One question that’s often asked is ‘how long can you run with Runkeeper before the iPhone battery dies?’

The answer is typically 4 – 5 hours.

However, that’s only under optimal conditions as detailed below:

– ensure the iPhone is fully charged prior to use. Don’t just remove from power when iPhone shows 100%. Keep it charging!

– make sure the battery is in good condition – the older the battery and the more charge/discharge cycles it’s been through, the shorter time the battery will last before needing charging.

The following iPhone settings should be configured:

* 3G: OFF – this isn’t required during your activity

* Notifications: OFF

* WiFi: OFF – this will save battery as well as ensure spurious ‘GPS’ points aren’t captured due to assisted GPS operation/triangulation

* Email push: OFF

* screen locked – having the screen turned on is a big drain on the iPhone battery. Runkeeper work perfectly well with the screen locked (using top lock button). You won’t be able to tap the screen for audio stats so set these to periodically announcements instead, e.g. every 1 mile/km, every 5 minutes.

If you want the screen on (e.g. to view in app map, ensure the screen brightness is as low as practical.

In addition, in Runkeeper’s settings:

– Send Location Data: OFF

When ‘Send Location Data’ is on, Runkeeper will periodically send your current location and activity stats back to the Runkeeper server. This is used, in part at least, to provide location data for Runkeeper Live Tracking.

For optimal battery life, consider turning off some of Runkeeper’s features if you don’t need them as all will use additional processing power and, therefore, battery power. Consider turning off:

– training workouts
– audio announcements

With these settings, you are most likely to get 4 – 5+ hours of battery life.

The Runkeeper app is being improved all the time with respect to improved battery life during usage.

If you require even longer use, consider a battery extender such as Mophie JuicePak. These typically double the life of the iPhone battery by allowing the iPhone to use the extender’s battery prior to using the iPhone’s internal battery. Prior to purchase, check the capacity (mAh) of the battery (the higher the better), whether it’s a practical shape, size, weight etc.