Runner makes cool animated art on the Strava app

Toronto-based Duncan McCabe creates awesome animated art using a surprising method—recording his daily runs on the Strava app. He became famous last year after his animated "Stick Man" drawing went viral. To create the Stick Man, he recorded a series of runs from January 1, 2024 to October 25, and then compiled about 120 of the runs into a 27-second animation. The New York Times provides more details:

Reminiscent of an old-school flipbook, the stickman is an animated compilation of about 120 of Mr. McCabe's runs from Strava, the exercise-tracking platform. Mr. McCabe . . . used the app's map function to record his runs in the form of a hat-wearing, long-legged figure superimposed over Toronto's city grid.

Gyrating to the funky beat of Sofi Tukker's "Purple Hat," the stickman shrugs his shoulders, waves his arms and doffs his cap at about five frames, or five 10-kilometer runs, per second.

In addition to his famous Stick Man, McCabe has also created an animated dinosaur, giraffe, raccoon, and whale, and has spelled out the letters of his hometown, TORONTO. Here's a cool compilation of some of his animations.

McCabe explains that during the day he works as an accountant, so these animated maps based on his runs are one way he gets to express his creativity. I think they're terrific, and I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

See more of McCabe's work on his Instagram and learn more about his process in this great piece about him in The New York Times.