Guide
How to Export a GPX File From Strava, Garmin, or Your Watch
A GPX file is just your route as recorded GPS points — every running app can produce one, but each hides the button in a different place. Here is where to find it in the apps people actually use, plus fixes for the common failure cases.
Updated 2026-09-08
Strava
On the website: open the activity, click the three-dot menu on the left, and choose “Export GPX”. The file downloads immediately.
On the phone app there is no direct GPX export — open the activity in a mobile browser at strava.com instead, or use the website later from a computer. Your own activities export for free; other people’s routes require a subscription.
Garmin Connect
On the website: open the activity, click the gear icon in the top-right corner, and choose “Export to GPX”.
In the phone app: open the activity, tap the three-dot menu, and look for “Export” — on recent versions this shares a GPX directly. Files record exactly what the watch measured, including pauses.
Apple Watch and iPhone
Apple’s own Workout app does not export GPX directly. The reliable routes: the free “HealthFit” or “RunGap” apps read your workouts from Apple Health and export GPX; or record with a third-party app such as WorkOutDoors, Strava, or Nike Run Club (via Strava sync) in the first place.
Komoot, Wahoo, Coros, Polar, Suunto
Komoot: open the tour on the website → three-dot menu → “Export GPX”. Wahoo rides sync to the ELEMNT app where each ride offers “Share → GPX”. Coros, Polar, and Suunto all export from their web platforms (open the activity and look for an export or down-arrow icon); all three can also auto-sync to Strava, which then exports as above.
When the export misbehaves
File is .fit or .tcx instead of .gpx: Garmin and Wahoo sometimes offer their native formats first — pick the GPX option specifically, or convert with a free tool like gpx.studio.
The route looks jagged or has spikes: GPS drift, usually at start lines, in cities, or under trees. Our editor draws the track exactly as recorded; re-exporting from Strava often helps because it lightly smooths the data.
The file is huge: multi-day rides can contain hundreds of thousands of points. Anything under ~10 MB uploads fine to our editor; larger files can be simplified losslessly for print purposes at gpx.studio.
Frequently asked
What exactly is inside a GPX file?
Plain text: a list of GPS points (latitude, longitude, elevation, timestamp) in an open XML format that every mapping tool understands. No personal account data is included.
Can I export someone else’s Strava activity for a gift?
Only with a Strava subscription and only for routes, not activities. The simplest gift route: ask them to export the GPX themselves (30 seconds), or recreate the route in a tool like gpx.studio.
Does the GPX file need heart rate or pace data?
No — a route poster only uses the location points. Files stripped of health data by privacy-conscious exporters work perfectly.
What happens to my GPX file when I make a poster?
The route is drawn in your browser’s editor onto the map preview; the poster stores only the drawn track needed for printing.
Free worldwide shipping · 250 gsm archival paper · Live preview