Surprise GPS art
Pick a distance and follow the voice. The route draws a picture on the map, and you don't find out what it is until you finish.
© OpenStreetMap
How it works
Pick a distance
Anything from 2 to 18 miles, starting where you're standing or from a pin you drop. Longer runs leave room for bigger drawings.
Follow the turns
A voice calls every turn by street name. The map only shows the next quarter mile, so you can't see the shape coming.
See what you drew
The drawing appears when you finish. It posts to Strava, or you can share a card anywhere else.
Six runs on the Lower East Side
I made Mystery Run, and I ran these six myself between September 6 and October 5. The lines are the GPS tracks Strava recorded, with no smoothing or cleanup.
© OpenStreetMap
© OpenStreetMap
© OpenStreetMap
© OpenStreetMap
© OpenStreetMap
© OpenStreetMap
Syncs to Strava
Connect Strava once. After that, every run you save posts to your feed with the route, your time and pace, and the drawing in the title: Butterfly 🦋 via Mystery Run.
Finish somewhere without signal and the upload waits until you're back online. Not on Strava? Save a share card for Instagram Stories, Messages or WhatsApp instead.
Keep your phone in your pocket
Mystery Run talks you through the whole route with the screen locked. Your music keeps playing and dips for each cue. This is what you'll hear:
- When you set off
Guidance on. 4.5 miles ahead. Head out, first turn coming up.
- About 500 feet before a turn
In 500 feet, you'll turn right onto Forsyth Street.
- At the corner
Turn right onto Forsyth Street.
- Right after it
Then in 0.4 miles, you'll turn left onto Grand Street.
- If you miss one
Off route. Turn around and get back on Grand Street.
- At the end
That's it, you just finished the drawing.
What will you draw?
One of 37 drawings, plus a few seasonal ones that only turn up around the holidays. The app picks one that fits your streets and your distance, and doesn't tell you which.
Works wherever you run
Mystery Run works anywhere with streets. In these 49 cities the street map is built ahead of time, so a route is ready in a few seconds. Anywhere else, your first run in an area takes under a minute while the app maps it.
North America
Europe
Latin America
Questions
- Is Mystery Run free?
- The download and your first run are free, and the first run can be any drawing, animals included. After that, a one-time purchase unlocks the 25 classic drawings plus the seasonal ones, and the Animals pack adds 12 more. There's no subscription.
- Do I need Strava?
- No. If you connect it, each run you save posts to Strava with its route, stats and the drawing in the title. Without it, your runs are saved in the app with the drawing, distance and pace, and you can share a card of your art anywhere.
- How long are the runs?
- You pick a range, from 2 to 3 miles up to 14 to 18. A heart fits in the shortest range. The T. rex needs about 8.5 miles and the octopus about 12, so longer runs open up more of the catalog.
- Do I have to look at my phone?
- No. The voice calls every turn by street name with the screen locked and your music playing. If you want to check, the map shows the next quarter mile and nothing more.
- What if I miss a turn?
- About eight seconds after you leave the route, the voice tells you how to get back on it. You don't need to restart, and a wobble or two won't ruin the drawing.
- Can I walk it instead?
- Yes. The cues are based on distance, not time, so they come at the right corners at any pace.
- Does it work where I live?
- Yes, anywhere with streets. In 49 big cities the street map is built ahead of time, so routes there are ready in seconds. Anywhere else, the first run in a new area takes under a minute while the app maps it, and it's just as quick after that.
- Is there an Android version?
- Not yet. Mystery Run is iPhone only for now.
- How is this different from planning GPS art myself?
- Planning by hand means picking a shape, tracing it over a map and following a line on your watch. Mystery Run does the planning and keeps the result a secret. Here's how to make Strava art by hand if you'd rather.
- What happens to my location?
- Routes are worked out on your phone, and your runs and GPS tracks stay there unless you post one to Strava. There's no account and no ads in the app. The privacy policy has the details.
You'll see it when you've run it
Free to download on iPhone.