If you follow sports tech, your inbox fills up fast. Most of what lands is minor patches dressed up as news. This cuts through all that with one weekly post covering every feature addition across the major brands, nothing else. Trivial bug fixes are excluded. Subscribe via RSS at the5krunner.com.
Garmin Fenix 8 / Enduro 3 / Tactix 8 / Fenix E — v22.35 — 27 May 2026
the5krunner insight: A large stable release after two months of testing — worth installing.
The most useful addition for most people is the new silent mode shortcut, which can now be switched on quickly without digging through menus. The golf additions take up most of the update but will only matter to a fraction of users. Garmin has also quietly added read and delivered status to its Messenger app — and the release notes hint at more Messenger improvements coming without saying what they are, one to watch. The Fenix 8, Enduro 3, Tactix 8 and Fenix E are all covered by this release.
- Silent mode now accessible directly from the controls screen or a button shortcut
- Approach CT1 club tag support — tracks every stroke on any club
- Golf performance summary added
- LTE option added within activity battery modes
- Last Man Overboard navigation point added
- Messenger now shows read and delivered status on messages
- Keyboard layout menu now accessible by swiping up from the bottom of any page
- Spoken Watch face restored (Fenix E)
- Night vision colour shift restored (Tactix 8)
Find your model’s release notes: Fenix 8 / Fenix 8 Pro / Enduro 3 / Fenix E / Tactix 8
Garmin Forerunner 970 / 570 / Venu X1 / Venu 4 / vivoactive 6 — v17.33 — 27 May 2026
the5krunner insight: A major update across five devices — Forerunner 970 owners get the most.
Silent mode and CT1 golf sensor support land across all five models. The Forerunner 970 picks up two navigation additions that the others do not get. The Forerunner 570, Venu X1, Venu 4 and vivoactive 6 share the core additions. The golf subscription features on the Venu and vivoactive models are secondary for the endurance audience but worth knowing about if you play.
- Silent mode shortcut added — all five models
- Approach CT1 golf sensor support added — all five models
- Keyboard layout menu accessible by swiping up from the bottom of any page — all five models
- Multiple ways to enter location coordinates now supported — all five models
- Outdoor map layer descriptions added, accessible via QR code (Forerunner 970 only)
- Last Man Overboard navigation point added (Forerunner 970 only)
- Outdoor map layer descriptions added, accessible via QR code (Venu X1 only)
- Last Man Overboard navigation point added (Venu X1 only)
- Golf performance summary added (Venu X1 only)
- Putt marking on Green View map added (Venu X1 only)
- Green contour data, improved course maps and adjusted distance figures added with an active Garmin Golf subscription (Venu 4, vivoactive 6)
Find your model’s release notes: Forerunner 970 · Forerunner 570 · Venu X1 · Venu 4 · vivoactive 6
Amazfit — Cheetah 2 Pro — v3.13.0.2 — 28 May 2026
the5krunner insight: A small release — only relevant if you use navigation or lactate threshold tracking.
No new features here. The two changes are refinements to things already on the Cheetah 2 Pro — turn prompts during navigation are clearer, and the lactate threshold calculation has been adjusted.
- Navigation turn alerts and distance prompts improved
- Lactate threshold calculation refined
No updates this week
Checked and nothing to report for the week ending 30 May 2026: COROS, Suunto, Wahoo, Polar, Samsung and Huawei either had no release or released stability and bug fix updates only.
Last Updated on 31 May 2026 by the5krunner
My favourite kit and nutrition
- Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach.
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cable tidy at the stem. Essential for race day.
- Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session.
- Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters.
- Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch.
- Stryd — the footpod that brings running power to your Garmin. The single most useful running upgrade I have made.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. ID
