Garmin has reopened its Connect Developer Program after seven months of being closed to new applicants, and for the first time, an individual athlete can get an API key to their own account…and some of their own data.
Your recording comes back; Garmin’s analysis does not
The personal key pulls activity data as JSON summaries and as full .FIT files, plus health data and women’s health data as JSON summaries. The .FIT file is the recording your watch made: the GPS track, heart rate, cadence, power and laps, sample by sample. Until now, the only official way to get that file without a business account was to download each activity by hand from the Connect website or straight from your device by cable. A script with your key can now fetch every workout you have ever done.
The file will not include the full layer Garmin calculates on top of it. Runalyze reported on 6 October that Garmin now removes undocumented fields from files delivered through its API, and that the missing values include the VO2 max estimate, recovery time and performance condition. Those values are still in the file you download manually, so Runalyze now lets athletes upload the original and merge the missing fields into an activity that already synced, which also recovers training effect, TRIMP, sweat loss, and FTP.
Garmin has not said whether a personal key returns the complete file or the stripped one. Garmin has confirmed only the format, not the contents.
Personal access is pull-only. Your code requests data when it needs it; nothing arrives automatically after a workout, and nothing goes the other way. The Courses API and Training API, which push routes and structured workouts into Connect, sit in the business tiers, so a personal key cannot send a session to your own watch.
What small developers get
The business track now splits in two. Starter Access carries the Activity, Courses, Health, Training and Women’s Health APIs, with push-only delivery, no historical data and a limited user count. Enterprise Access adds the Golf API, a choice of push or ping/pull delivery, historical data from one month upwards, unlimited users and technical support, on commercial terms agreed case by case.
| Personal | Starter | Enterprise | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Activity data | JSON and .FIT | JSON and .FIT | JSON and .FIT |
| Health and women’s health | JSON | JSON | JSON |
| Courses and Training | Not included | JSON | JSON |
| Golf | Not included | Not included | JSON |
| Delivery | Pull only | Push only | Push or ping/pull |
| Historical data | Not stated | Not included | 1 month or more |
| User capacity | Your own account | Limited | Unlimited |
| Technical support | Not included | Not included | Included |
Push-only at the Starter level shapes what a small training app can do. It receives what Garmin sends when a user syncs and cannot ask for anything it missed, and with no backfill, a new user’s record on that platform starts the day they connect. Garmin’s programme documentation adds that Starter apps carry an unverified label until Garmin reviews them, that new user connections may be limited during that review, and that applicants need a public website and a published privacy policy. Verification is part of Enterprise onboarding.
The reopening follows Garmin cutting off Intervals and other third-party apps earlier this month. Connect IQ, which covers apps and watch faces running on the device, is a separate programme and is unaffected.
Quick answers
How do I get a Garmin personal API key?
Log in to the Garmin Connect website and open the personal API token page in your account settings to retrieve the key and generate access tokens. There is no application or approval step.
Can I send workouts or routes to my watch with a personal API key?
No. The Courses API and Training API are only in the Starter and Enterprise business tiers. Personal access is pull-only.
What data does the Garmin personal API include?
Activity data as JSON summaries and full .FIT files, plus health data and women’s health data as JSON summaries. The Golf API is Enterprise only.
Why is VO2 max missing from my Garmin data in third-party apps?
Garmin removes undocumented fields from files it delivers through the API. VO2 max, recovery time and performance condition are among the values affected. The original FIT file downloaded from Garmin Connect still contains them.
Is Connect IQ affected by the developer programme changes?
No. Connect IQ covers apps, watch faces and data fields running on the device, and it is a separate programme from the Connect Developer Program, which covers cloud access to your Garmin Connect data.
Last Updated on 22 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
Small things I always use
- Garmin 90-degree charging adapter: Charges your Garmin from any USB-C cable. Essential when travelling. I use one.
- Body Glide: The blue anti-chafe stick swimmers and runners carry. I use it.
- Speedo earplugs: Fewer ear infections and no cold-water dizziness. I use them.
- Dryrobe Advance: My winter changing robe for open-water swims. I use one. A cheaper option is the AONYIYI changing robe.
- Maurten: Race fuel that stays easy on the stomach. I use them.
- Beet It Sport nitrate shots: Beetroot shots I take in the days before a race. I use them.
- Garmin charging puck: The quickest way to top up before a session. I use one.
- Injinji: Toe socks that stop rubbing, so you run more. I use them.
- Ultimate toe protectors: Stop black toenails on long runs. They work. I use them.
- Compressport R2 v2 calf sleeves: My calf sleeves of choice. I use them.
- Cellucor C4: My pre-workout before hard sessions.
- TPU tubes: Schwalbe Aerothan, Tubolito and Pirelli SmarTube. Light, tiny spares. I use all three.
- G8 insoles: Adjustable insoles that are good. I use them.
- Cycplus Cube: A 97g electric pump that gets a road tyre rideable in two minutes. I carry one. 5% off with code THE5KRUNNER.
Watches and sensors
- Polar H10: My daily driver for waking HRV.
- Polar Verity Sense: My backup arm-worn HR sensor.
- Nomad bedside charger: Charges my iPhone and Apple Watch overnight. I use it, and many of their bands.
- Train.Red: The best muscle oxygen sensor I’ve used.
- Tymewear: Accurate heart rate and reliable ventilatory zones. I use it to pace endurance rides over an hour.
- Garmin Forerunner 970: A pro-grade triathlon watch. I use this.
- Apple Watch Ultra 4: My daily smartwatch. No phone needed on rides.
- Garmin Fenix 9 Pro: I’ve just bought one.
On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
- Wahoo TRACKR Radar: I use it on one bike and Varia on the other. They perform the same.
- Garmin Varia RTL515: Radar that warns you of cars from behind. I use this model.
- Wahoo ELEMNT Roam 3: The bike computer that’s easy to use. I use mine on most rides.
- Favero Assioma Pro RS2: Accurate power pedals that swap easily between bikes. I use this model.
Home and indoor training
- NPE Runn: Makes my basic treadmill smart, sending more accurate speed and distance to my watch and Zwift. I use it.
- Google Wifi: Keeps Zwift connected in my pain cave. I use it.
- Apple TV 4K: Zwift on the big screen. I use two.
- Google Nest Doorbell (wired, 2nd gen): My video doorbell, running in both Google Home and Apple Home. I use it.
Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
- hDrop: Measures my sweat loss in summer and indoors.
- Fourth Frontier Zone: Checks my heart under load in hard sessions.
- Oura Ring 5: My partner’s recovery tracker of choice.
- Eight Sleep: A cooling mattress cover my partner and I use nightly.
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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. See the gear tfk uses. ID
