# ChiMarathon vs R

The clearest difference is rating: R at 4.7 against ChiMarathon's 2.5. R also leads on review sentiment (57% vs 33%) and ratings volume (1.1K vs 45). ChiMarathon's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. R sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. ChiMarathon asks for nothing beyond the download.

R holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: R has 1.1K ratings behind it against 45, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of ChiMarathon's written reviews are positive against 57% of R's.

ChiMarathon ships an update every 2 weeks, R fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | ChiMarathon | R |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.5 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chimarathon/id718145625/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r-navi/id1107467189/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 45 | **1.1K** |
| Positive reviews | 32.9% of reviews | **57.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 112 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Tata Consultancy Services](https://appshunter.io/developer/467615204) | [R-bies Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/777475895) |

## What reviewers say

### ChiMarathon

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chimarathon/id718145625)

Prepare for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon with this comprehensive resource. Track runners live, view athlete profiles, and access real-time weather and course maps. Spectators can send digital cheers to be displayed on the course.

**Highlights:** Live runner tracking, Athlete profiles, Live broadcast streaming, Real-time weather, Interactive course map, Digital cheer submission

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for tracking runners
- 👍 Works well in the UK
- 👍 Able to track runner entire time
- 👍 Loved tracking friends
- 👍 Very useful for watching friend run

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Map tracker not spectator-geared
- 🐛 Mile markers inconsistent
- 🐛 Map shows water stations for runners
- 🐛 Units displayed incorrectly (miles vs km)
- 🐛 App doesn't update times

**Reported bugs**

- Mile markers inconsistent
- Map shows water stations for runners
- Units displayed incorrectly (miles vs km)
- App doesn't update times
- Links in map don't work

**Requested features**

- Geared towards spectators for map tracking
- Display mile markers clearly
- Option to switch between miles and kilometers
- Update app design to be more modern
- Real-time updates and alerts for runners


### R

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r-navi/id1107467189)

Track runners in real-time during races and know when they'll reach your location. Send virtual cheers and messages to support participants from anywhere. Enhance the race day experience for both spectators and runners.

**Highlights:** Real-time runner location tracking, Predicted runner arrival times, Virtual cheering messages, Virtual drum support, Race result review, Thank-you message sending

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Subscription Plan | $3.99 | per month |
| Subscription Plan for R-navi | $39.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is ChiMarathon free?

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

### Is R free?

R is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, ChiMarathon or R?

R is rated higher. ChiMarathon averages 2.5 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while R averages 4.7 from 1.1K ratings.

### Do ChiMarathon or R have ads?

Neither ChiMarathon nor R shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, ChiMarathon or R?

ChiMarathon ships an update every 2 weeks, and R fortnightly. Most recently, ChiMarathon was updated on October 20, 2026 and R on October 24, 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.*