OLATHE, Kan. — Garmin International
Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), today introduced
the Forerunner 201 — an integrated personal training
system that offers an easy-to-read display, ergonomic
wristband and GPS sensor to provide users with precise
data on speed, distance and pace for a variety of athletic
applications. Thanks to its lightweight, compact, waterproof
design, the Forerunner 201 is a practical tool for serious
athletes as well as people simply interested in personal
fitness.
"The Forerunner 201 is easy
to use right out of the box and delivers the benefits
of GPS technology at an affordable price," said
Gary Kelley, Garmin’s director of marketing. "The
Forerunner 201 provides athletes with user-configurable
features and built-in performance tracking that will
help take them to the next level in their personal training."
The Forerunner 201 uses an integrated
GPS sensor to measure training time, pace, distance,
lap time, lap pace, lap distance — even calories
burned. Because the GPS sensor provides latitude, longitude
and altitude data, the Forerunner 201 knows how far
and how fast athletes have traveled — and how
steep of a slope they climbed on a particular run. When
users enter their body weight into the unit, the Forerunner
calculates how many calories they have burned over the
course of their workout. It also stores lap histories
for up to two years. For instance, data like lap time,
lap distance and average pace is automatically archived
and statistically calculated to provide an accurate
performance record over time. Users can retrieve lap
data for a previous workout, for a particular date,
or over a specific time interval.
Garmin has also built in three innovative
features on the Forerunner 201 that enhance personal
training. The first feature is AutoLap™, which
automatically records lap data at user-configured distance
intervals. The second is AutoPause™, which automatically
pauses the lap timer when the user travels slower than
a specified pace and restarts when he or she achieves
the specified pace. A pace alert will sound if the athlete
is going too fast or too slow, based on the user-configured
pace. Further, the Forerunner 201 is also equipped with
a distance-and-time alert, which sounds when the user
has reached a specified distance or duration in his
or her training session. Finally, users are never alone
in their personal training, because the unit provides
a Virtual Partner™. With this unique feature,
the user sets the training goal by configuring the Virtual
Partner’s pace and workout distance. By guiding
users to run with the Virtual Partner, the Forerunner
201 helps them achieve their training goals. A simple
glance allows users to see if they are keeping up or
falling behind the Virtual Partner, and a countdown
distance/timer helps to keep the user focused on the
finish line.
Another feature that puts the Forerunner
201 ahead of the pack is its integrated GPS navigation
capabilities. Athletes can mark specific locations,
look up and navigate to these points using the plotter
display, and retrace their steps to a starting point.
While the Forerunner is a self-contained
training system and does not require a PC for performance
analysis, Garmin goes the extra mile to provide software
for serious athletes who want to track their athletic
performance over time. The software will be available
as a free download from Garmin’s website.
Water resistance: Submersible to
one meter for up to 30 minutes
The Forerunner 201 is expected to be available in November
2003 at a suggested retail price of $160.70. It ships
standard with a charger stand that also connects to
the serial port on most PCs for uploading/downloading
GPS data.
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Garmin
Forerunner™ 201 
