Integration to Map My Run

[Lybby2]

Good day, I am new to Fitbit and got a charge for Christmas. I am frequent user of Map My Run and am curious to know what it means to integrate my Fitbit with it. When I begin a run I click on my iPhone Start Workout. So if I hold the button on my charge to start an activity, what am I gaining from this and how do I "sync/integrate" it with Map My Run? Does the Fitbit somehow use GPS so that i no longer have to worry about starting a workout on my iPhone app? This would be excellent as I live in Canada and am at this time of year running in below freezing temperatures and that affects my phone obviously. Thank you for your response and I apologize for my ignorance. Thank you!

[SunsetRunner · Accepted solution]

@Lybby2 - it depends on which model FitBit you have.  All models except the Surge do not have GPS capability.  Putting these units into "activity" mode just creates a detailed breakdown of your steps, calories, etc. for that specific time.  Using MapMyRun will give you GPS data on that site but when it syncs to FitBit it will just bring in an activity for the specified time period (steps, calories, etc.).  Hope this helps and if you still have questions please provide any additional information and I or someone else on the Community Council can try and help you out again.

[RandyWood84]

What exactly syncs to MapMyRun?  I would really love to log a run in FitBit's "Track Exercise" and have the GPS on my phone and the fitbit on my wrist track my run and then have the GPS and run ALSO sync to MapMyRun.  It seems that all that syncs to MapMyRun is the total number of steps.  

Also, FitBit.... WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO ENABLE BI-DIRECTIONAL SYNCING????  It would be nice if I could use MapMyRun and have that data sync to both the total number of steps and "track exercise" sections of the FitBit app.

That being said, if you only allow for one-way syncing, why don't you allow FitBit's app to sync the GPS data from FitBit's app to MapMyRun so the runs show up on my MapMyRun feed?

[gubatron]

I've connected FitBit to MapMyRun for syncing.
I sync, but I see none of my runs show up on MapMyRun.

I bought this device specifically because it said it would synchronize with MapMyRun.

Do I still have to go out running with my cellphone? beats the whole purpose of this.

I've over 3,000 miles logged on MapMyRun, I need to compare how I performed in past races and it's really frustrating to not be able to send MY DATA as expected to MapMyRun.

Please listen to your users Fitbit, let us sync our runs, and GPS data from FitBit Surge to MapMyRun and any other site that needs to sync to the Fitbit generated data.

Don't be evil.

[SunsetRunner]

MapMyRun (and other 3rd party apps) use Fitbit's open API to receive and send data from and to the Fitbit servers. The API has not been updated to include GPS data and I don't know if it will or will not. It is expected to be updated though as it needs to include heart rate data from the new trackers. Once the API is updated, it is up to the 3rd party developers to determine what information from it they will accept into their apps and what information they will send. Some apps (like Microsoft HealthVault) do not send any data back and it is a one way sync.

[sissy2124]

The ability to have my runs (and other workouts) sync with MapMyRun or Runkeeper is very important to runners!  This is enough for me to consider a different watch/activity tracker as that data is invaluable to my training.

I hope this is an upcoming feature in a future release!

[gubatron]

couldn't agree with you more, In the meantime I'm still running with my phone and the fitbit, I have to start both and stop both, really sucks. So basically all I'm using the fitbit at this point is for heartbeat tracking when it comes to running.

[Lybby2]

Well it has been months since I got my FitBit and asked this question. Aside from two warranty replacements (one due to cracked band and the other to it not holding a charge) I LOVE my FitBit. Ur explanation answered my question the best now that I better understand what FitBit does. Basically use MapMyRun if u want to keep GPS track of ur runs in MapMyRun as the FitBit app GPS recorded runs DO NOT sync back to MapMyRun. I would LOVE to not have to run with my phone anymore but I have realized I will need a GPS enabled fitness watch to track pace w/o a phone.

[Ambrosia]

Patruns,

Do we know if this issue has been sorted yet? Having just bought my Fitbit, I find it pretty useless without being able to import GPS and heartrate data into Mapmyrun. These are possibly the two most powerful technologies in the world of running and they don't sync all of the available data?! How many hundereds of thousands of other frustrated runners are there with Fitbit and Mapmyrun?

[gubatron]

Not that I know of, I still go out running with my phone and my Fitbit surge.

The redundancy is good, a few times a year it happens that one of the two fails to record your run properly and then you have to manually enter the data in either or account.

It indeed sucks that they won't integrate properly.

[bethann81]

Exact same question (but walking instead of running at this point) Every mile/step counts for a competition I am in.  Did same competition last year and distance on fitbit flex automatically appeared in my workouts on map my run.  Help!  Agree with "don't be evil."