How to view a GPX file online

  1. Get the GPX file. Export it from the app or website where the route lives (see below), or save the file someone sent you.
  2. Open it here. Drop the file on this page, or press Choose a GPX file. On a phone, pick it from Files or Downloads.
  3. Check the route. The map shows the line with a marker every kilometre or mile. Below it are the distance, total climb, the elevation profile and, for recorded runs, moving time and average pace.
  4. Use it. Open the route in the Runplanner app to run it with turn-by-turn navigation, edit it in the route planner, or download a clean GPX for your watch.

No software to install and no account. It works the same in Chrome, Safari, Edge and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android and iPhone.

Where to get a GPX file

  • Strava: on the website, open the activity or route, press the … menu and choose Export GPX.
  • Garmin Connect: open the activity or course, press the gear icon and choose Export to GPX.
  • komoot: open the tour on the website and choose Download GPX file.
  • COROS, Suunto and other watch apps: open the activity and use Export or Share, then choose GPX.
  • Race websites: most marathons and trail races offer the course as a GPX download.
  • Runplanner: plan a route in the app or the free web route planner and export it as GPX.

New to the format? Read What is a GPX file? for the basics.

What the numbers mean

  • Distance is measured along every point in the file, so it matches what your watch or app recorded.
  • Climb is the total height gained. Changes under 2 metres are ignored, so GPS noise on flat ground does not add phantom metres. Heights come from the file; when it has none, the viewer reads them from public terrain data (SRTM).
  • Moving time leaves out the moments you stood still, like traffic lights and water stops. Average pace is worked out over the moving part.
  • Estimated time is shown for planned routes without times, at an easy 6:00 per km (9:39 per mile).

Your file stays on your device

The GPX viewer reads the file with your browser. It is not uploaded, stored or seen by anyone, and closing the tab removes it. The map tiles and the public elevation tiles load from the internet like on any online map, but they do not include your file.

Only when you choose Send to my phone or Open with a link is the route line saved on runplannerapp.com, to make a short link. Times, heart rate and the file itself are never saved, and the page asks first.

Frequently asked questions

How do I open a GPX file online?

Drop the .gpx file on this page or press Choose a GPX file. The route appears on a map with its distance, elevation profile and total climb. It is free and needs no account.

What is a GPX file?

GPX (GPS Exchange Format) is an open text format for GPS data. A GPX file holds a list of points with latitude, longitude and often elevation and time, which together describe a route or a recorded activity. Strava, Garmin, COROS, Suunto, komoot and most running watches can export and import GPX. More about GPX files.

Can I open a GPX file on my phone?

Yes. This page works in the browser on iPhone and Android: tap Choose a GPX file and pick the file from Files or Downloads. If the file arrived in WhatsApp or Mail, save it to Files first. With the free Runplanner app you can also tap the file and choose Open with Runplanner (how importing works).

How do I see the elevation profile of a GPX file?

Open the file here. The viewer draws the elevation profile and works out total climb and descent from the heights in the file. When the file has no heights, it looks them up from public terrain data (SRTM).

Does the GPX viewer show pace and moving time?

Yes, when the file has timestamps, as recorded activities from a watch or Strava do. You see moving time, stopped time and average pace over the moving part. Planned routes without times show an estimated time at an easy 6:00 per km pace.

Can it open FIT, TCX or KML files?

No, the viewer reads GPX only. Strava, Garmin Connect and komoot can export an activity or route as GPX: open it there, choose Export GPX and open that file here.

How big can a GPX file be?

Up to 10 MB and 50,000 points. That covers a marathon recorded every second. For multi-day tracks, split the file per day.

How do I put a GPX route on my watch?

Press Download a clean GPX and import that file as a course in Garmin Connect, or as a route in the COROS, Suunto or Apple Watch app you use (step by step). You can also open the route in the free Runplanner app for turn-by-turn navigation on your phone.

Can I edit a GPX route?

Yes. Press Edit in the route planner. The free Runplanner route planner opens with the route, so you can change part of it, snap it to roads and trails, and download it again as GPX.

Is my GPX file uploaded?

No. The file is read in your browser and never sent to a server. If you choose Send to my phone or Open with a link, the route line (not your times or heart rate) is saved to make a short link, and the page asks before it does that.