Comparison

RaceJoy vs Run With Hal

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

RaceJoy

Enhance your race day experience with real-time GPS tracking, progress alerts, and motivational cheers for participants and spectators. Offers live tracking for events and training, with features like progress updates and photo sharing.

Highlights
  • Live GPS phone tracking
  • Send-a-Cheer motivational audio
  • NearMe participant alerts
  • MeetUp tool for location sharing
  • Automatic progress postings
  • Scored race results
  • Official race photos
Features
Read full description

RaceJoy is created specifically for running, cycling and triathlon events with a focus on the participant and spectator experience. Features vary by event and include live phone tracking, progress alerts, results, race information, photos, Send-a-Cheer and much more! There are two distinct experiences in RaceJoy: -Featured Events -Training Days Featured Events (shown with the Event Logo): These are events that have contracted with RaceJoy to provide a premium experience for participants and spectators. Features are free and provided by the event or sponsor(s). Features included: -Live GPS, phone tracking on the course map. -Send-a-Cheer! (fun motivational audio clips). -NearMe alerts (spectators and waiting relay teams get an alert when a participant is drawing near). -MeetUp tool for seeing where you are in relation to a participant. -Automatic Progress Postings to Twitter (with your approval, of course!). The following features may be provided by the event: -Scored Race Results within moments of crossing the finish line. -Essential race information like schedules, FAQs, race news, and more. -Your official race photos. -Optional Tracking with Progress Alerts: Some events offer BIBTAG tracking in addition to PhoneTrak. For these events there is no need to carry your phone as this is based on the participant’s BIB/chip as they cross over timing points on the course. Training Days This area enables athletes to have their friends and family track their progress live on a map and send motivational cheers during long training runs or rides. All PhoneTrak features are available in Training Days, along with special motivational cheers to help you through those tough moments. Training Days is a free always available area for your long training days. Based on our privacy policy you must setup a special tracking ID (PIN) with profile name and provide that to friends and family tracking you on your Training Days. Add a Race? If you would like a race to offer the full featured experience with official race progress alerts and results, please let the race director know about RaceJoy. Battery Usage RaceJoy’s live phone tracking feature is ONLY activated during the hours of the event. When using Training Days, the athlete turns on/off tracking as needed. Use of this GPS technology running in the background can dramatically decrease battery life. You may disable this under settings at anytime during the event to conserve battery life if needed. Feedback and Support We hope you enjoy using RaceJoy! Please share your experience in the App store to encourage others to try it out. If you have had any issues, or have feedback or ideas, please help us to improve the experience by contacting us at support@racejoy.com. RaceJoy is created by a small family business and is dedicated to changing the race experience.

About

Run With Hal

This app provides personalized, adaptive training plans for various running distances, from 5K to 50K. It's guided by legendary coach Hal Higdon and adjusts to your progress, schedule, and goals. Features include GPS tracking, daily tips, and progress summaries to help you achieve your running ambitions.

Highlights
  • Adaptive training plans
  • Plans for 5K to 50K races
  • Daily motivation from Hal Higdon
  • GPS tracking
  • Flexible scheduling
  • Progress tracking and summaries
Features
Read full description

Train smarter, not harder, with Run With Hal. Powered by legendary coach Hal Higdon, the app delivers personalized, adaptive training plans that evolve with your goals, schedule, and performance. Whether you’re running your first 5K, training for a marathon, or tackling a 50K, Hal guides every step. **Features** - Adaptive plans that adjust automatically as you train - Plans for 5K, 8K, 10K, 15K, Half Marathon, Marathon, and 50K - Daily tips from Hal to keep you motivated - GPS tracking for pace, distance, and effort - Flexible scheduling with long-run customization and blackout dates - Progress tracking with charts, stats, and weekly summaries - Train for multiple races with blended adaptive plans Start your plan today and reach your marathon, half marathon, or race goals with Hal Higdon’s proven methods.

Screenshots

RaceJoy2 screens
Run With Hal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Run With Hal at 4.7 against RaceJoy's 3.9. Run With Hal also leads on review sentiment (65% vs 53%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). RaceJoy's advantage is chart position (#118 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. RaceJoy sells 10 one-off in-app purchases and Run With Hal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Run With Hal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.6K and 2.8K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of RaceJoy's written reviews are positive against 65% of Run With Hal's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

RaceJoy ships an update every 2 months, Run With Hal monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
RaceJoy versus Run With Hal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRaceJoyRun With Hal
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.9 (1.6K ratings)4.7 (2.8K ratings) — better
Positive reviews53.2% of reviews65.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.6K2.8K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#118 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS16.614.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size67 MB47 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTriPerta LLCPeaksware, LLC

Customer experience

RaceJoy

All ratings1,551 ratings
Positive72.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative23.3%
Written reviews173 reviews
Positive53.2%
Neutral6.9%
Negative39.9%

Run With Hal

All ratings2,847 ratings
Positive91.7%
Neutral3.0%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews302 reviews
Positive65.2%
Neutral10.9%
Negative23.8%

User reviews

RaceJoy

From 1.6K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Great for tracking runners and spectators
  • 🚀 Accurate mile updates and estimated finish times
  • 💡 Ability to send audible cheers to runners
  • 🤝 Helpful for virtual and in-person races

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Buggy and unreliable tracking
  • 🔋 Battery draining
  • 🤔 Unintuitive and confusing interface
  • 🙅‍♀️ Requires runners to have the app and phone

Run With Hal

From 2.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to follow plan
  • 🚀 Adaptive training
  • 💪 Helps achieve goals
  • 🎉 Great for beginners
  • 🤖 Structured and detailed

Room to improve

  • 🔀 Lacks flexibility to adjust schedule
  • 🤔 Questionable pacing recommendations
  • 🔌 No Apple Watch integration
  • 📊 Limited data tracking and feedback
  • 🐛 Technical issues and bugs

Bugs and requests

RaceJoy

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Tracking stops working mid-race
  • App crashes frequently
  • Inaccurate distance and pace tracking
  • Notifications and updates delayed or not received

Requested features

4 requests
  • Automatic start/stop tracking
  • Ability to view cheers after the race
  • Integration with other fitness apps and devices
  • More customization options for spectators

Run With Hal

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes during runs
  • Syncing issues with fitness trackers
  • Inconsistent pacing calculations
  • Inability to delete or modify existing training plans

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to adjust schedule and swap workout days
  • Integrate with more fitness tracking platforms (Apple Health, Strava, etc.)
  • Provide more detailed performance feedback and analytics
  • Add audio/voice cues during runs
  • Improve cross-training logging and support

In-app purchases

10 purchases

RaceJoy

One-time10
  • RaceJoy Phone Fun-Tracking$0.99
  • RaceJoy Phone Fun-26.2 with DONNA$0.99
  • RaceJoy Phone Fun-Cherry Blossom$0.99
Show 7 more
  • RaceJoy Phone Fun-Pittsburgh Marathon$0.99
  • RaceJoy Phone Fun-Glass City Marathon$0.99
  • RaceJoy PhoneTrak-Vermont City Marathon$0.99
  • PhoneTrak-Glass City Marathon$0.99
  • PhoneTrak-Zions Bank Ogden Marathon$0.99
  • PhoneTrak-Kentucky Derby Marathon Festival$0.99
  • PhoneTrak-Burning River$0.99
3 purchases

Run With Hal

Subscriptions3
  • Run With Hal+ 1 Month$6.991 Month
  • Run With Hal+ 6 Month14 Days trial$35.996 Months
  • Run With Hal+ 1 Year14 Days trial$59.991 Year

Questions

Is RaceJoy free?
RaceJoy is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Run With Hal free?
Run With Hal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RaceJoy or Run With Hal?
Run With Hal is rated higher. RaceJoy averages 3.9 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while Run With Hal averages 4.7 from 2.8K ratings.
Do RaceJoy or Run With Hal have ads?
Neither RaceJoy nor Run With Hal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RaceJoy or Run With Hal?
RaceJoy ships an update every 2 months, and Run With Hal monthly. Most recently, RaceJoy was updated on September 24, 2026 and Run With Hal on September 18, 2026.

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