Does Darefore Run work with all Garmin watches?

The protocol has been tested on the Epix Gen 2 Pro, which is Fenix 7-generation hardware, and is expected to work on any Garmin watch on the official Running Dynamics-compatible device list. That list includes Fenix 7 series, Forerunner 955, and newer models. Compatibility with older hardware is being confirmed.

Can Darefore Run send running power to my Garmin watch?

No. Garmin’s running power metric is computed by the watch itself rather than being accepted as an external input. That is an architectural limit; this work does not change it.

What is the difference between native fields and developer fields on a Garmin watch?

Native fields are recorded and read by Garmin’s own analytics features. Developer fields are visible on screen and logged in the FIT file, but sit outside Garmin’s own algorithms. Until now, all third-party BLE sensor data has been captured only in developer fields. The Darefore running sensor puts the standard Running Dynamics set into native fields, with its additional biomechanical metrics in developer fields as well.

Why did this require reverse engineering rather than using Garmin's developer tools?

Garmin’s Connect IQ developer platform gives third parties access to custom data fields and Connect IQ apps, but not to the native sensor protocols that feed Garmin’s own analytics. The Running Dynamics BLE protocol is undocumented and not available through official developer channels. Reverse engineering was the only path.