How to Create a Route Poster: Strava, Famous Races & GPX Files

What Is a Route Poster?

A route poster is a custom art print generated from GPS data. It overlays your routes on a map — usually in a minimalist, stripped-back style — and lets you choose the colors, layout, and level of detail.

Popular uses include:

• A full year of Strava running routes, to celebrate a training milestone
• The official course of a marathon you ran — Paris, New York, Berlin
• A GPX track from a bucket-list cycling sportive or ultra-trail race
• A single unforgettable activity — a race PR, a summit, a proposal

The result is something personal, visual, and genuinely beautiful. Far more meaningful than a finisher's medal sitting in a drawer.

Step 1: Choose Your Route Source

Go to elevaprint.com/create. You'll be asked how you want to bring in your route. There are three options:

Option A — Connect Strava

Click "Connect with Strava" and authorize via Strava's OAuth flow. Your activities load automatically. Elevaprint only reads GPS data — it cannot post on your behalf and does not permanently store your activities.

Option B — Pick a Famous Race

Search our library of thousands of race courses worldwide — marathons, ultras, triathlons, gran fondos. Type "Paris", "NYC", "Berlin", or any race name and select the official course. No account needed. Great for creating a gift without access to someone else's GPS watch.

Option C — Upload a GPX File

Export a GPX file from Garmin Connect, Wahoo, Komoot, AllTrails, Suunto, or any other app that supports GPX export. Drag and drop it directly into the builder. This works for any activity — even ones you never logged on Strava.

Step 2: Pick Your Activities

If you connected Strava, you can filter your activities by:

• Sport type — runs, rides, hikes, swims, or all at once
• Date range — a specific year, a training block, or your entire history

If you used a famous race or a GPX file, your route is already selected — jump straight to customization.

You can include a single activity for a memorable race, or stack an entire year's worth of routes to show the full scope of your effort.

Step 3: Customize Your Poster

This is where you make it yours. The customization options include:

• Map theme — dark, light, satellite, or terrain backgrounds
• Route color — any color you like, with adjustable opacity and stroke width
• Layout — portrait or landscape orientation
• Title and subtitle — add your name, a year, a city, or a personal message
• Map framing — pan and zoom the preview to frame exactly the area you want

The live preview updates in real time, so what you see is exactly what you'll get. No design skills required.

Step 4: Download or Order a Physical Print

When you're happy with the result, choose how you want it:

• Digital download ($7) — A high-resolution PNG file you can print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to any print-on-demand service.
• Physical print (from $19) — We handle the printing and delivery. Available in A4, A3, A2, and A1 formats, printed on professional-grade enhanced matte paper and shipped worldwide. Delivery typically takes 4–8 business days.

Both options are one-time payments — no subscription, no hidden fees. If you're not happy with the result, you get a full refund within 30 days.

Ideas for Your Route Poster

Not sure what to create? Here are some ideas that work well:

• The Year in Review — All your Strava activities from a full calendar year. Great for December or New Year.
• The Marathon Course — Pick your race from the library (Paris, NYC, Berlin, Chicago…) and immortalize the course you trained months to run.
• The Marathon Build — 12–16 weeks of training runs from Strava leading up to a race. Shows just how much work goes into a finish line.
• The City Map — All the streets you've run in your city, filtered from Strava. Filter by run and zoom in tight for a dense, striking result.
• The Bucket-List Ride — Upload the GPX from a cycling sportive or ultra-trail race your device tracked.
• The Gift — Use the famous race library to create a poster of the race someone just finished — no access to their GPS device needed.

Frequently Asked Questions