Coros - PACE 3 vs Garmin - Forerunner 265

The PACE 3 edges ahead on the Mars Score (46.6 vs 42.8), but the 3.8-point gap is small enough that the right pick comes down to which spec advantages matter to you.

Pick the PACE 3 if you care most about gps mode and smartwatch mode. The biggest gaps in its favor are gps mode, smartwatch mode.

The Forerunner 265 similarly doesn't carry a headline advantage on the popular specs — look at the full table for category-specific deltas.

Both ship with comparable multi-band gps, solar charging, ecg, so those specs don't separate the two — focus on the differences below.

Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity tells you both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.