Fast on tarmac, or far from it.
A tempo session wants even ground and no junctions. A long trail run wants the opposite of that. Same planner, different instruction.
The running engine will happily use paths a bike engine avoids, and that is the point: the presets move it between road, trail and the scenic line that prefers rivers and woods and bypasses the towns.
For a session, distance is what you are buying, so the useful trick is a loop that comes back — put the points down, drag the line where the ground is better, and watch the distance settle where you wanted it.
Presets on this engine
- Road Tarmac and easy paths — nothing that forces you to walk.
- Trail Seeks paths over roads and takes rougher ground.
- Scenic Prefers rivers and forests, bypassing towns.
Read from the router itself — this is the list the planner shows you.
And the switches
Worth checking before you leave
- That the surface suits the session: intervals do not survive a rooty path.
- Where the elevation sits — 200 m in the first kilometre is a different workout.
- The scenic preset when it is a long one; it costs a little distance and pays it back.
Questions about this sport
Can I plan a loop from my door?
Yes. Put the start and finish at the same point and add points to shape it; the distance updates as you drag, so you can land on the number you wanted.
Will the route avoid roads?
The trail preset seeks paths over roads and accepts rougher ground; the switches can also keep you out of town centres.