**Highlights:** Earn points for in-store and online purchases, Earn points for event check-ins, Redeem points for digital gift cards, Track lifetime points and level up, Sync runs and walks with Strava, Sync Apple Fitness workouts, Unlock distance-based achievements

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Mesa Marathon free?

Mesa Marathon is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Running Lab free?

Running Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Mesa Marathon or Running Lab?

Running Lab is rated higher. Mesa Marathon averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Running Lab averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Mesa Marathon or Running Lab have ads?

Neither Mesa Marathon nor Running Lab shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Mesa Marathon or Running Lab?

Mesa Marathon ships an update every 4 months, and Running Lab every 26 months. Most recently, Mesa Marathon was updated on October 3, 2026 and Running Lab on October 2, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*