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A treadmill isn’t a hard sell right now. During my run this morning, the RealFeel® was a miserable 16°F, with wind gusts of 25 miles per hour. I couldn’t feel my face (or hear my own music), and definitely wouldn’t have minded logging those miles indoors.
And yet: sunny or squally outside, a large chunk of the running community appears institutionally opposed to treadmills. In a subreddit, one commenter declared: “Dreadmills are the worst.” Another remarked: “I flat out refuse to use one.”
Personally, I’ve tried to keep an open mind about them. When it’s too icy or rainy, they’re great for a speed workout. When it’s dangerously hot, they pair perfectly with AC. They’re also useful for parents with young children, executives who are short on time and all adults wary of running through sketchy neighborhoods at night.
Of course, the sort of treadmill you’re using makes a huge difference. Older models were tough on the shins and awfully boring. For regular runners, they sucked the soul from the activity — and for newcomers, they made the sport seem like an exercise in torture.
But I recently got to test out a treadmill that’s rectifying those old wrongs, with a sleek design, addictive games and next-gen coaching. It’s the latest from Aviron, a connected-fitness startup that’s on a mission to end boring workouts. We actually got a chance to speak with the company’s founder, Andy Hoang, earlier this year.
The Victory Treadmill Plus will make you want to run — whether you hate running, or treadmills (or both). Here’s why I think it’s worth braving the indoors for.
What Works
I got some time on the machine at tm:rw, an innovation studio in Manhattan. (I also got strapped into a wingsuit simulator and kept crashing into Swiss cliffs…but I’ll save that story for another article.) There was plenty of wellness tech spread throughout the space — from smart swimming goggles to multi-sensory meditation chairs — but Aviron’s new treadmill was stationed, tellingly, in the video game room.
Like Aviron’s ergs and stationary bikes, the Victory Treadmill Plus leverages a deep library of games and challenges. I scrolled through the machine’s 27-inch touchscreen, choosing between arcade fare like “Skyquest: Molten Ascent” (“A 1.1-mile route featuring two gradual climbs through a lava-filled monster cave”) and “Boss Breaker” (which reminded reminded me of the classic Mac widget, Bubble Bazinga).
In other games, you might be defending a port from pirates, or weathering waves of murderous robots. How do you win? You run. The gameplay relies on your consistent movement — plus intermittent speed bursts or elevation scrambles — to keep attackers at bay, or perhaps catch a ping-pong ball before it hits the bottom of the screen.
For the run-coach challenges, the graphics are more spartan (similar to those multi-colored rectangles in Guitar Hero), and instead of fighting cartoon characters you’re either competing against the PC, the global Aviron leaderboard or past versions of yourself. The system remembers your performances, tallies your streaks and tailors future workouts to your progress.
Whichever platform you choose, Aviron’s goal is clear: let game psychology do its thing. I hardly noticed three miles go by as I cycled through various challenges.
Making that easier: as I got acquainted with the machine’s software, I didn’t experience any issues with its hardware. The Victory Treadmill Plus is only four inches off the ground, eliminating any fears of falling off. Plus, the running deck is cushioned with shock absorbers for an easy, supportive ride. If anything, it was a nice reprieve after a week of pounding pavement.
Other positives? It’s pretty quiet, by treadmill standards, operating at just 57 dB, about the noise level of normal conversation. It has a minimalist design that I appreciated, without sacrificing any punch: the 3.5 CHP (continuous horsepower) commercial-grade motor powers a top speed of 12.5 mph and a max incline of 12%.
What Needs Work
Like most at-home exercise equipment, the Victory Treadmill Plus is really heavy. It’s 258 pounds, to be exact. So you’ll want to be certain about where you set it up, to avoid headaches down the road.
Also, the running deck dimension’s are a little smaller than you might expect. It’s 20.5 inches (W) x 57 inches (L), so if you’ve got long legs, or don’t trust your foot tracking while you’re focusing on the screen, trying to defeat a wizard, that might be something to keep in mind. I’d urge you to test one out in a showroom, if possible.
Is It Worth It?
You’ll need Aviron’s monthly membership to unlock its database of content, but compared to the rest of the connected fitness industry, the rate isn’t too bad.
It’s $29 a month, billed annually, for a family membership. That comes after the $4,199 upfront payment (though you can save $820 at the moment, thanks to a holiday deal). And if you’re not on Rakuten yet, fix that stat; Aviron’s rate on the rewards platform is a hefty 15%.
Still, for that sort of commitment — in dollars and square footage — you should be honest with yourself before purchasing the Victory Treadmill Plus. What sort of runner are you? Do you benefit from a lot of inspiration (and distraction) to keep your running practice going?
This treadmill is probably best suited for beginning runners. Anyone who’s determined to get a routine off the ground, but has long found themself intimidated by gym culture, lousy weather or the time commitment necessary to leave the house.
Theoretically any treadmill could solve for those issues. But the Victory Treadmill Plus does it with flair, thanks to its vast and offbeat menu. In addition to games and challenges, there are also scenic tours throughout the globe, marathon-training programs and chances to race against Olympian avatars. There’s a lot to explore. That way you won’t get bored with running — but just as important, you won’t get bored with Aviron itself.
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