How to navigate Using your Phone

Written by Beth Doughtery

Have you ever worried about getting lost during a run? Maybe it has already happened. You slowed down or sped up and suddenly found yourself alone and uncertain.

If this sounds familiar, this post is for you!

Join group runs with confidence knowing that you can navigate using your phone if you get separated from the group. TLDR: Here is a description of how to do this:

• Open a route in Strave, AllTrails, Footpath or another mapping app that supports navigation.
• Find the navigate button and press start or record.
• See where you are on the route at any moment, and navigate back to the route if you get off track.
• Most apps enable navigation in airplane mode as long as you downloaded the map. This can help save your battery if you are going long.

The above should work for the Strava routes published by the Striders on the HCS Website and Facebook. They are public and can be viewed and followed by anyone with an account, even a free account.

You can also download and transfer a route onto some smartwatches to navigate. In this case, the watch will cue you with turns and signal if you are off-route. Very helpful!

Read on to get more details!

Note, this Tip Tuesday does not cover how to create your own route using apps like MapMyRun that allow you to trace a route out on a map and save it. Rather, it focuses on using existing routes to navigate. If you do use an app to create routes, you most likely can export it as a GPX file and follow the instructions below to navigate with it in real time!

But first, be prepared!

Please, please, never set out on a route thinking the map is all you need. You must know what the route is like and what the potential hazards are. This is especially important on trails where terrain can be difficult, weather and trail conditions vary, and things can get sketchy quickly.

If you are uncertain, get help from a friend or a fellow Strider! There are many very experienced Striders who will be happy to help!

What is a route? Meet the GPX file

A GPX file is a specially formatted file that stores information about a route that a smartphone or watch can use for navigation. A GPX file lets you share a route with someone so they can use it on whatever app they use to navigate.

Common apps that can use a GPX file for navigation are Strava, AllTrails, Footpath and CalTopo. Feel free to comment below with your favorite app and why you use it!

Where can I get a GPX file for a route?

Many races publish GPX files or share links to public routes in apps like Strava. The Striders also publish links to routes each week and maintain a route list on the HCS Website.

With a free account, you can open the links in Strava or Garmin to look at the route. You can save these routes as a GPX file to load on your app of choice.

If you use Garmin Connect and sync your runs to Strava, every run you go on creates a route that is saved in your Strava Routes list. You can share these routes with friends, make them public, and navigate from them anytime.

How can I get a route onto my phone to Navigate with it?

I’ve provided basic instructions for a few common scenarios below. Apologies in advance for the frustration you may feel trying to do this. Each app is different and has it’s own special quirks. Rule of thumb: If you can’t figure out how to do what you want to do in the app, try the web version on a desktop.

To use a route from a run publicly shared on Strava (e.g. a Strider run):

• Open the Strava link to the route you are interested in…and start navigating. TaDa!
• You will need a Strava account and internet access during the run for this to work.

Note: It’s a good practice to download a route onto your device so it can be used “offline” ahead of a run, rather than rely on access to the internet. You never know where you’ll lose coverage!

To save a publicly shared route on Strava so you can navigate later or in airplane mode:

• Open the route or activity in Strava
• Use the bookmark button to save the route to make it part of your routes list.
• Download the route (click the Offline button) so you can navigate without internet access
• When you are ready to use the route, go to your profile and your Routes, find the route, open it, and press Start to start navigating.

To create a route from a GPX file you downloaded (e.g., from a race website):

• Log in to Strava via the Web (not the app)
• Go to My Routes…Create New Route
• There will be an upload button (a circle with an up-arrow). Use that to upload the GPX file you have saved.
• Name the route. Now you can use it anytime to navigate!

You can also use AllTrails or CalTopo.

How can I get a route onto my watch to Navigate with it?

Many Garmin watches have the very neat feature of letting you load a route onto the watch and navigate with it. If you cannot read tiny print or have a slightly smaller watch to match your slightly smaller wrist, a good practice is to put the route on both your watch and your phone so you can see it on the large screen if needed.

One way to get the route on your watch (there are lots of ways!):

• Open the route from a link provided by the club in Garmin Connect — the web version.
• Log in.
• It should show the map and a button that says Send to Device. Hit Send to Device.
• Sync and your watch will have a copy

Note, if you hit Duplicate, it will save a copy of the Route in your Garmin Connect, so you can sync it to your watch and use it anytime. These watches can only hold so many routes, so you might need to delete an old one to add a new one.

To Navigate with the route:

• On your watch, select the Run app.
• Use the middle button on the left and select Run Settings
• Select Navigation
• Find the route and select Navigate
• Start running!

I turn off the map screen. It uses a lot of battery and I find it impossible to read. Instead, I go only by the cues and if I need to, I use the map on my phone to re-direct myself.