Adidas Running vs Motera

Adidas Running started as Runtastic, an Austrian fitness app that Adidas acquired in 2015 for roughly $240 million, then rebranded to Adidas Running in 2020 while keeping the Runtastic engine underneath. The core of the app is still what Runtastic built: GPS run tracking with voice-activated pace and distance callouts, structured training plans for 5K through marathon distances (including a couch to 5K program), and shoe mileage tracking that reminds you when your pair is wearing out.

Where Adidas Running adds value beyond basic tracking is its virtual race calendar and its "live cheering" feature, which lets friends send push notifications of encouragement while you are mid-run. It also connects to Apple Watch and WearOS devices for wrist-based tracking, and its premium tier bundles adaptive training plans with Adidas Runtastic branded content. None of this is game mechanics; it is closer to a digital running coach with a gear-tracking layer on top.

A structured plan like the ones Adidas Running generates works well when you already know your race distance and just need the day-to-day mileage laid out for you. It struggles with the runner who is not training for anything specific and just needs a reason to leave the house on a random Tuesday. That is the gap Motera is built for: territory capture and Fog of War give every single run a purpose (claim this block, reveal that street) without requiring a training goal at all.

The two approaches are not mutually exclusive. A runner following an Adidas Running training plan for an upcoming 10K can still run Motera in the background on easy days, turning recovery runs and base-building miles into territory gains instead of just logged kilometers. The plan tells you how far to run; the game gives you a reason to enjoy the miles you were going to run anyway.