Run and Walk mile splits don't add up to total distance

[chemieglennie]

Walked 7.43 miles but the splits only add up to 7.02 in the Fitbit app. I thought it was Strava cutting a bit off all my walks and runs but it's  happening within the Fitbit app. My walk/run always end up about a quarter to half a mile shorter than my pixel watch is showing.

Previous run was 5.06 miles, but splits only add up to 4.79. Looks like it's every run and walk. Splits always add up to less than total shown on map and on watch. Strava always uploads the shorter distance.

I don't understand how they don't match even within the same app.

[t.parker]

@chemieglennie it's an old bug that splits and total distance don't match in the app. Fitbit has been ignoring it successfuly for long time so don't expect it's going to get fixed. My yesterday run (which in fact was 5k Parkrun course but Fitbit undercounted the distance):

Distance 4.88km on the map and 4.94km in splits. I guess math is not a forte of Fitbit engineers.

[MarioDings]

A a seasoned ICT professional I guess it's because fitbit works with the international standard of "meter" or kilometer. Which is about 0,621371192 miles.

If you have to transfer miles to km to miles, things go wrong. Fitbit knows!

Of course in the EU we have no problem, mine looks good. As I've stated a year before.

Maybe Fitbit will hire me as a tester, but beware! 

[chemieglennie]

That's interesting. Mine are always the other way around - map distance always longer than the sum of the splits.

[chemieglennie]

I'll try a few walks in kilometers to see if they helps. Not too precious about the units so don't mind switching if they add up.

[t.parker]

@chemieglennie look at the screen I posted. I use km not miles and have been seeing this bug for months (or years, can't remember when it even started).

My today run (all in km):

13.64km on map, 13.80km in splits. Probably, that would be more annoying if Fitbit was my main watch (because then how do I know which distance is the real one?).

[chemieglennie]

Switching to Km makes them much closer. I did a long run this morning - watch and map showed 14.58 miles. Splits only added up to 13.86 miles. Over half a mile difference.

I just switched the units to Km and it shows 23.46km on map and splits as to 23.36km.

All my other walks/runs are also much closer in km than they were in miles.

[t.parker]

@chemieglennie "Much closer" is still a bug. The problem is in fact a lot more complicated. It's not only the distance but duration and pace don't match:

[MarioDings]

I've found similar deviations.

Well, now we all know what the problem is. Questions left:

- does Fitbit engeneering know?

- does Fitbit engeneering solve this problem/issue?

I guess NO.

[chemieglennie]

Tried a run in kilometers this morning. 8.22 on watch and map. Only 8.05 in splits???

[chemieglennie]

If I check activities on my PC the total on the map matches the splits, but it shows a different total at the top?

[t.parker]

@chemieglennie I guess, it's up to you which distance and pace (and time) you'll find as the correct one 😄 As a runner, I don't use any of Fitbit's data in my running (or cycling, swimming) due to all the inconsistencies (plus the real-time pace on the watch is all over the place, useless for anything serious). Additionally, there is no good way to find those activities in the log (endless scrolling in the app or "Load 10 more" in Dashboard) which makes it totally useless. To post the pictures of my past activities here first I had to look for them in my GarminConnect using calendar view (quick and easy) so I knew the date to which I had to go to on the Fitbit dashboard 🙂 For runners, Fitbit watches are too primitive, unfinished and full of bugs to be used for anything that involves progression, training and data analysis. Fitbit has been ignoring sports tracking for years and can't even provide consistency in the basic metrics 🙂