Runner Transforms San Francisco Streets Into Stunning GPS Art
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Most runners pick their routes based on distance or surface type. Some pick flat roads for steady pacing, while others seek hills for a tougher workout. But for Lenny Maughan, running is about creating art — one stride at a time.
Maughan, who calls himself a “human Etch A Sketch,” was inspired by GPS images created by runners using route-tracking apps.
"When I was a kid, I was notorious for drawing caricatures of friends. I'd look at you and draw you," he said. "I had a real skill with that. I forgot about it until a little over 10 years ago."
Maughan begins by carefully mapping his design on a paper map of San Francisco. He often needs to map out several different routes before finding one that works. His goal is to create images that are clear and easily recognizable.
Once the route is planned, Maughan runs his "masterpiece," which is recorded using Strava, a fitness app that tracks movement through GPS. However, Strava only shows the full image after the run is complete. That means Maughan has to follow his planned path very carefully. One wrong turn can distort the entire picture.
As Maughan runs his "masterpiece," it is being recorded on maps using Strava, a fitness app. It, however, only displays the full route after the run is completed. So Maughan has to follow the planned path very carefully. A single wrong turn can distort the entire image.
"You can't see the lines drawn until after you finish your run, so it's such a joyful feeling when you put in all of that work and you finally finish and get to see what you envisioned at the end," he said.
Over the past decade, the San Francisco resident has crafted over 50 illustrations, ranging from a simple heart to the Star Trek Enterprise. In February 2025, he spent 10 hours running 40 miles (64 km) to create a snake in honor of the Lunar New Year. But his most iconic piece is a line portrait of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, completed in 2019. Spanning 28.93 miles (46 km) with 3,500 feet of elevation change, the run took over six hours to complete.
"I like to say my canvas is San Francisco,” Maughan told NBC Bay Area. “I love running and I love art. This is a nice way to combine them both."
Resources: theguardian.com, Artnet.com, SFgate.com
