Report updated May 14, 2026
Simple Pace
For runners training for specific race distances who require a simple, offline-capable tool for pace and split planning.
Simple Pace is a market-leading utilities app that is a paid app. With a 5.0/5 rating from 4 reviews, it delivers strong user satisfaction. Users particularly value minimalist design aesthetic provides a peaceful experience for users seeking simple fitness tracking tools.
What is Simple Pace?
Simple Pace is a utility app for runners to calculate race paces and splits on iOS.
Users hire the app for reliable, offline-first performance planning that avoids the subscription costs and feature bloat of professional coaching platforms.
Current Momentum
v1.1
- Adjusted calculator layout for iPad screens.
- Fixed distance quick-pick selection bug.
What makes this app unique?
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What Are The Key Features?
Calculates pace, time, or distance by requiring input of any two variables.
Generates mile-by-mile or kilometer-by-kilometer breakdowns for race distances ranging from 5K to ultramarathon.
Performs all calculations locally on the device without requiring an internet connection.
How much does it cost?
- Single $0.99 purchase for full access
Paid model at $0.99 with no subscriptions or ads, positioning the app as a one-time utility purchase.
Who Built It?
Providing specialized utility and coaching tools for athletes and youth sports organizers. Focused on structured performance tracking and game-day management.
Portfolio
2
Apps
What other apps does Kevin Marsden make?
Explore the full Kevin Marsden report
Portfolio breakdown, audience, momentum, and every app published by Kevin Marsden.
What do users think recently?
Low confidence · 1 reviews analyzed
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a thrilled sentiment. Users appreciate minimalist design aesthetic provides a peaceful experience for users seeking simple fitness tracking tools and granular distance and pace settings allow runners to customize their workout tracking requirements effectively.
Limited review volume (1 reviews). Sentiment analysis will deepen as more data lands.
View the full user-sentiment analysis
Mood gauge, ratings & review-volume history, every praise / complaint / request, and sentiment over time.
What is the competitive landscape for Simple Pace?
How's The Utilities Market?
Market outlook for this category
Available very soon
Which niche is Simple Pace in?
to calculate and plan race training paces
Explore the full Running Calculators niche
Every app in this space — 4 tracked, the niche's live rankings, and Marlvel's editorial take on the job-to-be-done.
The rivals identified
Same space(4)
This app addresses the technical needs of indoor runners, overlapping with Simple Pace's utility-focused user base.
Differentiators
- Specializes in ANT+ footpod bridging, a technical feature not currently addressed by Simple Pace.
- Offers direct Garmin integration to sync treadmill data with established fitness ecosystems automatically.
PitPat targets the fitness-tracking demographic by gamifying running through social competition and monetary rewards.
Differentiators
- Utilizes a monetary reward system to incentivize daily activity and long-term user retention.
- Features 1v1 dual matches that create a social network effect absent in Simple Pace.
This app competes for the same audience of runners by offering comprehensive training plans that extend beyond simple pace calculations.
Differentiators
- Provides adaptive training plans that evolve based on user performance and specific race goals.
- Integrates directly with GPS watches to automate data collection, unlike Simple Pace's manual approach.
Both apps serve the niche utility market for runners requiring specialized hardware data bridging and pace calculation.
Differentiators
- Focuses on Bluetooth server conversion rather than simple pace planning for human runners.
- Lacks active development updates, leaving a clear opening for a modern, supported alternative.
New entrants(1)
This newcomer targets the post-run analysis segment, potentially capturing users who want to visualize their historical data.
Differentiators
- Prioritizes local-only data storage, appealing to privacy-conscious users who avoid cloud-based fitness tracking.
Compare Simple Pace against every rival
All rivals in one side-by-side table — identity, store metrics, ratings & sentiment, and strategic intel — plus a head-to-head page for each.
The outtake for Simple Pace
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Offline-first architecture ensures reliability in remote training environments
- Minimalist design aesthetic provides a peaceful user experience
- Granular split settings serve performance-focused runners
Critical Frictions
- $0.99 one-time purchase limits recurring revenue potential
- No wearable integration despite runner demand
- Manual data entry friction compared to GPS-sync rivals
Growth Levers
- B2B distribution through local running club partnerships
- Wearable companion app development to reduce manual entry
Market Threats
- Subscription-based coaching apps capturing the training-plan segment
- Dormant competitors with hardware-bridging features could pivot to modern UI
What are the next best moves?
Ship wearable companion app because manual entry is the primary friction point against GPS-sync rivals → increase daily utility.
Competitors like RunMotion integrate with GPS watches, creating a convenience gap that Simple Pace currently lacks.
Trade-off: Pause the iPad layout maintenance — wearable utility has higher retention impact than tablet-specific UI adjustments.
Audit local running club partnerships because the current consumer-only funnel lacks scale → unlock B2B distribution.
The app's minimalist utility is well-suited for club-wide adoption, bypassing the saturated individual app store search.
Trade-off: Same-quarter capacity available — no major lever displaced.
A counter-intuitive read
The app's minimalist design is not just a feature but a defensive moat against the feature bloat of coaching apps, which alienates runners who only need a simple calculator.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Adaptive training plans (available in RunMotion but missing here)
- GPS watch integration (available in RunMotion but missing here)
- ANT+ hardware bridging (available in Treadmill Speed Transmitter but missing here)
Key Takeaways
Simple Pace holds a strong niche through its offline-first utility, but the lack of wearable integration and recurring revenue leaves it vulnerable to subscription-based coaching apps, so the PM should prioritize wearable support to reduce manual friction.
Where Is It Heading?
Stable
The runner utility market is consolidating around automated data collection, leaving manual-entry tools like Simple Pace exposed to churn. Future growth requires moving beyond the calculator-only model to integrate with existing hardware ecosystems, ensuring the app remains relevant for performance-focused users.
The 5.0-star rating from early users validates the minimalist utility, suggesting a strong product-market fit for focused runners.
Lack of wearable integration creates a manual-entry barrier that will likely increase churn as users migrate to automated GPS-sync alternatives.