In this weekly column, Wearables Editor Michael Hicks discusses the world of running watches, fitness apps, and training trends, in his quest to get faster and more fit.

The Pixel Watch 4 is Google's sportiest smartwatch yet. As someone who's tested nearly every smartwatch and fitness watch brand, I put the Watch 4 through its paces to see how well its accuracy holds up against a premium Garmin watch, judging when Fitbit beats the competition and when it falls short.

I took the Pixel Watch 4 out for a half-marathon and a second 19-mile run — along with shorter runs and a hike — comparing its HR accuracy against a chest strap and its GPS accuracy against the dual-band Garmin Forerunner 970.

I also compared stats like step count, elevation, and running form, tested how Google's new activi

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