How to choose a route print
You remember the day: the start line, the bad patch at halfway, the last mile. A route print is a way of keeping it somewhere you’ll see it, rather than in an app you’ll scroll past.
There are a few quite different things sold as route prints, though, and they suit different people. This guide sets out the main kinds, what each one shows and what you need to order it, then what to check before you buy, wherever you buy from.
The main kinds of route print
A print of your own recorded line
Made from the GPX file your watch, phone or bike computer recorded. It shows the exact line you took, wrong turns and detours included, usually with your name, the date and your distance or time. It needs the file, which most apps can export in a minute or so.
Good for: anyone who recorded the day and wants their line, not just the route.
A print of the course or route
Drawn from the official or standard line: a race course, a National Trail, a classic round. You don’t need a file, which makes it easy to give as a gift. It shows the route as it’s meant to be done rather than the way you did it, and race courses often change a little from year to year.
Good for: gifts, and anyone who didn’t record the day.
A medal frame with a route
A deep frame that holds the race medal, usually with a printed route or course map and sometimes a photo or the race bib. The medal is the centrepiece and the map plays a supporting part.
Good for: races where the medal matters as much as the route.
An illustrated or hand-drawn map
An artist’s map of a trail, a city or an area, sometimes with your route or a few personal details added. It’s more about the place than the line, and the route is usually drawn by hand rather than from data.
Good for: a favourite place, or a walk where the look matters more than the exact line.
A custom printed map sheet
A full map, flat or folded, centred where you choose, with your route printed on it. It’s detailed and practical, and reads more like a map than a keepsake.
Good for: people who love maps for their own sake.
Side by side
| Kind of print | Your exact line? | Needs a GPX? | Holds the medal? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own recorded line | Yes | Yes | No |
| Course or route | No, the standard line | No | No |
| Medal frame | Usually the course | Often not | Yes |
| Illustrated map | Rarely | No | No |
| Custom map sheet | If you add it | Usually | No |
Most kinds can carry a name and date. The ones that don’t need a file are the easiest to give as a surprise.
What to check before you buy
- Whose line is it? Check whether the print uses your recording or a standard course. Both are fine, but they’re different things, and with a course it’s worth knowing which year’s.
- What’s the map underneath? Ordnance Survey, OpenStreetMap or an artist’s drawing all look different. A good print says which it uses and credits it.
- Can you see it before you pay? A preview of the finished print, with your name, date and figures, saves a lot of disappointment with something made to order.
- Paper and printing. Look for a stated paper weight and print method. Heavier fine-art paper and pigment inks hold fine map detail and keep their colour well.
- Frame and size. Standard sizes such as A3 and A2 are easy to reframe later. If it comes framed, check what the frame is made of and what’s in front of the print.
- Timing. Made-to-order prints take time. If it’s for a birthday or Christmas, check the making and delivery times, not just the delivery.
- Event names and logos. A race name describes what you did, but official logos usually need the organiser’s permission. If a print uses them, it’s worth checking it’s licensed.
How our prints work
We make two of the kinds above in one: a print of the course or route, or of your own recorded line, whichever you prefer.
- For routes, races and challenges we’ve drawn, the print starts from our line, so you don’t need a file. If you recorded the day, upload your GPX and the print follows the line you actually took.
- For any other day out, the personalised route map print is made from your own GPX.
- In Great Britain the route sits over an Ordnance Survey map, with the climbs drawn underneath, and your name, the date and your figures or time.
- You see the finished print before you pay.
- Giclée printed with pigment-based archival inks on 200gsm Enhanced Matte Art paper, in A4, A3 or A2. Framed prints come in a solid wood frame, black, white or natural, behind Perspex glazing, ready to hang.
- Made to order and printed in the UK, with free tracked UK delivery. Our delivery page has the current timings.
- We don’t use event logos or suggest any link with organisers.
We don’t make medal frames. If displaying the medal itself matters most, that’s the kind of print to look for.
Questions people ask
What is a GPX file?
The standard file most running, cycling and mapping apps use to save a route: the line you followed, and usually the height and time along the way. Our GPX help page shows how to export one from Strava, Garmin Connect, Komoot and OS Maps.
What if I didn’t record the day?
Choose a print of the course or route. If we’ve drawn the route you did, you only need your name and the date.
Which is better as a gift?
A course or route print, because you don’t need their GPX file. If you want their own line, a gift card lets them make the print themselves.
Is a route print the same as a medal frame?
No. A route print is about the line on the map. A medal frame is built around the medal, with the route as a smaller part.
