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STRAVA new StatMaps | Comparison Garmin, Polar, Golden Cheetah, Runalyze

2 October 2020
the5krunner

STRAVA StatMaps

STRAVA’s StatMaps are available now to subscribers, they are not novel but they are new to STRAVA and I like them.

What the heck’s a StatMap?

Good question! STRAVA call these “data-driven polyline colourations” and they replace the existing monochromatic (orange) lines on your post-workout tracks that show where you have been on your adventures. In my words, STRAVA will colour your GPS track differently depending on how fast you were going at the time.

Actually it’s cleverer than that as you can colour the line based on different criteria. You add a specific hashtag to the activity description which changes the colouration scheme:

  • Pace #PaceMap – Darker colours are faster paces
  • Speed #SpeedMap – Darker colours are faster speeds
  • Heart Rate #HeartrateMap – Darker colours are higher heart rates
  • Elevation (Absolute) #ElevationMap – Darker colours are higher elevation/altitudes
  • Elevation (Gradient) #GradientMap – Red is climbing, Green is descending
  • Power #PowerMap – Darker colours are higher power outputs
  • Time #TimeMap – Darker colours appear later in the activity
  • Temperature #TemperatureMap – Red is hotter

Garmin’s Statmaps

Garmin added StatMap functionality in September and I’ve chosen to display by PACE, with HR and elevation also being available as the other options. Garmin doesn’t seem to vary the colouration by Zone, instead, it seems to be relative to the average for the run/ride. It works well.

Polar’s StatMaps

Here’s an example of the StatMap on the web version of Polar Flow displaying HR. The line colour on the graph has been changed to match the zone colour on the chart. It’s horses-for-courses as to whether or not you prefer this method to Garmin’s. I prefer Garmin’s and I also think that the colours of Polar get washed out by the maps.

Golden Cheetah StatMap

I’ve been aware of the Golden Cheetah StatMap for a long time but confess to never really looking at it until today. I think what it is doing is that it auto-identifies matches/efforts and then ‘StatMaps’ the colour of the effort onto the ride map. Golden Cheetah is very clever…it will definitely show something clever. I’m just not sure what 😉

Runalyze Statmap

Another implementation from Runalyze. This only seems to give me the option to add PACE.

Take Out

The STRAVA implementation is nice and the gradations of colour work well and are pleasing to the eye without being too visually intrusive. The colours seem to form a more natural part of the map than the efforts of Polar and Garmin. It would be nice if the colours were available within the full map functionality rather than just the high-level map on the feed.

You then have to wonder why this is a premium feature and you might also query the way the colours are triggered with the insertion of a manual hashtag – clumsy at best. Negativity aside, I like it.

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Last Updated on 28 May 2026 by the5krunner

My favourite kit and nutrition

  • Maurten — the race nutrition trusted by elite athletes. Gels and drink mix engineered to be easy on the stomach.
  • Garmin 90-degree charging adapter — the small adapter that keeps your charging cable tidy at the stem. Essential for race day.
  • Garmin charging puck — the fastest and most reliable way to top up your Garmin before a session.
  • Ravemen FR300 — front light that mounts directly under your Garmin or Wahoo head unit. Keeps your bars clean and your beam pointed where it matters.
  • Garmin Varia RTL515 — radar rear light that alerts you to vehicles approaching from behind. Pairs with your Edge or Garmin watch.
  • Stryd — the footpod that brings running power to your Garmin. The single most useful running upgrade I have made.
  • Favero Assioma Pro RS2 — the power meter pedals most serious cyclists end up choosing. Accurate, easy to move between bikes.

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9 thoughts on “STRAVA new StatMaps | Comparison Garmin, Polar, Golden Cheetah, Runalyze”

  2. Definitely interesting they just didn’t insert a drop down select for premium users instead. It works well (just tried it), but with my subscription ending in August, oh well. Too expensive for my liking for the “nice to have” features.

  3. Hmm, when you select the map in your activity (at least in the iOS app), the StatMap is gone and it’s just the normal orange…

  4. The writing in this article is terrible! What’s with the random capitalisation, italics and bold?

    1. thank you for your kind words and feedback, I’ll reduce some of that for you.

  5. Use my.klimat.app and add the #tag to the text it inserts. Job done.

    (If you don’t want my.klimat’s weather, then leave out all that info and just put in the tag)

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