What It's Like to Race With the Garmin Forerunner 165

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Last week I ran the D.C. half-marathon alongside nearly 8,000 other runners. While I generally love running with my Garmin Forerunner 165 (which I've previously reviewed), when I strapped the watch on the morning of the race, I had some reservations. This watch has earned a reputation as a barebones beginner device—and I was worried if it would hold up when it really mattered. Would the GPS remain accurate throughout the 13.1 mile run? Would the pacing features actually help me hit my goal time?

After crossing the finish line, I'm happy to report that this entry-level watch met my expectations in almost every way.

Garmin Forerunner 165 Music, Running Smartwatch, Colorful AMOLED Display, Training Metrics and Recovery Insights, Music on Your Wrist, Whitestone

$299.99 at Amazon

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$299.99 at Amazon

Training with Garmin's built-in plans

In the leadup to race day, I tested Garmin's training plans. It's a simple process: Once you select a plan in Garmin Connect, your watch automatically receives each day's workout, complete with target paces, intervals, and recovery periods.

The selling point for me is that Garmin's training plans adapt to your performance over time, adjusting target paces based on recent runs and fitness assessments. For my marathon training, the plan included everything from easy runs and tempo workouts, to speed intervals and long runs (which may not be long enough—but more on that in a moment).

As I've previously noted, I particularly love the pacing guidance during tempo runs—the watch beeps and displays alerts when I drifted outside my target pace zone, helping me nail those challenging sustained efforts that are so crucial for race preparation.

That said, I'm not convinced Garmin's training philosophy is entirely reliable, particularly over long run distances. I have a sneaking suspicion the device might not suggest long enough peak mileage for some runners, but I'll dive deeper into that analysis after completing a full training cycle. In the meantime, I'm absolutely loving the pacing assistance and structured workouts.

Creating a custom race day workout

Ahead of race day, I took advantage of one of Garmin's best features: creating a custom workout. To do so, I opened the Garmin Connect app and navigated to Training > Workouts > Create a Workout. From there, I built a step-by-step plan for my race. I created a warm-up mile (at an easy pace), followed by the main event (an 11-mile step with ambitious target pace alerts), and an extra ambitious final mile push. The key was setting up pace alerts that would notify me if I was running too fast or too slow relative to my half-marathon pace goal.

Once saved, the workout automatically synced to my Forerunner 165, and I could start it just like any other workout on race morning. Having this structure eliminated the guesswork and helped me stay disciplined during those early miles, when adrenaline and crowd energy make it so tempting to start out too fast.

Forerunner 165 GPS accuracy

Here's where the Forerunner 165 really impressed me. I was genuinely concerned about GPS accuracy going into the race. Anyone who has ever attended a concert knows how dense crowds disrupt GPS on your phone or watch, and this half-marathon had around 8,000 runners plus who knows how many spectators cheering for us. More advanced Garmin watches offer dual-band GPS for improved accuracy, which the Forerunner 165 lacks. I worried that in a crowded race environment, amid tall buildings and thousands of other runners, the single-band GPS might struggle to maintain precision.

My fears were unfounded. Throughout the race, my Garmin's distance measurements matched almost perfectly with the official mile markers set up by the race organizers. Mile after mile, when I reached each marker, my watch showed within 0.1 miles of the expected distance. This consistency gave me confidence in my pacing and eliminated the stress of wondering whether my watch was leading me astray.

You can see how close Garmin's tracking is to my official race results in a side-by-side here.

Garmin's summary on the left, my official race results on the right. Credit: Meredith Dietz

I should note that I'm an extremely relatable runner, in that I'm truly right in the 50th percentile of marathon runners: No faster, no slower. This means my experience is probably representative of what most recreational racers can expect from this watch.

How the Forerunner 165 performed on race day

During the race itself, the Forerunner 165 delivered exactly what I needed without overwhelming me with unnecessary data. The screen remained easily readable in various lighting conditions, from the pre-dawn start through full daylight. Battery life was never a concern—after two-plus hours of GPS tracking, I still had plenty of juice remaining.

The vibration alerts for pace deviations were perfectly calibrated: noticeable enough to get my attention without being jarring or distracting. The auto-lap feature marked each mile clearly, giving me regular checkpoints to assess my progress against my race plan.

Advice for racing with the Garmin Forerunner 165

Based on my race day experience, here are my top recommendations for getting the most out of your Forerunner 165 during a race:

• Charge fully the night before. Even though battery life is excellent, there's no reason to risk it. A full charge will easily handle any race distance.

• Set up your data screens in advance. Customize what information appears on your main screen. I recommend keeping it simple: current pace, average pace, and elapsed time. Too much data can be overwhelming when you're pooped.

• Practice with your custom workout. Don't let race day be the first time you use a custom workout. Test it during a long training run to make sure the pace alerts and structure work for your preferences.

• Trust the GPS. My biggest surprise was how accurate the GPS remained throughout the race. Trust your watch's distance and pace readings rather than trying to calculate based on course markers or feel.

• Use the lap button strategically. While auto-lap is great, manually hitting the lap button at key points (like the halfway mark or when you start your finishing kick) can provide helpful psychological markers.

The Garmin Forerunner 165 might be positioned as an entry-level watch, but it did exactly what I needed it to do on race day, with accurate GPS, reliable pacing feedback, and an easy-to-read display. Sometimes, it seems, the most advanced features aren't necessary—sometimes you just need a watch that works when it counts.

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