Technogym Run review: The best treadmill I’ve ever tried, but this quality comes at a price
Technogym Run: One minute review
If I could have any treadmill at home, it would be the Technogym Run. It’s a brilliant machine boasting a quiet motor, comfortable running surface and unfettered access to thousands of follow-along workouts. The problem is, it’s also the most expensive piece of kit I’ve ever tested.
The crystal clear 27-inch touchscreen has a better picture than my actual TV, while the 30-watt sound system does away with most treadmills’ historically tinny speakers. It also has a slatted belt fitted with sensors to track extra metrics like cadence and flight time. But even these luxury extras aren’t my favorite thing about the machine.
The best feature, for me, was the variety of classes on offer. Alongside the usual running and interval workouts, there are instructor-led skills and drills sessions, power-building routines using the machine’s in-built sled function, and plenty of off-tread options like strength, yoga, and Pilates too. If you’re looking to improve your running performance, or fitness in general, this comprehensive approach is a great way to go.
I tried one bootcamp session, which had me bouncing between the treadmill and dumbbell exercises, developing strength and endurance in just 30 minutes. Another class interspersed running intervals with sled pushes to develop the power needed for speed development. A third class gave me a walking tour of a picturesque Italian town, setting me well on my way to 10,000 steps a day.
The ever-expanding (Technogym films new content daily) smorgasbord of classes not only allowed me to focus on different fitness goals, it also made using the machine more fun and kept me coming back for more. That’s why, if you’re in the market for a top-tier machine and money is no object, I would strongly recommend the Technogym Run.
Technogym Run: Price and release date
- Very expensive
- Access to the Technogym app on phone and treadmill included in price
The Technogym Run was released in 2023 as “the first treadmill for cardio and strength training” (thanks to its in-built sled function). It has an MSRP of $11,850 in the US or £10,340 in the UK, equating to around AU$18,000.
This puts it out of site of our second-placed treadmill, the still-pricey NordicTrack Commercial 2950 ($3,708 / £2,699 / AU$5,113), and in a completely different league to most commercial exercise machines on the market.
However, unlike most rivals, it does come with a complimentary and indefinite subscription to the brand’s app thrown in. But, even with this, it’s a machine made for those with a big budget who want the best of the best.
Technogym Run: Design
- Springy, slatted belt for great grip and a track-like feel
- Large running surface
- Powerful yet quiet motor
The Technogym Run is a big machine. At 78in x 33in x 69in and 456lb, it demands a dedicated home gym space to keep it in. You can’t move it around. But, as with most things the Italian brand creates, it’s a worthy centerpiece with an attractive design, by treadmill standards at least.
I found the larger frame served a practical purpose too, with the treadmill benefiting from a wide, cushioned belt which provided a comfortable running surface for even larger users like me (210lb and 6ft 3in tall, on a good day). But despite its size and powerful 7.78hp motor, it was still incredibly quiet – 57 dB at roughly a 6mph speed, according to the company.
In short, the machine does the basics incredibly well, and it doesn’t stop there. There are plenty more clever and practical features to be found, as I discovered when playing around with it for a few hours.
Sturdy handlebars along the sides and across the front of the machine are ideal for the sled push function, and the slatted belt offers great grip and a slightly springy athletics track-esque feel. The latter addition also allows it to house sensors which provide more in-depth metrics than your average treadmill, such as cadence, run power, step length, flight time and contact time.
An easy-to-reach lever on the right of the handlebars toggles through speed settings, while a lever on the other side of the machine controls the incline. Around each one there’s a ring of light which flashes to tell you a change is about to happen or in progress so you can adjust your stride accordingly.
The display is a pleasure to use too. It’s a generous 27in wide, with impressively clear visuals and a 30W sound system, making for a truly immersive experience during studio sessions and virtual runs.
And to top it all off, my Apple Watch linked to the machine in seconds with a tap on a designated spot of the handlebars (pictured below). I was also pleasantly surprised to find that, if I connected mid-way into a class, it would automatically take the treadmill’s metrics rather than starting to track the workout from scratch.
Technogym Run: Performance
- Huge choice and variety of classes
- Likable instructors
- Comfortable, athletics track-like running experience
It’s hard to fault the Technogym Run’s performance. In the name of thorough testing, I did back-to-back-to-back classes on the machine and (aside from a brief loss of internet connection when selecting one of them) it was flawless throughout.
The belt is an absolute joy to run on with zero juddering. Unlike smaller treadmills I’ve tried like the Echelon Stride, I was always able to plant my feet without worrying about catching the sides or ends of the machine, and the placement of the handlebars never felt constricting.
The slatted belt design is something I’d like to see on more treadmills too. Technogym says it’s intended to “offer the same reactivity and elastic response of an athletic track”, and having taken it for several spins I would say this is a worthy comparison. It offered excellent traction and a nice balance between feeling firm and springy.
The top speed of 15.5mph will delight those looking to become faster over shorter distances – most machines max out at about 12 or 13mph – and the 15% maximum incline is more than most people will need (although it doesn’t match the NordicTrack’s -6% decline).
When considering performance, the next thing we need to look at is the Technogym platform. Like it or not, Peloton has earned the right to be the yardstick here, and Technogym holds its own against the class-streaming behemoth with separate studios across the globe constantly pumping out new content.
This content is split into seven sections; sessions, programs, custom, routines, third-party apps (like TrainingPeaks and Netflix), strength and outdoor. Within these you’ll find bootcamp classes, instructor-led running workouts, virtual runs, virtual guided tours, skills and drills, and much more. You can also use the Technogym app on your phone to access strength, cardio, mindfulness, Pilates, yoga, boxing and stretching sessions, which you can filter by factors such as difficulty, equipment and duration.
TL;DR, there’s a wealth of easily-navigatable classes available spanning a wide variety of training styles. The instructors I encountered were all affable (I liked how some classes had two coaches so they could bounce off each other) and the videos are bright, polished and simple to follow. You can also keep tabs on everything you do through the Technogym app, which links your phone to the machine in seconds via Bluetooth or by scanning a QR code on the screen.
There’s something for all exercisers on the app, but I especially liked the offering for runners. The provision of strength sessions, skills and drills classes and workouts to improve other running attributes such as power are a welcome alternative to the usual “run x distance in x time” approach of most treadmills. These sessions can also help you break through training plateaus and improve your running performance, if that’s your goal.
For these alternative classes, the treadmill is used cleverly. The sled push function stars when developing power (although I found it tops out at 55kg, which will fall shy of what Hyrox fans are used to) and instructors also had me perform exercises like carioca drills and A-skips on the belt.
Bootcamp classes are also handy for those with a hectic schedule. The one I tried used the Technogym Run and Technogym Bench (pictured below, although a couple of dumbbells will also work) to develop full-body strength and conditioning simultaneously within the space of 30 minutes. It did this by alternating running intervals with a short circuit of resistance exercises for two rounds. Of course, this won’t be as effective as 60 minutes dedicated to each activity, but it still delivers plenty of bang for your buck by offering a time-efficient dose of both.
To summarize, this is an excellent treadmill, and the best commercial option I’ve ever tried. That’s why, if you have the money and the space for it, and you want the cream of the crop to support your running or fitness aspirations, this is the direction I would point you.
However, if you’re a passionate runner on a tighter budget, you can enjoy many similar features and a still solid performance from cheaper options like the NordicTrack Commercial 2950, ProForm Premier 900 or even the Peloton Tread.
Technogym Run: Scorecard
| Category | Comment | Score |
| Value | Outrageously expensive, but that’s kind of the point, isn’t it? | 3/5 |
| Design | Attention has been paid to every aspect. Full marks. | 5/5 |
| Performance | Gym-quality, and perhaps the best traedmill we’ve ever tried. | 5/5 |
Technogym Run: Should I buy?
Buy it if
Don’t buy it if
How I tested
A trip to Technogym’s Italian factory and its UK “Experience Center” cemented the Technogym Run’s place at the top of our best treadmills guide. I played around on the tread for a full day, sampling as many of its features and sessions as I could, and was left to rue my lacking bank balance.
Source: www.techradar.com
