Run a Christmas Route
10 festive Christmas GPS art shapes to run this December. Trees, snowflakes, candy canes, gifts, and more, with difficulty and distance for each.
Plan a Christmas RunThe Short Answer
Christmas GPS art is a run planned so the GPS trace forms a holiday shape, a tree, snowflake, gift box, candy cane, or reindeer, when viewed on a map afterward. Pick a shape below, sketch it on a real street map with a route planner, run the loop, then screenshot the trace. Most shapes take 3 to 8 km and 20 to 50 minutes, no special gear required beyond a phone or GPS watch.
Why Christmas GPS Art Is a December Tradition
Every December, runners turn their daily training into festive GPS art. They run Christmas trees, snowflakes, gift boxes, and reindeer shapes, then share the screenshots on Strava and Instagram. It is the perfect way to keep training fun during the cold month when motivation usually drops.
A Christmas GPS art run is short (3 to 8 km for most shapes), gives you a creative goal, and produces a screenshot you can share with family. Some runners do it as a Christmas tradition, running the same shape every December 24th. Others do a "running advent calendar" with 25 shapes through the month.
This guide gives you 10 Christmas shapes ranked by difficulty so you can pick one that fits your fitness, your city, and your free time. Use the Motera GPS art planner to draw your shape on a real map and export to your watch. If you have never drawn GPS art before, start with our step by step guide to making GPS art to learn the basics before tackling a Christmas shape.
Draw Your Christmas Shape on a Real Map
The Motera GPS art planner makes Christmas route planning easy. Sketch your shape on the map, the route follows real streets, distance is calculated automatically, and you can export GPX for any running watch.
Open the GPS Art Planner
MoteraRun Festive Shapes This December. Then Keep The Streak Going.
A Christmas tree run is a perfect December tradition. Motera gives you a reason to lace up every day of the season, not just for the holiday shapes. Capture blocks around your neighborhood, uncover new streets through the Fog of War, and build a running habit that lasts well into the new year.
MoteraHow Christmas GPS Art Became a Thing
GPS art, sometimes called Strava art or run art, started as a niche hobby among cyclists and runners who noticed their tracked routes could double as drawings. Strava has documented the movement's spread from a handful of enthusiasts to a worldwide community, with athletes on every continent now planning routes shaped like animals, landmarks, and seasonal symbols.
Christmas is one of the most popular occasions for GPS art specifically because the imagery is so recognizable. A lopsided triangle instantly reads as a Christmas tree, a six-armed shape reads as a snowflake, even at the small scale of a phone screen. Local news outlets have covered individual runners who turned their December training into holiday-shaped routes, proof that this is not just a niche Strava trend but something that resonates with a general audience too.
The tradition keeps growing every year alongside the broader run art and GPS doodle movement. If you want the full backstory and more shape ideas beyond the holidays, our 60 GPS art ideas guide and GPS doodle guide cover the wider hobby in depth.
10 Christmas GPS Art Shapes
Christmas Tree
Easy3 to 5 kmKey features: Triangle silhouette, small rectangular trunk.
Pro tip: Plan a tall isoceles triangle with a small rectangle at the base. Diagonal streets help with the slanted sides.
Snowflake
Medium5 to 7 kmKey features: Six-fold radial symmetry with branching arms.
Pro tip: Draw 6 lines from a central point, then add small symmetric branches on each. Symmetry is the key, plan all 6 arms identically.
Gift Box
Easy3 to 5 kmKey features: Square or rectangle with a ribbon and bow on top.
Pro tip: A simple rectangle is the box. Add a vertical line for the ribbon and two small loops at the top for the bow.
Candy Cane
Medium4 to 6 kmKey features: Long vertical line with a hook at the top.
Pro tip: A long straight street for the cane, then a half loop at the top for the hook. The hook is the iconic detail.
Star
Medium4 to 6 kmKey features: Five points radiating from a center.
Pro tip: A 5-point star needs 5 sharp angles. Plan 5 long lines crossing in the middle. Cities with a spoke-and-hub layout are perfect.
Snowman
Hard6 to 9 kmKey features: Three stacked circles with arms, hat, and face.
Pro tip: Three stacked rounded squares (head, body, base). Add stick arms on either side and a top hat. Cul-de-sacs help with the round shapes.
Reindeer
Hard8 to 12 kmKey features: Body, four legs, head, antlers, tail.
Pro tip: Like running a horse with antlers. The antlers are the iconic feature, two branching shapes on top of the head.
Santa
Very Hard8 to 14 kmKey features: Hat, beard, body, boots, sack.
Pro tip: The most complex Christmas shape. Plan the hat (triangle with a pom pom), beard (rounded shape), and boots separately.
Holly Leaf
Easy3 to 4 kmKey features: Two pointed ovals with serrated edges.
Pro tip: Two simple ovals connected at the base. Add a few small triangles on the edges for the spiky leaf shape.
Christmas Bell
Medium4 to 6 kmKey features: Round dome shape with a small handle on top.
Pro tip: A flared trapezoid (wider at the bottom) with a small loop at the top for the bell handle.
The Running Advent Calendar Tradition
Some runners turn December into a running advent calendar: a different short run every day from December 1 to 25. The bold version is to run a different GPS art shape each day. By Christmas Eve, your Strava feed has 24 festive runs and you have built a solid running streak heading into the new year.
Tips for a running advent calendar: keep daily runs short (2 to 4 km), pick a mix of easy and challenging shapes, alternate hard days with very easy days, and treat Christmas Day as your masterpiece (run your most ambitious shape). The goal is consistency, not heroics.
Start Your Advent CalendarOther Holidays for GPS Art
Christmas is the most popular holiday for GPS art, but every other major holiday has its own shapes. Here is a quick reference for year-round festive runs.
Halloween
OctoberPumpkin, ghost, bat, witch hat, spider, skull
Easter
March or AprilBunny, egg, basket, chick, cross
Valentine's Day
FebruaryHeart, rose, cupid arrow, "LOVE" letters
Thanksgiving
NovemberTurkey, pumpkin pie, cornucopia, "THANKS"
New Year
January 1Fireworks, year number ("2027"), party hat, champagne glass
4th of July
July 4Star, flag, firework, "USA" letters
Tips for a Successful Christmas GPS Run
Pick a shape that matches your city
A grid city is great for trees, gifts, and stars. A city with curved streets and parks is better for snowmen, reindeer, and bells.
Plan well in advance
December weather can be unpredictable. Plan your route 1 to 2 weeks ahead, then pick the best weather day to run it.
Dress for the cold
Christmas runs often happen in cold weather. Layer up, wear gloves and a hat, and use reflective gear if running before sunrise or after sunset.
Bring your phone fully charged
Cold weather drains GPS device batteries fast. Start the run with a 100% charge and keep your phone in an inside pocket if temperatures are below freezing.
Share the screenshot
Christmas GPS art is built for sharing. Post the screenshot on Strava, Instagram, or send to family as a creative holiday card.
Combine with charity
Christmas is peak charity season. Pair your festive run with a fundraising goal and ask friends to donate per kilometer or per turn.
Pros and Cons of Christmas GPS Art
Pros
- Built-in motivation: a shape to complete gives you a concrete goal on days when just "going for a run" feels hard.
- Shareable content: the finished trace is instantly recognizable and makes for a natural holiday post or a creative alternative to a paper Christmas card.
- Low distance commitment: most shapes are 3 to 8 km, short enough to fit around holiday errands and family time.
- Works anywhere: grid cities, suburban cul-de-sacs, and park paths can all produce a recognizable shape with the right planning.
Cons
- Street grid dependent: a rigid grid cannot always reproduce curved shapes like a snowman or bell cleanly.
- Route planning takes time: the harder shapes (reindeer, Santa) can take 20 to 40 minutes to sketch and adjust before you even start running.
- Weather risk: December routes are vulnerable to ice, early darkness, and cancelled plans if you wait too long to run them.
- Detours add distance: following real streets instead of a straight line usually adds 10 to 20 percent to the shape's raw geometry.
How to Plan a Christmas GPS Art Route
- Pick a shape that matches your fitness and your city's layout. A grid neighborhood favors angular shapes (tree, gift, star). Curved streets and parks favor rounded shapes (snowman, bell, reindeer body).
- Open a map of your neighborhood in the Motera GPS art planner and study the street layout before sketching anything. Look for long straight stretches for the main lines of your shape.
- Sketch the shape's main outline first, then refine the details (trunk, antlers, bow) once the core silhouette follows real streets and closes into a loop back near your start point.
- Check the total distance and elevation. Make sure the route matches your current fitness. It is better to simplify a shape than to bail out halfway through.
- Export the route to GPX and load it on your watch or phone, or simply keep the map open for reference if you are comfortable navigating by sight.
- Run the loop, following the plotted turns as closely as you can. Small deviations rarely ruin the shape, but sharp corners need to be run tightly to stay recognizable.
- Screenshot the finished trace from your tracking app and crop it so the shape is centered before sharing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Choosing a shape too complex for a first attempt
Santa and the reindeer are the hardest shapes on this list. Start with a tree, gift box, or holly leaf before attempting a multi-part shape.
Ignoring one-way streets and dead ends
A route that looks perfect on the map can be impossible to run if a street turns out to be one-way against your direction or ends in a fenced yard.
Waiting until Christmas Eve to plan
Complex shapes need a dry run or at least a careful map review beforehand. Planning the week before gives you time to adjust for weather.
Forgetting to screenshot before closing the app
Some tracking apps do not save a shareable map view automatically. Capture the screenshot before you navigate away from the finished activity.
Running the shape too fast to stay on the lines
Precision matters more than pace here. Slow down at corners so your GPS trace actually reflects the sharp turns of the shape.
Quick Questions, Answered
Do I need a running watch for GPS art?
No. Any phone with GPS and a running or cycling tracking app works fine. A dedicated GPS watch gives slightly more accurate corner tracking, but a phone in an armband or pocket produces a perfectly readable Christmas shape.
Can I do Christmas GPS art walking instead of running?
Yes. The shape only depends on your GPS trace, not your speed. Walking a Christmas tree route takes longer but produces the exact same result, and it is a good option for family walks during the holidays.
What if my neighborhood does not have the right street layout?
Pick a nearby park with looping paths, an industrial area with wide access roads, or a business district that empties out on evenings and weekends. These areas often have more flexible layouts than dense residential grids. See our GPS art letters guide for more street-grid strategies that apply to any shape.
Here is festive GPS art done for real: planning and completing a reindeer-shaped route, from sketch on the map to the finished Strava upload.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Christmas GPS art?
Christmas GPS art is when you run a route shaped like a Christmas symbol (tree, snowflake, gift, candy cane) and the GPS trace shows the holiday shape on a map. It is a festive running tradition that has gained popularity on Strava every December.
What is the easiest Christmas GPS art shape to run?
The Christmas tree is the easiest. It is a simple triangle with a small rectangle at the bottom for the trunk. You can finish it in 3 to 5 km on most city street grids, and it is instantly recognizable.
When should I run Christmas GPS art?
Most runners do their Christmas GPS art on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day morning. Some people run a different shape every day from December 1 to 25 as a "running advent calendar" tradition. Pick whichever fits your schedule.
What is a running advent calendar?
A running advent calendar is when you run 25 different short runs in December, one each day until Christmas. Some runners turn this into GPS art by drawing a different Christmas symbol each day. By Christmas Eve, you have 24 festive routes saved on your Strava feed.
How long should a Christmas GPS art run be?
Most Christmas shapes are designed to be 3 to 8 km. A Christmas tree is around 4 km, a snowflake is 5 to 7 km, a gift box is 3 km, and a reindeer is 8 to 12 km. Pick a shape that matches your fitness level and time available.
Can I run a Christmas charity run as GPS art?
Yes. Many runners combine Christmas GPS art with charity fundraising. They share the festive shape on social media and ask friends to donate per kilometer or per turn. The shareable visual makes the fundraiser much more engaging.
Are there other holiday GPS art ideas?
Yes. Halloween: pumpkin, ghost, bat, witch hat. Easter: bunny, egg, basket. Valentine's Day: heart, rose, cupid arrow. Thanksgiving: turkey, pumpkin pie. New Year: fireworks, "2027" letter run. Every holiday has its own GPS art ideas.
What app should I use to plan a Christmas GPS art route?
Use the Motera GPS art planner. Draw any Christmas shape directly on your city map, the route follows real streets, and you can export to GPX for any running watch. Free, no signup, perfect for holiday planning.
