Review on ⌚ Marathon GPS Watch by Timex by Jodi Johnson

I've had this GPS watch for almost two years now and I LOVE it! I tried all my friends and family with GPS watches before deciding on this watch. I was aware of the limitations of this Timex before purchasing it and did NOT feel like I was missing anything. I don't want to upload my daily 3.2 mile runs to my computer or website. I live in FLAT lands in South Louisiana and that works great with that topography. When we were in the mountains of North Carolina for a few days, I felt like I was "walking away" on my distances, and that was true. It does NOT calculate the altitude. There are more expensive (and larger) GPS watches that include elevation calculations and can be downloaded to your computer or website, but I don't need or need those features, so this watch is perfect for me and my needs. light, not too big and fits comfortably on my wrist. Battery life STILL exceeds 8 hours of ACTUAL GPS use. I'm still averaging about 8.5 hours of GPS between charges. The weather in southern Louisiana is sometimes rainy, sometimes VERY cloudy with thick, low clouds, and this watch has NEVER stopped locking onto the GPS satellites. I travel on trails with lots of branches etc and have never had a problem with the GPS dropping satellites. The ONLY time I had any problems was on a perfectly clear, cloudless, sunny day. (Think!) Cons: - Watchband has typical Timex issues. I have a box of Timex Ironman watches with broken straps. I've learned to be very careful when dressing and undressing. I do NOT wear it except when hiking, jogging, walking. The rest of the time they wait their turn. Some people think this watch has pacing issues. FYI: ANY practical way to measure and display your pace while walking or running requires a compromise in the way it's calculated. Pedometers should measure or estimate stride length, which varies with your walking or running speed, and then the pedometer calculates distance and calculates a time-distance ratio to determine your pace. Then they have the same problem as a GPS watch: the averaging period is too long and your pace doesn't seem to update when you know you've increased your speed, the averaging period is too short and your pace seems very erratic . I don't need an instant "tempo". The GPS timer feature works great as does the distance so I can look at my watch and see what my approximate pace is. After my "run" is complete, time and distance will be displayed as well as pace. I don't compete in any races, so the possibility of an exact pace is not interesting for me. - The buttons are big enough that I don't have to wear glasses to use them. They help me navigate the watch menu well. I can operate them with gloves in winter. THEN WHAT. They can easily be accidentally pressed when the clock is placed on the worktop or moved. I've learned to be careful, otherwise I'll find that the GPS function is on for who knows how long. (Hmmm. I wonder how much battery is left?) Other thoughts: I don't use this for anything other than as a GPS watch for my "runs". I have never used the alarm or stopwatch functions. The "working" GPS display can easily be changed to show what I want or need. I installed it when I first bought it and didn't have to change it. Result? I love this watch - it is PERFECT for me and my needs. It has no frills, but I don't want them. It does what I need it's a very reasonable price. I recommend it to anyone who understands that this is a regular GPS watch and doesn't want the bells and whistles that come with it.