Photos courtesy of Suunto
Suunto has introduced the Race 3S, a compact performance watch that combines offline mapping, dual-band GPS and trail-specific race tools in a 56-gram titanium package.
The new model uses a 46 mm case designed to sit more comfortably on smaller wrists, without stripping away the navigation and battery features expected from a serious mountain watch. It offers up to 38 hours of dual-band GPS tracking and up to 12 days of daily use.
A 1.32-inch AMOLED display reaches 2,000 nits and is protected by sapphire crystal. Inside, 64 GB of storage provides room for maps, routes and training data. Free worldwide offline maps include contour lines and place names, while Climb Guidance displays upcoming ascents and descents along a planned route.
A watch aimed directly at trail runners
The most interesting addition is Race Planner. Suunto says the feature will combine the course profile, weather conditions and an athlete’s goal to build a personalized pacing plan. During a race, the watch will show whether the runner is ahead of or behind that plan.
That could be genuinely useful in long mountain races, where maintaining a flat pace rarely makes sense. However, Race Planner is not available at launch and is scheduled to arrive through a future update. Suunto has not committed to an exact release date.
Offline music is also planned through a later software update. Once enabled, runners will be able to transfer their own music files to the watch and listen through Bluetooth headphones without carrying a phone.
Photos courtesy of Suunto
Suunto introduces an AI training coach
Race 3S is the first watch to launch with Suunto AI Coach, a conversational tool inside the Suunto app.
Instead of presenting another dashboard of training numbers, the coach is designed to answer questions using an athlete’s existing training, recovery, sleep and route data. It can also generate structured workouts, training plans and routes that can be saved and transferred to the watch.
Race 3S owners who activate the watch before December 31, 2026 receive three months of access. Suunto says paid plans will follow in 2027, while support for additional watches is also expected to begin early next year.
Photos courtesy of Suunto
The compact flagship Suunto was missing
The Race 3S is slightly heavier than the titanium version of the previous Race S, but gains a considerably brighter display, sapphire glass, longer GPS battery life, twice the storage and a newer processor.
For trail runners, its appeal is less about one headline feature than the combination: accurate dual-band positioning, detailed offline maps, meaningful battery life and a case that does not dominate a smaller wrist.
Suunto Race 3S is available in Orchid, Feather and Black. The watch is priced at $599 in the United States, with North American shipping beginning October 29.
