Nike released a new iPhone app yesterday that acts as a personal coach for runners. Replete with a GPS map, pace speedometer and inspirational Lance Armstrong audio quotes, the Nike+ GPS will allow runners to connect and compete with friends for better runs in a network called “Challenge Me”. But is Nike’s entry into this marketplace too late?

Nike’s is the fourth major running-app on the market, so the idea is far from new. Both Adidas and New Balance released versions to run-trainers in the past year, and the longest-established run-app, RunKeeper, has been one of the most popular apps since it was released in 2008. RunKeeper is so confident in its app that a blog post yesterday said:

Bravo, it is about time Nike!  Except for one problem.  All of you big guys jumping in with major marketing budgets, you are doing this as a brand play.  We are not.  You are doing this to try to ultimately sell more people your footwear/apparel.  We are not.  You are big and slow moving.  We are not.

The blog post also said that there would be new features and updates to the app coming in this year and that “The game is just beginning!”

Where the Nike app stands out is its “Challenge Me” function, which puts workout training statistics into a more easily accessible format. RunKeeper has a comparable database of past work out statistics, but it isn’t as competitive as Nike’s. What RunKeeper does have, however, is a track record of success with its users and a strong presence with a loyal community on Facebook and Twitter. This could make any future social competition functions easier to fire-up.