How long is the cat silhouette route in London?

The cat silhouette covers 12.9 km with 67 m of ascent and 66 m of descent. At a steady 6:00/km, allow about 82 minutes plus stops.

Do I need a paid plan to download the GPX?

Yes. The GPX file is included with a ShapeMiles subscription — sign in and subscribe to download it. The file works with Garmin, Coros, Suunto, Strava and any app that reads GPX, and your subscription also covers turn-by-turn navigation in the app and route generation for your own city. The map, elevation profile and kilometre splits on this page are free to view.

How accurate is the drawing?

The track follows real, runnable streets and paths, so the shape is recognisable once uploaded to Strava. The drawing spans about 2.5 km east to west and 2 km north to south across London.

Where does the route start?

The start point is at 51.5221, -0.1429 — roughly 1.9 km north of the centre of London. The route is a loop, so you can begin anywhere along the line.

United Kingdom › London › GPS art route

Cat silhouette GPS Art Running Route in London — 12.9 km

A 12.9 km loop through London that draws a cat silhouette when you upload it to Strava. The line follows public streets and paths, climbs 67 m in total, and covers a footprint about 2.5 km wide by 2 km tall.

Navigate it in the app

Distance12.9 km

Elevation gain67 m

Elevation loss66 m

Estimated time82 min

DifficultyModerate

Average gradient0.5%

Route map

Start point: 51.5221, -0.1429 — about 1.9 km north of the centre of London. It is a closed loop, so any point on the line works as a start.

Elevation profile

Measured from the elevation data in the GPX file: 67 m of ascent and 66 m of descent across 12.9 km, an average gradient of 0.5%.

Kilometre by kilometre

Split	Heading	Elevation change	Range
km 1	Runs south-south-east	+1 m	27–28 m
km 2	Runs east	-1 m	26–28 m
km 3	Runs east-north-east	-3 m	24–27 m
km 4	Runs east-north-east	-4 m	21–24 m
km 5	Runs south-south-east	+1 m	18–25 m
km 6	Runs south-south-east	-2 m	17–22 m
km 7	Runs west-south-west	+2 m	19–24 m
km 8	Runs west	+1 m	16–25 m
km 9	Runs south-south-west	-2 m	19–23 m
km 10	Runs west	+2 m	15–23 m
km 11	Runs south-west	-3 m	11–23 m
km 12	Runs north-north-west	+8 m	19–27 m
km 12.9	Runs north-north-west	-1 m	26–28 m

Turn-by-turn outline

The 24 direction changes below are the ones that define the drawing. Hitting them accurately matters more than pace — the shape only reads well if the corners are sharp.

0.06 km — turn right, then continue east-south-east.
0.25 km — turn right, then continue south-east.
0.46 km — turn left, then continue south.
0.63 km — turn right, then continue west-south-west.
0.87 km — turn sharp left, then continue east.
0.99 km — turn left, then continue east-south-east.
1.32 km — turn left, then continue east.
1.45 km — turn left, then continue north.
1.58 km — turn right, then continue north-east.
1.73 km — turn right, then continue east-north-east.
1.87 km — turn right, then continue south-east.
2.02 km — turn left, then continue east-north-east.
2.42 km — turn right, then continue east-south-east.
2.64 km — turn right, then continue south-east.
2.77 km — turn left, then continue north-east.
2.95 km — turn right, then continue north-north-east.
3.10 km — turn left, then continue north.
3.28 km — turn right, then continue north-north-east.
3.42 km — turn left, then continue north.
3.55 km — turn right, then continue east-south-east.
3.71 km — turn right, then continue south-east.
3.93 km — turn left, then continue east-north-east.
4.23 km — turn right, then continue south-west.
4.36 km — turn left, then continue south-south-west.

Difficulty and terrain

Moderate. Flat profile, but 12.9 km of concentration on the line. Expect the distance, not the climb, to be the limiting factor.

Surface: Mostly urban roads and mixed city surfaces.

Safety: Check route details and local traffic conditions before running GPS art routes.

Best months: Depends on city weather and season.

How to run this shape

Download the GPX file with your subscription and load it onto your watch, or open it in the ShapeMiles app.
Start anywhere on the loop — beginning near a landmark makes the finish easier to find.
Keep GPS recording continuous. Pausing mid-run leaves straight lines that cut across the drawing.
Follow the corners precisely; short detours are what blur the shape.
Upload to Strava and the cat silhouette appears on your activity map.

Questions about this route

How long is the cat silhouette route in London?: The cat silhouette covers 12.9 km with 67 m of ascent and 66 m of descent. At a steady 6:00/km, allow about 82 minutes plus stops.
Do I need a paid plan to download the GPX?: Yes. The GPX file is included with a ShapeMiles subscription — sign in and subscribe to download it. The file works with Garmin, Coros, Suunto, Strava and any app that reads GPX, and your subscription also covers turn-by-turn navigation in the app and route generation for your own city. The map, elevation profile and kilometre splits on this page are free to view.
How accurate is the drawing?: The track follows real, runnable streets and paths, so the shape is recognisable once uploaded to Strava. The drawing spans about 2.5 km east to west and 2 km north to south across London.
Where does the route start?: The start point is at 51.5221, -0.1429 — roughly 1.9 km north of the centre of London. The route is a loop, so you can begin anywhere along the line.