There is a growing number of sports-related apps coming out of the Nordics and Baltics. Endomondo is one such service that has been quietly getting the world hooked on their sports-tracking app since July 2009. The app is designed for people who run, cycle, bike or do any other sports that involve movement across distances. Endomondo converts your phone into a sports tracker-cum-personal coach. Using GPS the app tracks time, distance, speed and calories burnt in real time,  generates a map of the work-out route as well as provides audio feedback. Endomondo app has been downloaded more than 2M times and their website has attracted 800 000 registered users.

Audio is what crucially distinguishes the service from other sports-tracking tools: it reduces the need to check your phone's screen when training - you can get audio feedback after each covered mile. Your friends can also send you motivation messages when you are training that are converted into audio format and delivered almost instantly. Plus you can control the app (and your music at the same time on some devices) through your headset.

Social is another essential feature of the service - some of us need peer pressure and support from friends to be motivated in sports. Hence, Endomondo includes the ability to share your work-out history with friends as well as report your training in real-time on the company's website, Twitter or Facebook. This opens up possibility for competitions: on route or in terms of the total distance covered or calories burnt. So you can get fit and boost your ego simultaneously! On the downside, using GPS and all the other features means the app eats a lot of battery so make sure you recharge your phone before the training.

Endomondo has a free and a paid app (~2,95€) - both are rated above 4.5 out of 5 in various mobile appstores. Both of the versions share most of the same features but the premium app lets you set goals for your work-outs based on previous trainings and helps you achieve those goals using an audio coach.

Compared to similar sports-tracking services, Endomondo has the advantage of automatically logging work-outs with rich statistics and delivering feedback and advice through audio. Gaming and social dynamics that Endomondo has can also be found in services like HeiaHeia or Map My Tracks.Though looking at the Endomondo's activity feed being renewed every second with a new user sharing their work-out definitely makes you want to put on your trainers and start running.

The company is based in Copenhagen and is run by an extensive team of sports enthusiasts. Endomondo was founded in 2007 by three former management consultants: Mette Lykke, Jakob Jønck and Christian Birk. The service was developed during 2008 and formerly launched in 2009. At the end of last year the service was voted "Best Mobile Application" in Denmark in a nationwide competition and the start-up raised undisclosed sum of funding from Seed Capital.