Running app with friends: invites, friend map and Wall of Fame

Kotcha is now a running app you can share with friends. With today's iOS update, you can invite friends with your own profile link, send and accept friend requests, and see your friends on the map next to your own territory. Your profile gets a photo and a Wall of Fame where you add your race medals, even from local races, to relive and share them. Training is personal. Running doesn't have to be lonely.

What's new

• Invite friends with your profile link. Every runner gets a personal link, in the form kotcha.com/u/yourhandle. Send it by message so your friend can find you in one tap.
• Friend requests and a friends list. Add people, accept requests, and keep your running crew in one place.
• Friends on the map. See your friends on your map and compare the territory you've each uncovered.
• Suggested friends. Kotcha suggests runners you may know, based on friends of friends.
• Wall of Fame. Add your race medals, from big city marathons to your local 10K, then relive and share them.
• Profile photo. Put a face to your runs.

How running with friends works in Kotcha

Start with your link. Share it with your training partner, your club or the colleague who keeps saying they'll start running. Once you're connected, your friends appear in your friends list and on your map.

The map is where it gets fun. Since September, your Scratch Map uncovers the world one kilometre at a time as you run. Now your friends are on it too. Who has explored more of the city? Who has never set foot on the other side of the river? A little friendly rivalry is one of the oldest motivation tricks in running.

And if you don't know many runners on Kotcha yet, suggested friends help you find people already connected to your crew.

The Wall of Fame: your medals, finally somewhere

Every runner has a drawer full of medals. Some are from world-famous races. Many are from a Sunday morning race in a small town that meant just as much. The Wall of Fame gives them a home.

Add your medals to your profile, local races included. Scroll back through them to relive the day, and share them when you want to celebrate. It's a reminder of how far you've come, especially useful in the middle of a tough training block.

Racing more than once in a season? Kotcha already plans secondary races inside your training. See how in B-races and tune-up races.

Why it matters

Running is one of the most powerful ways to feel better in body and mind, and it's even better shared. The Kotcha story started at the Kaptagat training camp in Kenya, where Eliud Kipchoge trains alongside coach Patrick Sang and his team. Most of us won't train in a Kenyan camp, but we all have friends who run, or who could.

Your plan stays yours: Coach K still adapts every week to your goal, your fitness and how you feel. Friends add the part a plan can't give you: someone to share the effort with, someone to chase on the map, and someone to cheer when the medal goes up on the wall.

How to get it

Update Kotcha on your iPhone from the App Store. Open your profile to add a photo, start your Wall of Fame and copy your invite link. Friends features are available on iOS for now.

FAQ

Is there a running app to train with friends?

Yes. Kotcha lets you add friends with a personal profile link, see them on your map and compare explored territory, while each of you follows your own AI-adapted plan.

How do I invite a friend on Kotcha?

Share your profile link, in the form kotcha.com/u/yourhandle. Your friend opens it, and you can connect through a friend request.

Can I add medals from small local races?

Yes. The Wall of Fame accepts race medals from any race, including local ones, so you can relive and share them.