Garmin Forerunner 10 is a GPS watch designed for outdoor fitness, we go hands-on

Having a svelte design is paramount to the success of any fitness accessory -- a desire to avoid hassle often prompts those of us who opt for purging calories without the convenience of a climate-controlled gym to leave smartphones, and even watches at home. That means nifty contraptions like Garmin's new Fenix all-in-one wearable don't make it to the jogging path, making a compact dedicated running watch a more desirable pick instead. That's the idea behind the Forerunner 10, which Garmin is pushing as a dead-simple GPS-equipped wristwatch for runners, joggers and walkers. Water resistant to 50 meters (for ocean-floor sprints?), the gadget tracks essentials like pace and calories burned, while also keeping tabs on your coordinates, letting you download stats like distance and speed through a USB adapter and Garmin Connect.

We weren't able to go for a jog, sadly, though we did spend some time with the Forerunner 10 in an office setting. The watch seemed very straightforward, which you'll find to be quite helpful as you push to match a pre-set pace, without worrying about distractions. It comes in black, green or pink, and while the company suggests that you can wear the watch for non-exercise purposes as well, both colored designs seemed a bit too bright and flashy for regular use. The Forerunner 10 is rated for up to five hours of battery life in training mode, or five weeks in power-save mode (for regular time-keeping purposes), and is available to purchase for $130. You can check one out for yourself at Garmin's Chicago retail location, or you can take a peek in our hands-on photos just below.%Gallery-163499%

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Every Mile Matters with the Garmin® Forerunner® 10 GPS for Runners

OLATHE, Kan./August 28, 2012/Business Wire - Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced the Forerunner 10 running watch – a vibrant, intuitive and affordable solution for runners, joggers and walkers of all levels. The Forerunner 10 provides runners with the most essential data: how far and how fast, while also identifying their personal records along the way. The Forerunner 10 will be prominently displayed at Garmin's flagship retail store on Michigan Ave. in Chicago, IL. and will be available at local running shops this fall. See it in action, Garmin.com/forerunner .

"The Forerunner 10 is our lightest, most comfortable running watch yet, and it comes with our trusted accuracy and reliability," said Dan Bartel, Garmin's vice president of worldwide sales. "With three stylish color options, the Forerunner 10 will be turning heads and helping motivate runners of all levels for years to come."

Garmin's first running watch designed specifically for runners who want to simply lace up their shoes, push one button and just run– the Forerunner 10 is the must have entry-level watch for tracking progress and goals in exercise and training. During a run, runners will see their time and distance clearly displayed on one screen and calories and pace on another. Runners can also customize the settings to show pace and distance on the same screen. Between runs, the friendly menu system helps runners review previous runs, change Auto Lap® or Auto Pause® settings, set an alarm or edit the user profile. For runners who want a little more, the Forerunner 10 has a couple of simple training features like Virtual Pacer™, which compares the current running pace to the target pace. It also has a run/walk feature that's helpful for those just starting out or if a running plan includes walk breaks.

Water-resistant (50m) and lighter than any other Garmin running watch, the Forerunner 10 is armed with a high-sensitivity GPS receiver which can quickly acquire and sustain satellite reception, perfect for wooded trails under dense trees or in the urban canyons of skyscrapers.

Available in three stylish color combinations – sporty green, pink, and black with red accents– the Forerunner 10 looks fashionable in the workplace or out on the town and of course on the run. The black and red model has a slightly larger display and wider wristband. Lasting up to 5 hours in training mode and up to five weeks in power-save mode, the Forerunner 10 can be worn as a day- to-day timepiece, so you'll always be ready to hit the road, track or trail.

The Forerunner 10 stores and displays runners' seven previous runs. Once a run is completed and saved, runners will see a summary of how they did, including their total time, distance, average pace and calories. The Forerunner 10 also displays individual lap times/splits within the history. The watch even lets runners know when they achieve a personal record, like a fastest mile or longest run to date. Runners can save time by charging the battery and uploading their run to Garmin Connect™ at the same time through an easy-to-use USB connection, which also is used to upload free software updates.

Once at Garmin Connect (GarminConnect.com), runners can quickly and easily log their runs, track their totals, set goals, share workouts with friends and family and participate in an online fitness community of more than 80 million activities around the world. Newly updated, giving users their own shareable profile, Garmin Connect displays metrics such as time, distance, and speed/pace. This information is shown through charts, illustrations, reports and a variety of map representations including street, photo, topographic. Runners' personal records will also be displayed within Garmin Connect as a reminder of their accomplishments.

The Forerunner 10 has a suggested retail price of $129.99. The Forerunner 10 is the latest solution from Garmin's expanding fitness segment, which focuses on developing technologies and innovations to enhance users' lives and promote healthy and active lifestyles. Whether it's running, cycling, or other athletic pursuits,Garmin fitness devices are becoming essential tools for athletes both amateur and elite. For more about features, pricing and availability, as well as information about Garmin's other fitness products and services, go toGarmin.com/intosports, Garmin.Blogs.com and Twitter.com/garmin. To see the Forerunner 10 in action go to:Garmin.com/forerunner.