A running loop of any distance, from your door

Want to run 5 km without thinking about where to turn? Pick a start and a distance and the loop generator draws a running route that comes back to where you began. It follows footpaths, park paths and quiet streets from OpenStreetMap, routed by the Valhalla engine, the same generator the Runplanner app uses on iPhone and Android.

The loop is a normal route in the running route planner: you see its distance, time at your pace, elevation and surfaces, you can drag any point to change it, and you can save it, download the GPX or share a link. Free, no account.

How to generate a running loop

1. Choose a start. Press the location button to start from where you are, search a street or place, or pick the start on the map.
2. Pick a distance. Tap 3, 5, 10, 15 km or a half marathon, or slide to any distance from 1 to 50 km (miles if your browser uses them).
3. Generate the loop. Press Generate loop. Not your style? Try another draws a different loop of the same distance. Choose a direction to send the loop towards a park or the river first.
4. Take it with you. Save it in your browser, download the GPX for your watch, share a short link, or open it in the free Runplanner app for turn-by-turn navigation.

How long will the loop take?

Running time for common loop distances at three easy paces. Enter your own pace in the planner to see the time for your loop.

Why a generated loop beats guessing

A loop you plan by eye is often 10 to 20% shorter or longer than you meant, because streets bend and you can't cut across blocks. The generator measures along the paths you will actually run and tries several loops in different directions, then keeps the one closest to your distance with the least running back and forth on the same street. Prefer to draw it yourself? Map a run by clicking the map, or read how to map a run.

Frequently asked questions

Can it make a 5 km loop from my house?

Yes. Allow your location or search your street, pick 5 km and press Generate loop. The loop starts and ends at that spot and follows paths and streets you can run on.

How close to my distance will the loop be?

The generator aims for a loop within 5% of the distance you pick and usually gets there. In places with few paths, such as a peninsula or an industrial area, the loop can be further off; the planner then tells you the distance it found next to the distance you asked for.

Can I choose the direction of the loop?

Yes. Pick north, east, south, west or a direction in between, and the loop heads that way first, for example towards a park or a river. Leave it on Any to let the generator choose.

Does it use parks and paths or only roads?

It uses a walking and running profile on OpenStreetMap data, so it prefers footpaths, park paths, cycle paths and quiet streets, and never uses motorways. The surface breakdown shows how much of the loop is paved, gravel or trail.

I don't like this loop. Can I get another one?

Yes. Press Try another in the message after the loop appears and the generator draws a different loop of the same distance. You can also drag any point to change part of the loop.

Can I put the loop on my Garmin, Coros or Apple Watch?

Yes. Press GPX to download the loop as a GPX file and import it into Garmin Connect, Coros, Suunto, Strava or a watch app. See what a GPX file is for the import steps.

Is the loop generator free?

Yes. It is free, with no account, no limit on the number of loops and no ads. Loops from 1 to 50 km.

Can the Runplanner app make loops too?

Yes. Make a loop in the free Runplanner app for iPhone and Android uses the same generator, and the app adds turn-by-turn navigation while you run.

Keep reading

• Running route planner — map a run by clicking the map and see how far it is.
• Why you should change your running route — a new loop now and then helps against boredom and injury.
• Running routes when you travel — a loop from your hotel in a city you don't know.
• Pace calculator — distance, time and pace from any two.