Wahoo has announced that runners excited to run indoors can now start the pre-order process for the KICKR RUN treadmill, which was announced earlier this year. Wahoo confirmed the previously planned $4,999USD pricing, and says they expect a delivery date in the Fall 2024.
The KICKR RUN will initially be shipping this year to the US, and then Wahoo has previously stated they’re working to expand it to other geographies next year. That roughly follows what they did for the KICKR BIKE when it first announced a few years back.
Wahoo also confirmed that the KICKR RUN treadmill will require “white-glove” delivery service, which is an extra $300. That industry term means that they’ve partnered with a service provider that will not only deliver the treadmill, but unbox and fully set it up in the place of your choosing within your home.
With that, let’s just quickly iterate through the specs (for those unfamiliar), and then down below I explain the pre-ordering process – as there are some hoops to jump through if you want to be first in line.
KICKR RUN Tech Specs:
In case you’re not familiar, the KICKR RUN Treadmill was announced back in January, and contains the deepest tech-first integration and 3rd party compatibility we’ve seen on a treadmill to date. This includes not just standardized ANT+ & Bluetooth Smart compatibility (across numerous device profiles within that), but also an expanded API for apps to take advantage of. This includes Zwift, Kinomap, and more.
However, the bulk of the interest lies within Wahoo’s novel Run Free mode, which uses time-of-flight sensors to determine exactly where you are on the belt, and can dynamically adjust the speed of the treadmill fast enough (in real time) to account for you sliding back or forward on the belt. If you move forward, it’ll speed up the treadmill speed, and if you fall back, it’ll slow it down.
Here are the quick main specs (versus features, which are a bit different):
– Top Pace: 4:00/mi (2:28/km)
– Top Speed: 15MPH (24KPH)
– Maximum Incline: +15%
– Maximum Decline: -3%
– Belt Length: 69” (175cm)
– Belt Width: 22” (56cm)
– Weight of treadmill: 275lbs
– Max Runner Weight: 250lbs
– Laptop/tablet/phone holder (up to 17” in size)
– USB-C 24w Charging (for tablets/laptops/phones)
– 110v or 220v options (for different global regions)
– 3.0 Horsepower motor
– Time-of-flight sensors for position
– Individual actuators for incline
– WiFi Connectivity (using Wahoo Direct Connect)
– Ethernet Connectivity (using Wahoo Direct Connect)
– Bluetooth FTMS Control
– ANT+ Footpod (for connecting to watches/etc)
– Bluetooth Smart Footpod (for connecting to watches/etc)
– Wahoo Treadmill API control
After that video/post, there were many more questions, all of which I answered in another post, aptly titled “25 More KICKR RUN Questions & Answers”. Or, this video below.
In general though, while $5K might seem like a lot for a treadmill (and yes, compared to a $1,000-$2,000 treadmill it is), if we look at the treadmill speed/incline/etc specs Wahoo is delivering, the price is actually incredibly competitive to others in this category – and arguably significantly lower than others (which tend to be about $7-$10K for these specs, even before we account for the Run Free mode that nobody else has).
Pre-Order Process:
Now in terms of the KICKR RUN pre-order, process, here’s how it’s gonna work. It’s slightly complex and drawn out, but not too confusing. TLDR: Sign-up today for a mailing list, and then you’ll be able to pre-order tomorrow, May 1st, with a $500 refundable deposit to reserve your place in the queue. Then, when Wahoo is ready to start shipping, they’ll send you an e-mail and you’ll have 5 days to pay the remainder and schedule delivery (which is done with a so-called ‘white-glove’ service that’ll unbox/build/configure/place the KICKR RUN in your Pain Cave).
Or, here’s the official copy/paste version from Wahoo:
Registration: Runners have been invited to register interest at Wahoo Fitness ahead of the pre-order opening, to ensure they do not miss out.
Exclusive Pre-Order: Pre-registered runners will receive exclusive, early access from May 1st at 8am ET, to ensure they get the best opportunity to secure the first deliveries of KICKR RUN.
Open Pre-Order: From Thursday 2nd May at 8am ET, pre-order will be open to all.
Delivery: Runners will be scheduled to take delivery starting in Fall 2024.
So again, you’ll want to register interest now, to place a pre-order tomorrow May 1st at 8AM ET for a $500 refundable deposit, to in turn get your spot in the queue, so you can finish paying this fall for your delivery.
I asked Wahoo about the refund aspect of the deposit. They said you can request a refund at any time. So, if you decide you need to spend that on Ben & Jerry’s ice cream before next fall (which is totally understandable), you can do so. But, you’d lose your place in the queue. Tough choices, obviously.
Going Forward:
In terms of a final in-depth review, that’ll come sometime this summer, roughly just ahead of shipping starts (whenever that is), which is pending final KICKR RUN hardware to be delivered to the DCR Cave, and then whichever software version Wahoo deems final. As always, I aim to have my reviews on final hardware and software – so I’ll keep adding test data/run times for both myself and my wife until Wahoo confirms a final software version.
Of course, as I said in all my KICKR RUN posts/videos previously, anytime you’re on the early adopter train, especially with big hardware, it can be a bumpy ride. Wahoo has a long history of slightly bumpy rides for their larger hardware projects (namely, indoor smart bikes, but also their totally new trainer, e.g. the CORE when it first came out). Whereas things that have had a V2 version tend to be much smoother for them.
Would I pre-order? If I lived in the US, yes, I probably would (I live in Amsterdam, where it’s not yet available for ordering). Merely because it’s refundable, and would give me time to see how other reviews pan out down the road. For most people buying a $5,000 treadmill, the $500 refundable deposit isn’t likely to be a big deal in terms of liquidity. Thus, if it ends up being bad in reviews, you simply get your $500 back and go out and get (a lot of) ice cream instead.
Based on my limited hour or two of running on it, I think it’s incredible. But that’s also just that – a couple runs. I simply need more time to form a better long-term opinion (which as noted, I’ll have a unit shortly). As always, stay tuned, and thanks for reading!
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Hey Ray,
I can’t order one yet as in the UK but I wondered if you had or were able to get any more info on height? They have the specs on the side and it puts the height as 58 inches but that doesn’t tell me how much head room I need. Obviously it lifts up so need to allow for that, also the height of the runner on the belt and then some space for jumping up and down. This would be helpful info as I imagine a lot of pain caves may be in garages or places with limited head height.
Thanks again for your great content
I included a schematics that Wahoo sent over. In that, the top of the deck is at 30cm/12″. Thus, for treadmill running I’d want 12″ + my height + another 12″ for bounce head-room clearance. That said, many people can get away with closer to 5-6″ extra head-room clearance.
“Would I pre-order? If I lived in the US, yes, … ” Unlike the Peloton Bike that you brought back from Las Vegas, this treadmill does not break down into shippable pieces. :-( link to dcrainmaker.com
We expect a 100 photo instagram story showing you disassembling it and bring it to Amsterdam. Your wife and each kid will have two checked bags and a carry-on filled with the individual pieces. 🙂
Ray in one of your previous posts with 25 questions, one was about the 1 year warranty in the US and Wahoo said they might reconsider this as they get closer to launch. Wondering if you know of any updates with regard to the warranty period?
Thanks Ray for the honesty here about the risk of buying a Ver1.0 product. I see that as the value add from your long experience in this space. More of this please.
It sets you above some of your peers who simply review and forget a product.
The increasingly expensive equipment in this space should be functional AND reliable. Trainers and power meters often cost thousands of dollars, yet many don’t really work as claimed or break after a year or two. That is not acceptable.
I find it so frustrating when something does go wrong, to then look around the internet and see that the fault has been experienced be lots of other people, indicating an endemic design or manufacturing problem.
Your concerns over first iteration products are merited. I’ll say this about Wahoo, though: their support is top notch. I had an issue with a first generation KICKR bike, and they ultimately replaced the entire unit at no cost to me, even though it was out of warranty.
agree!!
my kicker core died 2.5 years after buying it. I contacted support and they immediately sent me fedex labels and got a replacement right away!
i would have paid for the repair if they had asked but i didn’t even have to pay for shipping back and forth.
Does the KICKR treadmill incline move with the terrain on Zwift etc? This would be the real game changer for me in making a treadmill run more life-like. Having the incline be adjusted by the app doesn’t have the risk that is often discussed with allowing apps to change the speed, and would present a proper running challenge with interest.
Maybe I missed it durning the pre-order, but when I went to pay in full I was informed that a “dedicated” 15 AMP line is absolutely REQUIRED to operate the treadmill. After getting several quotes, it’s costing an additional $2,300 to run the line to the other side of my house before Something to consider before you purchase or want to move it to another room.
This is a pretty standard requirement for treadmills, generally listed in the fine print. You usually don’t need to bother as long as you don’t run anything major on the same circuit at the same time. Any 3-prong outlet is likely to be on a 15-amp circuit.
Also, that’s a crazy quote to run a new circuit, assuming you have spares on your breaker box.
The electricians need to T-off another breaker and run the conduit up and around and down to the exact opposite side of my house (no option to run it through the attic space).
I’m new to Wahoo and owning a treadmill – I’ve lived in the Garmin ecosystem since the first Forerunner – but I did email Wahoo customer service that I thought they could have made the dedicated line information a little prominent. I was shocked they responded the next day. After they educated me – I missed the dedicated line notification on the “pre-order” page and Support page – Wahoo sent me a new fan for my troubles! It’s called Wahoo Headwind and arrived the following day! I’m blown away – literally and figuratively! I wasn’t asking or looking for anything from them – other than maybe adding the dedicated line info to the product page for others to consider. I thought that was such an amazing customer service gesture – thank you Daniel (Wahoo Fitness Support) that I will be purchasing one of their cool bike trainers to replace my Garmin Tacx in the coming months! ….thought everyone should know. :D
Do you have a full review of the KICKR RUN coming soon? I have been hovering over the “Add to Cart” button but can’t quite get myself to drop $5k on this thing yet. I need a good DC Rainmaker review to push me over the edge! Thanks!
On the fence? Why? I have ran on or owned NordicTrack, Freemotion, LifeFitness, Matrix, and Woodway! I sold my NordicTrack and Freemotion has I continually had issue after issue. Woodway was $12K to $20K new so out of my budget, Now Kickr Run!! I love, love, love it.
Does it work with Peloton? Seamless. Just add treadmill. Works on iPad, iPhone and AppleTV. Does it auto incline and decline? No because the instructors give a range not an exact incline.
The Wahoo app works very well! I am currently set up on iPad with external monitor and running both the Wahoo App and Peloton app. This way I can see my metrics. Wahoo does not display distance ran or time ran on the treadmill, just pace and incline.
Oh and you can use the Wahoo app to enable Terrain mode. When Terrain mode is enabled in the Wahoo app, the KICKR RUN can be set to adjust [1] the lateral tilt or [2] the lateral tilt and vertical grade of the treadmill deck. This really helps mimic outdoor runs.
This is the best treadmill for $5,000 and I would even compare to Woodway 4FRONT. The Woodway does have a few other features, but not for the price difference.
How do you track distance and pace on your smart device (Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.)? I have an Apple Watch and mostly run outside, but want a treadmill where the distance run can be integrated into my Apple health/fitness tracking. I guess this is a more general question for other treadmills, too, but the Kickr is the one I’m most excited about. Thanks
I completely agree with Rob (#25). Now that my KICKR RUN is all setup, I love it! I have a fairly small home office that it resides in – it hardly takes up much space and is super quiet. I haven’t tried many apps yet, but I saw Kinomap on the Wahoo website and I have really enjoyed using it through the Apple TV app. It does the auto incline and decline well. Being version 1.0 of a new product is risky, but I am extremely happy with my purchase.
The hardware is great, but a big disappointment is that you cannot program custom workouts unless you pay for a Zwift subscription. This should be basic functionality in the native app. Not sure I would’ve purchased this if I’d realized, especially because the display does not show time or distance. I have to use a wristwatch and the manual controls for any structured workouts, which is a.pain, especially because the paddles are very cumbersome for making rapid changes in speed.
I just finished my 1st run on our new KICKR run. The treadmill HW itself is so great. And love the paddle speed and incline controls. And really do like the run free mode. But …
My mind is blown they don’t offer any way to easily create workouts. You can SORT OF do it with 3rd party apps. But none of them let you build workouts with different inclines. And all require some sort of dumb pace zone based settings. If you want a workout that is 9min/mile warm-up, some strides, and then say 6min/mile hill repeats at a certain gradient … there is no way to do it (Wahoo support confirmed this to me). Think this is a huge fail, hopefully the software is coming soon to SYSTM or other app.
Amazing review! Coming up on a year since you wrote this. Being that it is first gen product, have you heard of any issues with durability etc. I’d like to purchase but I’m always hesitant with first generation versions of a product. Looks like they updated their warranty since your 25 questions video so that’s good. Thanks!
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Hey Ray,
I can’t order one yet as in the UK but I wondered if you had or were able to get any more info on height? They have the specs on the side and it puts the height as 58 inches but that doesn’t tell me how much head room I need. Obviously it lifts up so need to allow for that, also the height of the runner on the belt and then some space for jumping up and down. This would be helpful info as I imagine a lot of pain caves may be in garages or places with limited head height.
Thanks again for your great content
So on the 25-things post: link to dcrainmaker.com
I included a schematics that Wahoo sent over. In that, the top of the deck is at 30cm/12″. Thus, for treadmill running I’d want 12″ + my height + another 12″ for bounce head-room clearance. That said, many people can get away with closer to 5-6″ extra head-room clearance.
Good luck!
Awesome, thanks for this :)
Did you ever get a measure of what the deck height is where your feet generally would be when it’s at max incline?
The deck height, right behind the front console, at max incline, is 18 inches.
“Would I pre-order? If I lived in the US, yes, … ” Unlike the Peloton Bike that you brought back from Las Vegas, this treadmill does not break down into shippable pieces. :-(
link to dcrainmaker.com
…hold my beer(mile).
We expect a 100 photo instagram story showing you disassembling it and bring it to Amsterdam. Your wife and each kid will have two checked bags and a carry-on filled with the individual pieces. 🙂
Ray in one of your previous posts with 25 questions, one was about the 1 year warranty in the US and Wahoo said they might reconsider this as they get closer to launch. Wondering if you know of any updates with regard to the warranty period?
Any word on whether this will be available to order through a local dealer? I try to support my LBS but don’t want to miss out on white glove delivery
Thanks Ray for the honesty here about the risk of buying a Ver1.0 product. I see that as the value add from your long experience in this space. More of this please.
It sets you above some of your peers who simply review and forget a product.
The increasingly expensive equipment in this space should be functional AND reliable. Trainers and power meters often cost thousands of dollars, yet many don’t really work as claimed or break after a year or two. That is not acceptable.
I find it so frustrating when something does go wrong, to then look around the internet and see that the fault has been experienced be lots of other people, indicating an endemic design or manufacturing problem.
Your concerns over first iteration products are merited. I’ll say this about Wahoo, though: their support is top notch. I had an issue with a first generation KICKR bike, and they ultimately replaced the entire unit at no cost to me, even though it was out of warranty.
agree!!
my kicker core died 2.5 years after buying it. I contacted support and they immediately sent me fedex labels and got a replacement right away!
i would have paid for the repair if they had asked but i didn’t even have to pay for shipping back and forth.
Great news! Thank you for sharing. I may have missed it, but does the 3% decline function as full speed 15mph?
Does the KICKR treadmill incline move with the terrain on Zwift etc? This would be the real game changer for me in making a treadmill run more life-like. Having the incline be adjusted by the app doesn’t have the risk that is often discussed with allowing apps to change the speed, and would present a proper running challenge with interest.
I have not found any news on shipping or release date for kickr run. Any updates?
They’re shipping now.
Maybe I missed it durning the pre-order, but when I went to pay in full I was informed that a “dedicated” 15 AMP line is absolutely REQUIRED to operate the treadmill. After getting several quotes, it’s costing an additional $2,300 to run the line to the other side of my house before Something to consider before you purchase or want to move it to another room.
This is a pretty standard requirement for treadmills, generally listed in the fine print. You usually don’t need to bother as long as you don’t run anything major on the same circuit at the same time. Any 3-prong outlet is likely to be on a 15-amp circuit.
Also, that’s a crazy quote to run a new circuit, assuming you have spares on your breaker box.
The electricians need to T-off another breaker and run the conduit up and around and down to the exact opposite side of my house (no option to run it through the attic space).
I’m new to Wahoo and owning a treadmill – I’ve lived in the Garmin ecosystem since the first Forerunner – but I did email Wahoo customer service that I thought they could have made the dedicated line information a little prominent. I was shocked they responded the next day. After they educated me – I missed the dedicated line notification on the “pre-order” page and Support page – Wahoo sent me a new fan for my troubles! It’s called Wahoo Headwind and arrived the following day! I’m blown away – literally and figuratively! I wasn’t asking or looking for anything from them – other than maybe adding the dedicated line info to the product page for others to consider. I thought that was such an amazing customer service gesture – thank you Daniel (Wahoo Fitness Support) that I will be purchasing one of their cool bike trainers to replace my Garmin Tacx in the coming months! ….thought everyone should know. :D
Any info on EU price and release date estimate? It’s up on the EU website, but no price or release info.
Do you have a full review of the KICKR RUN coming soon? I have been hovering over the “Add to Cart” button but can’t quite get myself to drop $5k on this thing yet. I need a good DC Rainmaker review to push me over the edge! Thanks!
Nothing soon, as I don’t have a unit.
I think Wahoo is still upset about the ACE review.
On the fence? Why? I have ran on or owned NordicTrack, Freemotion, LifeFitness, Matrix, and Woodway! I sold my NordicTrack and Freemotion has I continually had issue after issue. Woodway was $12K to $20K new so out of my budget, Now Kickr Run!! I love, love, love it.
Does it work with Peloton? Seamless. Just add treadmill. Works on iPad, iPhone and AppleTV. Does it auto incline and decline? No because the instructors give a range not an exact incline.
The Wahoo app works very well! I am currently set up on iPad with external monitor and running both the Wahoo App and Peloton app. This way I can see my metrics. Wahoo does not display distance ran or time ran on the treadmill, just pace and incline.
Oh and you can use the Wahoo app to enable Terrain mode. When Terrain mode is enabled in the Wahoo app, the KICKR RUN can be set to adjust [1] the lateral tilt or [2] the lateral tilt and vertical grade of the treadmill deck. This really helps mimic outdoor runs.
This is the best treadmill for $5,000 and I would even compare to Woodway 4FRONT. The Woodway does have a few other features, but not for the price difference.
How do you track distance and pace on your smart device (Garmin, Apple Watch, etc.)? I have an Apple Watch and mostly run outside, but want a treadmill where the distance run can be integrated into my Apple health/fitness tracking. I guess this is a more general question for other treadmills, too, but the Kickr is the one I’m most excited about. Thanks
I completely agree with Rob (#25). Now that my KICKR RUN is all setup, I love it! I have a fairly small home office that it resides in – it hardly takes up much space and is super quiet. I haven’t tried many apps yet, but I saw Kinomap on the Wahoo website and I have really enjoyed using it through the Apple TV app. It does the auto incline and decline well. Being version 1.0 of a new product is risky, but I am extremely happy with my purchase.
Nice setup, Michael!
Looks like you hid your AppleTV.
The hardware is great, but a big disappointment is that you cannot program custom workouts unless you pay for a Zwift subscription. This should be basic functionality in the native app. Not sure I would’ve purchased this if I’d realized, especially because the display does not show time or distance. I have to use a wristwatch and the manual controls for any structured workouts, which is a.pain, especially because the paddles are very cumbersome for making rapid changes in speed.
I just finished my 1st run on our new KICKR run. The treadmill HW itself is so great. And love the paddle speed and incline controls. And really do like the run free mode. But …
My mind is blown they don’t offer any way to easily create workouts. You can SORT OF do it with 3rd party apps. But none of them let you build workouts with different inclines. And all require some sort of dumb pace zone based settings. If you want a workout that is 9min/mile warm-up, some strides, and then say 6min/mile hill repeats at a certain gradient … there is no way to do it (Wahoo support confirmed this to me). Think this is a huge fail, hopefully the software is coming soon to SYSTM or other app.
What treadmill does want you want the KICKR Run to do?
TRUE treadmills have a “Draw Your Own Workout” capability. With ability to build custom pace + incline profiles.
Amazing review! Coming up on a year since you wrote this. Being that it is first gen product, have you heard of any issues with durability etc. I’d like to purchase but I’m always hesitant with first generation versions of a product. Looks like they updated their warranty since your 25 questions video so that’s good. Thanks!