Toronto runner takes Strava art to the next level

Toronto based accountant Duncan McCabe Strava has taken art to new heights. Blending his passion for video editing and running, he created a viral TikTok featuring a stunning animation of a stickman with Strava art.

@duncan77mccabe

Strava art animation on the streets of Toronto! This cost 121 runs from January 2024 to October 2024. #strava #running #toronto #purplehat #active #to run #Canada #motivation #madden25 #ncaa #purple #hat #sofitukker #sofi #tukker

♬ original audio – Duncan McCabe

As of Friday morning, the Strava video of McCabe dancing had more than eight million views on social media.

We spoke with artist McCabe, who said he was surprised by the video’s viral success. San Francisco says inspired by Strava artist Lenny Maughan and Toronto mike scottwho is famous We biked the GPS route of a giant beaver on the east end of the city. McCabe created a series of animal drawings leading up to the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2023.

The 32-year-old actor revealed the extensive planning behind his latest project. Sofi Tukker hit song Purple Hat. “For six months the stick had a line on the person’s head that was used for animation,” McCabe said. “The tip of the hat adds creativity and is a nod to the song.”

McCabe says the biggest challenge is maintaining smooth transitions. “My stickman had to be the same size across the frames,” he explained. “I planned this for 10 months.”

McCabe constantly focused on his own motivation for the project. Progress and dates on his Strava. “It was a motivating factor for me,” he said.

With viral fame comes scrutiny, and McCabe faced skepticism on X and TikTok over the video’s crosshatch. “This is believable until the stickman runs seamlessly diagonally through a row of houses.” one user commented.

But the diagonal lines make his video even more impressive; McCabe had to start and stop his watch to ensure that the lines intersected exactly at certain points on the map.

What a great honor!