What is RUNHEX?
RUNHEX is a free running app for iPhone that turns running into a ranked competitive game. RUNHEX records a run with GPS, converts it to an equivalent 5K time, and places the runner on a ladder of 9 tiers and 5 divisions — 45 positions from Iron V to Tera. RUNHEX is available on the Apple App Store and is built by an independent solo developer in the United Kingdom.
How does RUNHEX rank a run?
RUNHEX scores every run as an equivalent 5K time. A 3K sprint and a 12K steady run are both converted to the 5K time they predict, using Riegel's endurance formula, so runs of different lengths can be compared on one scale. This is the mechanism that lets RUNHEX rank runners against each other without forcing everyone onto the same course or the same distance.
The RUNHEX ladder has nine tiers, each divided into five divisions (I to V), giving 45 ranked positions in total:
| Tier | Roughly |
|---|---|
| Iron | Entry tier — every ranked runner starts here or above |
| Bronze | |
| Silver | |
| Gold | |
| Platinum | |
| Kilo | |
| Mega | |
| Giga | |
| Tera | Top tier — no divisions, an equivalent 5K under 13:31 |
Is RUNHEX free?
RUNHEX is free to download and free to use. Free accounts can rank up to 10 runs per calendar month. RUNHEX Pro is an optional subscription that removes that limit and adds training analytics. RUNHEX has no advertising and does not sell personal data — the RUNHEX privacy policy states exactly what is collected and which processors receive it.
What features does RUNHEX have today?
These features are in the version of RUNHEX currently published on the App Store.
- Ranked GPS run tracking. RUNHEX records distance, pace and route, then ranks the run on the 45-position ladder.
- Leaderboards. Global, per-division and per-country boards, sortable by streak-adjusted score or by raw pace.
- Streaks. Consecutive running days shave 3 seconds per day off a runner's competitive score. A streak survives a one or two day gap and resets on the third.
- Clans. Runners form clans, chat in a clan room, post to a clan feed, and enter clan races against other clans.
- Personal records and rank history. RUNHEX keeps a lifetime best and shows how a runner's equivalent-5K time has moved over time.
- Run snaps. RUNHEX overlays a run's route, stats and rank badge onto a photo for sharing.
- Coach and progress analytics (RUNHEX Pro). Training-load monitoring, pace trend, weekly volume, and the pace needed to reach the next division.
- Four languages. RUNHEX is fully localised in English, Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese.
What is RUNHEX building next?
The features in this section are in development and are not yet available in the published version of RUNHEX. They are listed so runners can see where RUNHEX is going, not to describe what RUNHEX does today.
- 1v1 live duels — two runners matched by a hidden rating, each running their own route inside a shared time window, with the better equivalent-5K taking the win.
- Watch import — importing runs recorded on Apple Watch and other devices through Apple Health and Health Connect, including the workout's GPS route.
- A territory map — a board built on Uber's H3 hexagonal grid, where running through a roughly 400-metre hexagon claims it, and holding it depends on how often a runner returns rather than how fast they are.
- A self-hosted vector basemap — whole-planet map tiles built from OpenStreetMap data and served from RUNHEX's own infrastructure, with around 20 visual themes.
- Android — an Android build of RUNHEX is in preparation.
Who makes RUNHEX?
RUNHEX is designed and built by one independent developer, registered in the United Kingdom. RUNHEX is not backed by a fitness brand or a hardware manufacturer. The whole application — the iOS client, the ranking mathematics, the backend and this website — is the work of a single person, which is why RUNHEX ships narrow, opinionated features rather than a broad fitness suite.
How is RUNHEX different from a normal running tracker?
A conventional running tracker records what a runner did and reports it back: distance, pace, elevation, a graph. RUNHEX does that too, but its organising idea is a competitive rank rather than a log. Three things follow from that:
- Every distance is comparable. Because RUNHEX scores runs as an equivalent 5K, a runner who only runs 3K and a runner who only runs half marathons sit on the same ladder.
- Consistency is rewarded directly. The RUNHEX streak bonus subtracts real seconds from a competitive score, so turning up repeatedly moves a runner up the board.
- Rank is the primary object. In RUNHEX the tier badge, not the weekly total, is what a runner sees first and what other runners see.
What data does RUNHEX collect?
RUNHEX records GPS location during a run, and stores the run's route so it can be drawn on a runner's profile and on shareable images. RUNHEX also stores an account email address, a display name, and optional profile details given at sign-up. RUNHEX does not use advertising identifiers and does not sell personal data. The complete list, including every third-party processor, is in the RUNHEX privacy policy.
Where can I get RUNHEX?
RUNHEX is available on the Apple App Store for iPhone at apps.apple.com/app/runhex. An Android version of RUNHEX is in preparation and is not yet released. Support questions go to mindol0911@gmail.com, and the RUNHEX support page answers the common ones.
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