Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer vs ChiRunning
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer
This app guides beginners through a 14-week program to train for a half marathon using a run-walk method. It offers audio coaching, progress tracking, and community support to help users complete their first 13.1-mile race.
- 14-week run-walk training program
- Audio coach and alerts
- Run mapping
- Health app integration
- Community forums
- Music integration
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■ The Official Half Marathon Trainer App ■ Official partners and the ONLY C25K (Couch to 5K) app featured on FITBIT and SAMSUNG smart watches! ■ Featured on The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, Men's Fitness, Forbes, Mashable, Glamour Magazine, Popsugar Fitness, CBS News, NBC News, Macworld, Cosmopolitan, Lifehacker, WebMD, and many more! From the same makers of the #1 C25K® Trainer app, Half Marathon Trainer follows the same successful recipe to create an easy simple 13.1 (21k) program. Ideal for first-time beginners and those who are new to running a half marathon. The program uses a blend of running and power walking in training and racing. You’ll soon be able to run-walk the entire half marathon. ≈ Free Trial ≈ ◉ Train the first week for free! ◉ Train to complete a full 13.1 (21k) half marathon using a RUN/WALK ratio ≈ Real-Life Inspirational Transformations ≈ ◎ Over 175,000 Likes and 1500 Success Photos at facebook.com/c25kfree ◎ Our community inspires one another (and inspires us!) everyday. Hear some of their amazing stories. This proven 14 week plan is designed for beginners. The run/walk breaks help make the full marathon less grueling and reduces the overall impact and risk of injury. Don’t think that just because walking is involved that your time will be slower or that you'll be accomplishing less. Many veteran runners have posted personal best times after switching to this run walk method! Using a ratio of running and walking will better manage your fatigue and give you the muscle resource and mental confidence to handle the later parts of the race. Turn on our award winning music and just press start! Our audio coach will guide you through your run! It's that easy! ≈ Less is More ≈ ◎ Easy to learn. Just press start! ◎ Ideal for beginners. ◎ 14 weeks total. ≈ Features ≈ ◉ Proven 14 week half marathon training run-walk program (1st week free) ◉ Convenient audio coach and alerts ◉ Map your run at the end of your workout! ◉ Light and dark modes ◉ Health app integration ◉ Free iPad integration for indoor treadmills ◉ Integrated with Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram ◉ Access to our forums with thousands of veterans and newcomers starting the app. Join the community and meet other runners! ≈ NEW Zen Unlimited Pass - Try it for free! ≈ ◉ Award winning music curated from top DJ's! ◉ Scientifically proven to increase motivation by 35% ◉ Unlimited access to all pro features across ALL Zen Labs Fitness running apps ◉ Unlock calories, distance, Apple watch integration, and more ◉ Full access to C25K, 10K, 13.1, and 26.2 programs ◉ 4 apps for the price of 1! One subscription, multiple apps! Questions/comments? Email us at contactus@zenlabsfitness.com or visit us at www.zenlabsfitness.com. ≈ Connect ≈ Facebook: @C25Kfree Twitter: @C25Kfree Instagram: @officialc25k Hashtag: #C25K Zen Labs is a proud supporter of the National Breast Cancer Coalition. breastcancerdeadline2020.org Subscription pricing and terms: The subscription will automatically renew unless turned off in your iTunes Account Settings at least 24 hours before current period ends. You can go to your iTunes Account settings to manage your subscription and turn off auto-renew. Your iTunes Account will be charged when the purchase is confirmed. If you subscribe before your free trial ends, the rest of your free trial period will be forfeited as soon as your purchase is confirmed. Privacy Policy & Terms of Use: https://www.zenlabsfitness.com/privacy-policy/ Apple Standard Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Legal Disclaimer This app and any information given by it or by Zen Labs LLC are for educational purposes only. You should always consult your healthcare provider before beginning any fitness program. C25K® is a registered trademark of Zen Labs LLC
ChiRunning
Learn to run faster, easier, and injury-free with this comprehensive running coach. It offers video lessons, audio guidance, and guided runs to improve your technique and achieve your running goals.
- Video lessons on key running focuses
- Audio coaching and guided runs
- Built-in metronome
- GPS route mapping
- Workout logging and history
- Pre-run looseners and post-run stretches
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The best-selling runner’s book, Chi Running®, is now an iPhone app that has helped thousands of everyday runners to run faster, easier, and injury-free. Created by ChiRunning founder, Danny Dreyer, this app is feature-laden with Chi Running video lessons, audio coaching, guided runs, and a built in metronome - tools for you to always run your best. You’ll learn the technique that has taught hundreds of thousands to run relaxed, efficiently, and with less injury. For beginning runners, weekend warriors, marathoners and speed demons alike, everyone benefits from improved running technique. You’ll practice “intelligent movement”; using good technique to save your body from undue effort and injury. Danny’s voice will talk you through Guided Runs with audio focuses played at self-selected, repeating intervals. These audio and video lessons will help you achieve your running goals; whether to start running, run a PR, complete a half or full marathon, or run for the rest of your life without injury. Practice your technique while tracking your distance, pace, caloric burn, and mapping your routes. The workout log function allows you to track your run history and share it with friends via Twitter and Facebook. Unique among running apps, the Chi Running® app is a complete coaching tool for improving your running technique and boosting your training. Exceptional running for ordinary people! COMPATIBILITY Please note: This app can only be used on the iPhone, NOT on iPads or the iPod Touch. FEATURES The Chi Running app features: • 18 video lessons of the key Chi Running focuses. • A unique Guided Run feature - Chi Run audio focuses prompt you as you run. • Pick which of the 23 Chi Run Focuses you want to practice and choose from 5 selectable time intervals. • 4 different Guided Runs to choose from: Tempo, Intervals, Long Slow Distance (LSD), and Custom. • Built-in metronome with two beat sounds. • Workout timer with pause and resume. • GPS mapping of running routes. • Running history with daily run data: distance, pace, elevation gain, calories burned. • Weekly mileage totals displayed and stored. • Video and audio reminders of 8 pre-run Body Looseners and 6 Post-run stretches. • Music fades when audio reminders play during your Guided Runs. • Separate volume settings for metronome and Chi Focuses. • Share your runs on Facebook, Twitter and more. • Track your distance in US/English or Metric units. The Chi Running App is also your portal into our world of on-line training plans, books and DVDs, and 200 Certified Chi Running instructors around the world. For questions or help with the application, send us an email to feedback@chirunning.com. Check out our forum at www.ChiRunning.com/forum.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer at Free against ChiRunning's $9.99. Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 13 months). ChiRunning's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 5) and ads (none vs shown).
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer is free to download; ChiRunning costs $9.99 up front. Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ChiRunning asks for nothing beyond the download.
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer has 5.6K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 56% of Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer's written reviews are positive against 69% of ChiRunning's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer ships an update every 6 weeks, ChiRunning every 13 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer | ChiRunning |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 4.7 (5.6K ratings) — better | 4.2 (13 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.7% of reviews | 68.5% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 5.6K — better | 13 |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks — better | Every 13 months |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | 12.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 319 MB | 149 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Zen Labs | ChiLiving, Inc. |
Customer experience
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer
ChiRunning
User reviews
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer
From 5.6K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use
- 👍 Helpful for beginners
- 👍 Great for training and motivation
- 👍 Integrates well with Apple Watch and Fitness
- 👍 Customizable music playback
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional syncing and tracking issues
- 🔋 Drains battery life
- 💰 Subscription model change frustrates some users
- 💰 Paid app now requires subscription for full access
ChiRunning
From 13 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Excellent lessons and coaching
- 🎶 Effective metronome feature
- 🎥 Helpful short videos
- 🏃 Improves running pace and reduces pain
- 🧘♀️ Promotes mindful running
Room to improve
- 💰 Overpriced for content
- 🤔 Repetitive and monotonous content
- 📱 Lacks Apple Watch support
- 📉 Limited tracking features
- 🔌 Poor integration with other apps/devices
Bugs and requests
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer
Reported bugs
3 issues- App crashes or freezes during workouts
- Inconsistent distance and time tracking
- Syncing issues with Apple Watch
Requested features
4 requests- Option to view GPS route history
- Ability to customize training days and schedule
- Integration with more fitness tracking devices
- Detailed performance metrics and analytics
ChiRunning
Reported bugs
8 issues- Miles not changing during run
- Occasionally locks up/crashes
- Freezes when sharing with Map my Run
- Pandora audio volume reduced
- Won't install on iPad
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- Metronome & Chi Focuses interfere with each other
- Music volume too loud after focus ends
- Won't install on original iPad with 5.1.1
Requested features
35 requests- Indoor run metrics
- Interval walk/run programs
- Apple Watch support
- Set intervals
- Export run data
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- Weekly/cumulative stats view
- Integration with iWatch and Apple Health
- Ability to enter own run info
- Treadmill mode
- Link to heart monitor
- Link to local weather
- Upload data to calendar
- Compare against previous runs on same route
- Record regularity/data and improvement
- Detailed in-app journal entries
- Community features
- Diagrams and slow-motion walkthroughs in videos
- Animations for technique demonstration
- Clean up interface
- Allow users to save their own information
- Focus on fostering interactive understanding
- Cadence monitoring
- Training plans for different distances
- Audible stats (time, distance, pace)
- Autopause setting
- Custom run/walk intervals with metronome settings
- Different focuses for run and walk
- Post-run stretches to automatically start
- Metronome fades in background during chi focuses
- Walk/run interval option
- Integration with popular running sites (Runkeeper, Garmin Connect)
- Better integration with iPhone music player
- Warm-up and cool-down period
- Integration with Runkeeper
- Map my run integration
In-app purchases
Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer
- Zen Unlimited Pass Monthly1 Month trial$4.991 Month
- Unlock Your Potential7 Days trial$29.993 Months
- Unlock Your Potential1 Month trial$29.993 Months
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- Zen Unlimited Pass Annual7 Days trial$74.991 Year
- Unlock Workout List$0.99
ChiRunning
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer free?
Is ChiRunning free?
Which has better reviews, Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer or ChiRunning?
Do Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer or ChiRunning have ads?
Which is updated more often, Half Marathon 13.1 Trainer or ChiRunning?
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