Strava art

Strava Art: what it is and how to make it

Runners and riders plan a route in the shape of something, then record it, so the map of the activity becomes the picture. This page explains how it works, shows real examples, and then points you to the tools to plan your own.

Plan My First Strava Art

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The Eiffel Tower across Paris, planned with GPSArtify.

What is Strava Art?

Strava Art is a form of art created by mapping your movements with a GPS device during physical activities such as cycling, running, hiking, walking, swimming, or any activity you prefer.

When these GPS tracks are synced to Strava, they reveal stunning artworks that trace your route on the map.

Types of Strava Art

While there are some subcategories, there are two main ways to do GPSArt

1. Urban

GPS Art in metropolitan areas by navigating roads and streets to trace your artwork within the urban landscape.

Urban: a bicycle across Montreal, planned with GPSArtify.

Generate your route here…

2. Freestyle

GPS Art in large open areas where you can move freely in any direction and follow your planned path without restrictions.

Plan your route here…

Basic Steps for Strava Art:

Plan Your Route: (hint: there's an app for that—GPSArtify)
Execute the Route
Share Your Strava Art

How Do You Do Strava Art?

An ice cream across Montreal, planned with GPSArtify.

Creating your own Strava Art masterpiece involves a few essential steps that blend creativity with planning and execution. So here's a breakdown to guide you through the process:

Step 1: Plan Your Route

Planning might seem daunting, but you're not alone! Some of the real heroes among Strava artists, like @lennymaughan or @js_weiss, often plan their routes manually, sometimes even on paper. We believe traditional planning needs to be recognized more, so don't forget to follow them.

But!

You can help yourself out with AI

Instead, you can streamline the process using a GPS art generator app. These tools then help you overlay your designs onto a map, simplifying the route creation process.

Is Using a GPS Art Generator Cheating?

Absolutely not! Think of it as using a tool to enhance your artistic capabilities—much like a painter using a brush. A Strava art generator doesn't replace the artist; instead, it merely aids in the execution. Remember, the real challenge still lies in getting out there and bringing your vision to life.

A Santa hat across Lyon, planned with GPSArtify.

Step 2: Execute the Route

Now it's time to bring your Strava Art to life! Whether you're cycling, running, walking, hiking, SUP riding, kayaking, skateboarding, or rollerskating, the adventure begins when you start moving.

How to Navigate?

Download Your Route: If you used an online tool like GPSArtify to plan your route, download the .GPX file. If you planned on paper, just bring it along!
Import the Route: Use your preferred navigation app or GPS device, such as Komoot, AllTrails, Strava, Garmin watches, or Garmin/Wahoo bike computers, to import the downloaded .GPX file.
Follow the Route: Whichever navigation tool you choose, the key is then to follow your planned route as closely as possible.

How to Record the Route?

While navigating, your primary app may already be tracking your journey. For additional features like social sharing and community engagement, consider recording your journey in another app like Strava, especially if you're not already syncing your GPS device with it.

Step 3: Share Your Strava Art

Once you've completed your route, it's time to showcase your masterpiece. Remember,

"If it isn't on Strava, it didn't happen."

Be Proud: Don't hesitate to share any Strava Art, no matter how simple or complex. After all, every piece has its charm and deserves recognition.
Engage with the Community: Share your creations in Strava Clubs as well, so you receive kudos and potentially gain followers.
Use Hashtags: Boost visibility by using popular tags: #gpsart #gpsartify #stravaart

https://www.instagram.com/lennymaughan

Other

Can I Use an E-Vehicle?

When creating Strava Art, the essence is in the effort. Using an e-bike in the French Alps? Absolutely, it counts as physical effort. Rolling through Manhattan on an electric scooter? It's better than a day spent indoors, and yes, it still qualifies as GPS Art.

Strava artwork, Strava drawings, Strava map art: one thing, many names

People describe the same picture in different words. Strava artwork usually means the finished piece, that is, the activity map after the route has been recorded and synced. The terms Strava drawings and Strava map art, on the other hand, describe the drawing itself: the line the track leaves on the map. Finally, Strava route art points at the plan, that is, the route you follow to draw it.

Outside Strava the practice is called GPS art or GPS drawing, because any device that records a GPS track can draw with it. Whichever name you search for, the method is the same: plan the shape as a route, then go and trace it.

What is GPS art?GPS drawing, step by step

Tips for your first piece

Start with one clean shape
A heart, a star or your initials read well even when a corner is a bit off. So save the dinosaur for the third attempt.
Pick the canvas before the picture
A grid of streets gives sharp lines, while a park gives freedom. Decide where you will go first, and then choose a shape that fits it.
Record it as one activity
The map shows one drawing per activity. So pause the recording when you have to walk between lines, then resume.
Check the awkward bits on the map
One-way streets, rivers, railways and private land are where drawings break. Therefore look for them while planning, not on the day.

Real Strava art planned with GPSArtify

These are not mock-ups. Instead, each picture is a route that was planned in the generator, exported, and then recorded by a real runner or rider.

Cartoon dog, Montreal · Planned with GPSArtify
Reindeer, Lyon · Planned with GPSArtify
Pi, Montreal · Planned with GPSArtify
Freestyle hearts, Budapest · Planned with GPSArtify

How the planning tools differ

There are three ways to plan a piece. First, Strava's own route builder is free and good for ordinary routes, but it plans point to point and will not shape a picture for you. Second, free drawing tools let you sketch a line on a map and export it, which works if you are happy to fit the shape to the streets by hand. Finally, a generator like GPSArtify does the fitting: you pick or draw the shape, choose the area and distance, and then the route is snapped to real streets in Urban mode or laid out for open ground in Freestyle mode, before it is exported as a GPX file.

Whichever you use, the recording side is the same: any watch or app that tracks GPS, and one activity per drawing.

Plan a route with GPSArtify

Loved by 54,000+ GPS artists in 150+ countries

Real routes, planned here and then recorded for real
GPX export for Garmin, Komoot, Strava and Wahoo
Runs in the browser, so there is nothing to install

Morgan L.
“I found the Eiffel Tower on the roads of Paris with GPSArtify.”
Luis M.
“Would never have found this route”
Priya S.
“GPSArtify turned my jog into a fun park route.”
Jamie K.
“The AI suggestions keep every new route feeling fresh.”
Thankful Ride
“It's so fun to go on random streets/alleys that I wouldn't have travel down w/o this tool. Thanks”

Plan My First Strava Art

What you get before you pay

Creating a GPSArtify account is free, and there is nothing to install: the generator runs in your browser. Generating routes, exporting GPX files and using the tracker are part of a paid subscription; the current plans are shown inside the app after you sign up.

So you can sign up, look around, and decide when you are ready to plan your first route.

Create My Free Account

Strava art FAQ

How hard is it to make Strava art?

The planning is the hard part, and it gets easy with a generator: pick or draw a shape, let it fit the streets, and then check the lines. The running or riding is an ordinary activity with a few extra turns. So start with a simple shape in a grid-like neighbourhood.

Can I draw pictures on Strava?

Not inside Strava itself. Instead, you plan the picture as a route first, follow that route while recording, and Strava then shows the drawing on the activity map. GPSArtify plans the route and exports the GPX file you follow.

How do people do Strava art?

Most use a route planner or a GPS art generator to fit a shape to real streets, then export a GPX file to a watch or phone, record the activity in one go, and finally share the map. Urban pieces follow streets, while freestyle pieces are drawn in open spaces like parks and beaches.

What is Strava artwork?

The finished picture, that is, the activity map after the route has been recorded and synced. Outside Strava the same practice is called GPS art or GPS drawing.

Do I need Strava to make Strava art?

No: Strava is the most popular place to share it, which is where the name comes from, but any app or device that records a GPS track works, such as Garmin, Komoot, Nike Run Club or an Apple Watch. GPSArtify is independent and not affiliated with Strava.