Zurge vs Runna
Runna is one of the best running plan apps around, and it now adds strength sessions to your calendar. If you lift seriously, the difference is depth: Zurge builds your own lifting and your runs into one week that knows about both.
Choose Zurge if
- Lifting is as important to you as the race
- You want your own lifts and splits, not a fixed strength library
- You want heavy leg days kept away from tempo and long runs
- You want last-time numbers, progression and PRs on every lift
Choose Runna if
- Running is the priority and strength is a light add-on
- You train with a Garmin, COROS or Suunto watch and want workouts on your wrist
- You want specialist plans like ultra or triathlon run plans
Feature by feature
| Feature | Zurge | Runna |
|---|---|---|
| Planning | ||
| Lifting and running in one plan | Lifts and runs in one week, placed so they don't collide | Strength sessions sit on the run calendar but don't affect the run plan |
| Running plans | 5K to marathon, base building, back to running, run-walk | 5K to ultra, plus beginner and return plans |
| Your own strength routines | Your split, your lifts, or a plan from the library | Pre-built sessions; no custom workouts or exercise swaps |
| Missed session handling | Fits a missed session into a later day, never over the long run | Drag to move, adapt your plan |
| Running | ||
| Pace guidance | Pace range plus effort, set from a recent race or hard run | Personalised paces, heat adjustment |
| Race predictions | 5K, 10K, half and marathon | Yes |
| In-app GPS recording | iPhone, outdoor or treadmill, with spoken cues | Yes |
| Watch workouts | Not yet; record runs in Apple's Workout app | Apple Watch, Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Fitbit |
| Lifting | ||
| Set logging | Last time's numbers on every set | Log reps and weight |
| Progression and PRs | Load goes up when you complete your sets, with deloads | Not documented |
| Plate math and warm-ups | Plates per side and auto warm-up ramps | No |
| Coach and price | ||
| AI coach chat | Chat coach; every change is a card you approve (Zolt Pro) | Coach-designed plans, no chat coach |
| Connect to Claude or ChatGPT | Claude, ChatGPT and other MCP apps (Zolt Pro) | No |
| Free tier | Plans, logging, goals, PRs and history | Week 1 of a plan and run recording |
| Paid price (US) | $39.99 a year for Zolt Pro, which also covers Zolt nutrition | $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year |
In-app run recording is iPhone only. Coach chat and the AI connector need Zolt Pro, $39.99 a year, which also covers Zolt nutrition. Runna strength details are from Runna's help center, which says strength sessions cannot be customised, do not sync to watches and do not change the running plan.
Why hybrid athletes pick Zurge over Runna
Strength is half the plan, not an add-on
Runna's strength sessions come from its own library. You pick an ability level, a focus, a session length and your equipment, and the sessions appear on your calendar. You cannot build your own workout or swap an exercise. In Zurge you choose a lifting split or bring your own routines, swap any of 633 exercises, and the plan treats those lifts as real training with progression.
One plan that sees both sides
Runna's help center says strength does not affect the running plan or its adaptations. Zurge does the opposite on purpose: it keeps tempo runs off heavy leg days and the day after, flags a leg day that lands before a key run, and when you miss something it fits the session into a later day without displacing your long run.
A real logger between sets
Zurge shows last time's numbers on every set, handles supersets, warm-up and drop sets, calculates plates per side, and lights up PRs from 1 to 30 reps. Runna lets you log reps and weight, but it was built to coach runs.
A coach you can ask
Zurge's coach knows your plan and today's workout. Ask it to swap a lift or move a run and it comes back with a card you approve. You can also connect it to Claude or ChatGPT and plan from there.
Where Runna is ahead
Runna is the stronger pure running product. It has more specialist plans, heat-adjusted paces, and sends workouts to Garmin, COROS, Suunto, Fitbit and Apple Watch. Zurge does not yet have a watch app or Garmin connection. If you mostly run and lift a little, Runna is a fine choice.
Questions
Does Runna have strength training?
Yes. Runna can add up to four strength sessions a week to your calendar, chosen by ability, focus, length and equipment. Its help center says you cannot create custom strength workouts or swap exercises, and strength sessions do not sync to watches or change your running plan.
Is Zurge better than Runna for hybrid training?
If you care about lifting as much as running, Zurge is built for that: your own lifting split and your runs live in one plan that avoids heavy legs before key runs, with full set logging and progression. If running is the priority and you want a watch-first experience, Runna is stronger today.
How much does Runna cost?
In the US, Runna costs $19.99 a month or $119.99 a year, and Strava sells a Strava plus Runna bundle for $149.99 a year (checked 2026-11-05). Free users get week 1 of a plan.
Can I use Zurge for a marathon?
Yes. Zurge has race plans from 5K to marathon with a taper, pace ranges set from your recent races or hard runs, and race predictions as you train.
Does Zurge work with Garmin?
Not yet. Zurge imports runs from Apple Health, records runs on iPhone, and can upload runs to Strava.
How much does Zurge cost?
Plans, workout and run logging, goals, PRs and history are free. Zolt Pro is $39.99 a year in the US and adds the coach chat, the Claude and ChatGPT connector, measurements and progress photos, plus Pro in the Zolt nutrition app.
Sources
- Runna help center: Adding strength training to your Runna plan. support.runna.com/en/articles/15624879-adding-strength-training-to-your-runna-plan
- Runna on the US App Store (prices and platforms). apps.apple.com/us/app/id1594204443
- Strava pricing (Strava plus Runna bundle). www.strava.com/pricing
Runna details come from its public website, app store listing and published pricing, checked on Nov 5, 2026. Prices vary by country and change often; check the app before you buy. Runna is a trademark of its owner and is used here only to identify the product. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.