If you’re finding it hard to lace up your trainers or hop on the saddle, Strava art might be just the creative boost you need.
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By planning routes that form pictures when tracked via GPS, athletes around the world are adding a new layer of fun — and often purpose — to their workouts. From dinosaurs to dragons, here are some of the most impressive examples of GPS-powered artistry.
The best Strava art
Olympic rings
Two French cyclists geared up for the Paris 2024 Olympics by setting out on a 1,354-mile ride, tracing the Olympic Rings on Strava. Guillaume Koudlansky de Lustrac and Vincent Brémond were attempting to beat the previous record for the largest GPS drawing by bicycle, held by father-daughter duo Frédéric and Mathilde de Lanouvelle, who cycled a heart-shaped route across France in 2023. The new record breakers finished their heroic effort under the Eiffel Tower, after 10 days of cycling.
Love heart
Before the Olympic Rings, the record was held by Frédéric and Mathilde de Lanouvelle, who cycled a love heart around France in 2023 on a tandem. Their heart took them 16 days to complete and helped them raise money for children with heart defects. Mathilde was just 16 years old when the pair took on the tandem bike challenge.
Velociraptor
French cyclists Maxime Brugère, Florent Arnaud, Franck Delorme and Nicolas Meunier cycled for six days to bring their velociraptor to life in 2023, winning the world record at the time for the largest GPS art. It was part of the cyclists’ effort to raise awareness about climate change. “Dinosaurs are proof that such strong species can quickly become extinct,” Brugère said at the time. “We are the main culprits of this environmental crisis, but also its main victims. As such, the future is in our hands and cycling is one of the best ways to contribute to change.”
Bigfoot
Marathon runner Lenny Maughan is known for his creative Strava artwork. His completed run of Bigfoot in San Francisco took nine hours and 50 mins and covered 41.3 miles, with lots of elevation! His more recent efforts include a snake, a dragon and the Loch Ness monster.
Giraffe
Having previously completed a 67.3km giraffe, Tim Lewin decided to up the standard and create a 236.2km giraffe with spots. His cycle took him all around North London.
The Christ the Redeemer statue
Emblematic of the city of Rio de Janeiro, the Christ the Redeemer statue was brought to life by Gustavo Lyra while out on a 27.2km-run in Extremoz, Brazil.
A map of Australia
Strava isn’t just for running and cycling – there are lots of other sports you can track on the app and create art out of. John Havranek spent Australia Day kayaking in Botany Bay, so he decided to double down on the theme with some Aussie Strava art.
Witch
To celebrate Halloween in 2023, Nicolas Georgiou cycled 167km around South London to create this festive witch on a broomstick.
A map of the world
Melbourne-based runner Peter Mitchell is a famous Strava art creator, and for his 50th birthday run he spent three mornings in a row running three ultramarathons to create a map of the globe.
