My running GPS (Suunto Ambit3) always tracks quite a bit shorter than the same route mapped on MapMyRun. Does this happen to anyone else? It may be that I’m just cutting tangents, but I can’t imagine that would account for a big difference. Otherwise I’m wondering whether my GPS - or MapMyRun - is systematically inaccurate.
GPS is wrong.
I have an Ambit 2 and it is very accurate even when running trails. I recall there were different levels of accuracy I could choose on the initial setup.
How big of difference?
(Generally speaking the Ambit 3 is considered one of the more accurate GPS devices of the past decade…)
So on my latest run, my GPS reads 7.79 miles. This is about 6.6% shorter than the same route on MapMyRun, with Auto Follow Roads clicked and about 2.2% shorter than MapMyRun with Auto Follow Roads unclicked (a very painstaking mapping process as you know). Is this normal? Is MapMyRun known to be accurate or to read a little long?
Hmm, that’s a fair bit. You’d probably have to post a link to a specific run, and then note any variances from what the satellite images shows. 2.2% is viable with cut corners if the corners were cut, but 6% is a lot.