Apple Watch treadmill distance wrong? Fix the saved run.
Your treadmill says 5.00 km. Your watch saved 4.62 km. The watch only estimates treadmill distance. Fix My Workout saves a corrected copy with the real distance to Apple Health.
Why the distance is off
A treadmill gives the watch no GPS. Apple Watch estimates indoor distance from wrist motion, stride, pace history and calibration. It runs short when your arms move less, your stride changes on an incline or you hold the rails. It can also run long.
How to fix it
- Open Fix My Workout and choose the Indoor Run or Indoor Walk from Apple Health.
- Enter the distance the treadmill shows. Check its unit first: 5.00 mi is not 5.00 km.
- Review the new pace and laps, then save. The app checks the copy after saving and lists anything it could not carry over. If the check is still pending, look in Apple Health before you save again.
- Optional: once the copy looks right, delete the original in the Fitness app. Fix My Workout shows how but never deletes it for you. Until you do, Fitness shows both workouts and your totals count both.
What changes in the copy
Pace, speed and stride length follow the corrected distance. The time stays as recorded. Laps are rebuilt with the method you choose; Spread evenly scales every lap by the same ratio. Heart rate, calories, steps, cadence and power are carried across where Apple Health allows. They are not estimated from the new distance.
Next time
- Calibrate the watch with an outdoor walk or run with GPS. It learns your stride, which helps indoor estimates.
- On a treadmill that supports GymKit, pair the watch with the machine so the workout takes its distance.
Questions
Can I edit Apple Watch treadmill distance after a workout?
Not the original. Apple Health does not let apps change a saved workout, so Fix My Workout saves a corrected copy.
Will the Fitness app show two workouts?
Yes, until you delete the original in Fitness. The corrected workout is a new Apple Health entry.
Does it work for indoor walks too?
Yes. It handles Indoor Run and Indoor Walk workouts saved in Apple Health.
Does a distance fix change calories or heart rate?
No. Heart rate and calories are carried across where Apple Health allows. Anything the app cannot copy is shown before you save.
Is it free?
It includes 3 free fixes. One in-app purchase unlocks unlimited fixes. There is no subscription.
Does it need an account?
No. It asks for permission to read workouts and related Health data and to save corrected workouts. Workouts are processed on your iPhone.