Beginner questions for Zwift running

Running
1
  1. Is it enough to buy the Runn threadmill sensor and set it up to my threadmill to be able to use running on Zwift?
  2. Do hills have any effect at all when running unless I change the incline manually?
  3. Are there seperate drops for running and cycling or can I use drops earned from running to buy frames and upgrades for cycling?
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  1. That should work fine, I used the Zwift RunPod at my local gym until I bought a home treadmill
  2. Unless you’re using a Wahoo Kickr Treadmill, or an aftermarket App like QZ, the hills on Zwift have no affect. Zwift bases your speed only on what the treadmill tells it, which is why you’ll see runners going up Alpe du Zwift at flatland paces
  3. There are no drops earned for running at all, and no running drop shop.
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if you have one of the supported garmin watches you dont need the sensor

4

Somewhat correct. Garmin (and other) watches are often very poorly calibrated for accurate treadmill running speeds. They may work reasonably well if you are always running in a narrow range of paces, but if something changes with your stride due to an injury or you adjust the pace a lot, you may not be very accurate (at least in my experience). If the watch is synced to the treadmill and getting the actual treadmill speed, then all good. The treadmill speed sensor is going to be a lot more accurate since it is physically measuring the actual speed the belt is moving.

1 Like
5

A very valid point, I have been playing with pace recently as I recover from an injury. I did two runs, one at 175avg SPM, the other at 160, both were at the same belt speed, so if I was still using a runpod (or watch) to determine my pace, my speed/distance would have been impacted

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Hi @Christoffer_Collin, welcome to the Forums! I’m Francisco from Zwift Support.

Great questions! Here’s a quick rundown to help you out:

The Runn sensor is a solid choice and should allow you to run on Zwift once it’s set up properly on your treadmill. Just make sure it’s installed correctly and calibrated for accurate readings.

  • Hills & incline: Zwift running won’t automatically adjust your treadmill incline, so hills only affect your experience if you manually change the incline on your treadmill. Some treadmills support auto incline. For example, if you have a Wahoo KICKR RUN, your treadmill can talk to Zwift and automatically adjust your incline as you run in Zwift! Check out this article for info on connecting your treadmill to Zwift.
  • Drops for running vs. cycling: Drops are earned separately for running and cycling, so you can’t use running drops to buy frames or upgrades for your bike in Zwift. Running currently doesn’t have a Drop Shop equivalent.

For more details, you might find these helpful:

Hope this helps! Let us know if you need anything else—happy running!