The Complete Guide to GPS Art on Strava
Everything you need to know to create your first GPS art and share it on Strava.
GPS art — also known as Strava art or running art — is the practice of planning a route that draws a picture on the map when you run or cycle it. It's become a global phenomenon, with thousands of athletes creating everything from simple hearts to complex animal portraits across their cities.
What is GPS Art?
GPS art works by carefully planning a route along streets and paths that, when viewed on a map, forms a recognizable shape. The raw material is your city's street grid — every road, path, and trail becomes a potential brush stroke. When you follow the route with a GPS device, the recorded track creates the artwork.
Getting Started with Draw My Loop
Draw My Loop makes GPS art accessible to everyone. Instead of manually plotting hundreds of waypoints, you simply choose a shape from the library (or draw your own), position it on the map, and our algorithm automatically snaps it to real roads. The entire process takes just a few minutes.
Choosing Your First Shape
We recommend starting with simple, closed shapes like a heart or a star. These shapes are forgiving — even if the road network doesn't perfectly match, the result is still clearly recognizable. Save complex shapes like animals or text for when you're more experienced with reading the previews.
Sharing on Strava
Once you've completed your run, the GPS track will appear on Strava just like any other activity. The art is immediately visible on your activity map. Pro tip: use a descriptive title and add a screenshot of the planned route for comparison. Many GPS artists use hashtags like #stravaart, #gpsart, and #runningart to connect with the community.
Tips for Better Results
Choose residential neighborhoods with dense street grids — they offer more routing options. Avoid areas with highways or restricted access. Bigger shapes (2-4 km across) tend to work better than tiny ones. And always check the elevation profile before running — you don't want a surprise 200m climb in the middle of your art!