Wahoo KICKR RUN treadmill review – can Wahoo do for treadmill running what they did for indoor cycling?

Wahoo are probably best known for their smart turbo trainers. When the KICKR turbo trainers first launched, they changed the game for indoor cycling. Hard wearing, responsive and realistic – they helped indoor cycling not, you know… suck. And given that my Wahoo turbo is getting on for 10 years old, has made it through 2 major house moves and endured a borderline-crazy amount of indoor riding (my Zwift companion app tells me I’ve cycled 27,753km on the platform which adds up to 36 days and 10 hours roaming around in Watopia). Those things are certainly built to last.

So I was really interested to see what Wahoo would do in the treadmill space when I first heard about their plans to launch the KICKR RUN smart treadmill. I’m possibly an exception to the rule when I say that I’m already a pretty big fan of treadmill running, and I have no issue with doing most of my run mileage indoors when the cold, dark winter mornings set in. But even I have to admit, my bog standard ‘dumb’ treadmill in my garage has it’s shortcomings. With Wahoo promising to bring the same engaging, ultra-realistic, connected experience to indoor running as they have to indoor cycling. I jumped at the chance to take the new KICKR RUN smart treadmill for a spin.

Wahoo KICKR RUN tech specs

First impressions

It’s not often I find myself putting too much thought into the aesthetics of treadmills. But, damn, this is a nice looking treadmill. It slots right in with the look and feel of the KICKR turbo trainer: smart, sleek and reassuringly solid. The open deck adds to the futuristic feel, and does away with clunky plastic housing.

Most notable is the clean console. My treadmill at home has all manner of buttons – the majority of which, in the 5 years I’ve been using it, I’ve never had cause to touch. I don’t even know what half of them are supposed to do. The KICKR RUN keeps things simple, with paddles either side to easily adjust your pace and incline up or down. A simple digital display with the incline/decline % and your pace – which rather sensibly from a user perspective is in mins/km or mins/mile rather than the usual mph or kph format. A button to engage RunFree mode (more on that later) and a secure space to put your laptop or tablet. This is a treadmill that’s been designed specifically with third-party app connectivity (such as Zwift) in mind.

Getting to grips with RunFree mode

That simplified console means it’s really easy to get started on this treadmill – it’s extremely intuitive – just tap the paddle to increase the pace. Pairing with Zwift was also quick and easy.  Wahoo say the treadmill deck has been designed to mimic the feel of running on hard packed trail. In practice, it feels solid with a good level of energy return, but without that spongy feeling you can sometimes get on gym treadmills.

The feature I was most excited about on this treadmill is the RunFree mode. The treadmill is fitted with an optical sensor and a time of flight sensor to detect exactly where you are on the belt, adjusting the speed to match your pace. This means you haven’t got that unnatural feeling of trying to keep up with the relentless churn of the treadmill’s pace – you’re in control, just like you would be running outdoors. Getting to grips with RunFree took around 30s – 1 minute of accidentally flip flopping between sprinting and walking. If you’ve ever tried to run on a curved, self-powered treadmill – it’s a fairly similar sensation. The difference being that this treadmill detects you’ve slowed down far quicker and quickly adjusts the belt to match.

Once I’d got the hang of it, RunFree was actually really cool. It takes away the mindless trudging element of running on the treadmill – you do actually have to focus on pushing your own pace.

Putting the Wahoo KICKR Run through its paces

After getting to grips with the controls and features, it was time to really test out what this treadmill can do. First up was choosing a hilly route on Zwift to see just how responsive the treadmill could be to the third party app. It was actually quite amazing how well it worked – the incline and decline changes were almost instantaneous as my avatar went up or down hills in the game. My current treadmill can connect to Zwift using a speed sensor, but it’s a one way conversation – it just tells Zwift what pace I’m running, rather than Zwift controlling the incline or decline. So while I run on Zwift quite a lot, this was my first experience of being fully immersed in the platform like I am on the turbo trainer. It made the experience so much more engaging.

Elite speeds

Next was to try out the ‘elite speeds’ the KICKR RUN promises. My colleague Patrick and I challenged ourselves with seeing if we could match the speeds that some of the world’s best PRO triathletes can hold. Starting with Anne Haug’s Kona marathon pace, and working our way up to attempting Alex Yee’s 10km pace. As a decidedly average, amateur Ironman distance racer, my poor legs did not know what had hit them. The treadmill on the other hand, coped perfectly well as the pace ramped up. The only shaking and wobbling was coming from quads, not the treadmill. My colleague Patrick even managed to go to the max speed the treadmill can offer (4 mins/mile) and what was really quite impressive was how quickly the treadmill slowed down (he was using it in RunFree mode) the second his legs started to give up. Sadly (for me) no comedy catapulting off the back moment in sight.

Finally, let’s talk about the noise level. Because I’m pretty sure my neighbours secretly hate me for all my treadmill miles in the garage. The belt is loud, the deck is loud and because I probably need to do some sort of maintenance – it’s also developed a squeak. I’d almost be doing a public service to my local neighbourhood if I were to get my own Wahoo KICKR RUN, because this thing is quiet. Like, you can hold a conversation with someone in the same room without raising your voice levels of quiet.

Verdict: Is the Wahoo KICKR RUN a game changer for indoor running?

Overall I really enjoyed running on the Wahoo KICKR RUN. The deck was just the right level of firm, it was intuitive to use and easy to pair with Zwift. And the RunFree mode, once I got the hang of it, was surprisingly engaging. One feature we didn’t really test out is the lateral tilt. For now, this is just a very subtle side to side motion which you can switch on by activating ‘terrain mode’ in the Wahoo app. This just varies your stride pattern, more akin to running outdoors. It can also be used to level the treadmill if you have uneven floors. But from conversations with the Wahoo team, they’re hoping that the API connection means lateral tilt to match cambered surfaces in Zwift, for example, could soon be a reality.

The only thing stopping me from getting myself a Wahoo KICKR RUN for home is the price tag. There’s no skirting around the fact that with an RRP $4999 USD, this is a serious investment. You do get a seriously cool – and sturdy – bit of kit for your money. And based on how well my Wahoo KICKR turbo trainer is still running after all these years, this treadmill will last you for many years of training. If your budget can stretch, you’re going to really enjoy running on this treadmill. There’s no hint of ‘dreadmill’ about it.

Summary

The Wahoo KICKR RUN smart treadmill is intuitive, engaging and extremely good fun to run on. It looks great, the motor is more than capable of reaching speeds in excess of what most of us mere mortals will need. And it’s also relatively compact and super quiet compared to other treadmills. Making it ideal for your home indoor training set up. For those that can justify the premium price tag, the KICKR RUN is a worthwhile investment.

Check out our indoor running section for more treadmill tips and advice. From buying guides and gear advice, to the ultimate treadmill workouts that will level up your running.