Import FIT and GPX Files: Activities and Garmin History
How to import FIT, GPX and TCX files and your Garmin, Wahoo, Coros or Apple Health history into a free app: steps, limits, duplicates and common errors.
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How to import your activities into a free app: the short answer
To bring your rides and runs into a new app you do not need to link any account: you need the file. Every bike computer and sports watch saves activities in a .fit, .gpx or .tcx file. You download it from the device or the manufacturer's website, upload it on the import page, and the activity appears with map, distance, elevation and, if the file contains them, heart rate, power and cadence.
On Velunite it works like this: open the import page, pick the "Recorded activity" tab, drop up to 20 files at a time (20 MB each at most) and press "Import activity". If you upload the same file twice the system notices and points you to the activity already there, so you will not end up with duplicates. Below you will find how to get files out of Garmin, Wahoo, Hammerhead, Coros, Suunto, Komoot and Apple Health, how to bring in years of history without losing a whole afternoon, and what to do when a file is rejected.
FIT, GPX or TCX files: what is the difference and which to choose
FIT is the binary format used by Garmin and many other makers: it is compact and holds everything the device measured, that is position, elevation, speed, heart rate, cadence, power and a session summary. GPX is an open text format that almost any mapping program can read: it usually carries position, elevation and time, and sometimes heart rate in an extension. TCX is a text format born for workouts, with laps and heart rate, but less common today than FIT.
The practical rule is simple. If you have the original FIT file, use that: it is the fullest record of your ride. If you only have a GPX or TCX, it works very well for map, distance and elevation. Velunite accepts all three. One important detail: to be imported as an activity, the file must contain a GPS position and a timestamp for every point. A GPX of a planned route, the kind you download to follow a road, usually has no timestamps and should be uploaded from the "Route (GPX)" tab, not as an activity.
How to export and import FIT files from Garmin
You have two options. The first is the cable: connect the watch or bike computer to your computer by USB, open the drive called GARMIN and go to the Garmin/Activity folder (Activities on some models). Inside there is one .fit file per activity, with the date in the name. On a Mac, if the device does not show up as a drive, a free program such as OpenMTP can open the same folder.
The second is the website: on connect.garmin.com open the activity, click the gear icon and choose "Export Original". You download a ZIP: extract it and upload the .fit inside, because compressed files are not read. Alternatively choose "Export to GPX" or "Export to TCX". Menu names can change with app updates, so if you cannot find them look for "Export" in the activity menu. For a full export of your account, Garmin lets you request an archive of your data from the account settings: you get a link by email, and inside the ZIP the FIT files can sit in subfolders and sometimes in further nested ZIPs that need extracting. That procedure belongs to the manufacturer and may change, so check Garmin's official instructions before relying on the menu names.
Wahoo, Hammerhead, Coros, Suunto, Komoot and Apple Health
Wahoo: from the ELEMNT app open Workouts, choose the activity and share or export the .fit file, or use "Export GPX" in the web dashboard. Hammerhead (Karoo): from the web dashboard open Activities, pick the activity and download the FIT. Coros: in the app open the activity, tap the menu and choose "Export data" in FIT, GPX or TCX. Suunto and others: look for "Export" on the activity page, in the app or on the manufacturer's site.
Komoot has no automatic connection: on the website open the completed Tour, use the three-dot menu and download the GPX file; in the app you can share or save the GPX. Apple Health is a special case: on iPhone open Health, tap your picture and choose "Export All Health Data", extract the ZIP and take the GPX files from the workout-routes folder. Those GPX files contain no heart rate and do not declare the sport: Velunite guesses it from average speed, below about 12 km/h it is a run or walk, above it a ride. If you also want heart rate, a third-party app such as HealthFit or RunGap can export to FIT.
How to import your history: years of activities without wasting time
Once you know where the files are, the job is a matter of method. The limit is 20 files at a time, so an archive of 400 activities takes about twenty uploads: less than it sounds, because you can select blocks from the folder sorted by date and drag them in. Each file gets its own result: if one is damaged, the other 19 are still imported, and next to every name you see whether it was imported, already present or failed.
An order that works: start with the last year, which matters most for stats and calendar, and go back as far as you like. There is no need to be tidy: duplicates are recognised by start time, so re-uploading a block you already sent does no harm. Before you start, remove from the folder anything that is not cycling or running: Velunite handles those two sports, and a hike or walk in FIT would be labelled as a ride.
What happens after the import: stats, calendar and stretches
An imported activity joins your diary, calendar and statistics like one recorded in the app, with map and elevation profile. If the file has heart rate, the activity is analysed like the others; for health data the page asks for your consent. Activities without GPS, such as trainers and treadmills, have no map: for those use the "Manual / Indoor" tab and enter duration, distance and elevation by hand.
The nicest benefit of importing your history is stretches. Every pass over a road section with a leaderboard is recognised automatically in your activities, including the ones uploaded from files: you find your Personal best, and if you are the fastest in your category, the Crown too. We explain the details in our guide to Crowns, PBs and Wardens. You can browse the sections near you on the Stretches page.
Privacy: what others see of your imported activities
Importing does not mean publishing everything. Uploaded activities appear on the "Most ridden roads" map only in aggregated, anonymous form, and a section is visible only if at least 3 different people have gone along it: your personal roads stay visible to you alone. You can also hide your rides or define up to 5 private zones around home and work, where no stretches are created and from which your passes stay out of public leaderboards.
Advice that holds for any app: before you upload your history, look at the privacy settings and set the zone around your home. Rides nearly always start from the same doorstep, and it is the most sensitive piece of data a file contains.
Common mistakes and what to do if a file is rejected
The most frequent problems are always the same. First: you uploaded a ZIP. Fix: extract it and upload the files inside. Second: the file has no timestamps, typical of a GPX downloaded from a route site. Fix: upload it as a route, not an activity. Third: the file has no GPS position because the activity was indoors. Fix: the manual tab. Fourth: the file is over 20 MB, usually a very long recording with dense sampling: try exporting it as GPX.
Fifth: the sport is wrong. A FIT declares its sport inside; a GPX gives it in the type tag, if present; a GPX with no indication is classified by average speed. That is an estimate: a very slow climb on a bike can be read as a run. If a file reads as corrupted, try exporting it again from the manufacturer's site: nearly always the problem was the transfer. If it still fails, write to us from the contact page with the name of your device.
After the import: routes, group rides and next steps
With your history in, Velunite is useful right away. From your best outings you can pick routes to ride again: see the guide on how to choose a bike route or the one on how to choose a running route. Look for company among the group rides, or browse routes and the pages for cycling and running.
If you are still deciding what to record your rides with, read the article on how to choose a GPS bike computer or the one on GPS watches for running. Either way the file is yours and you can take it wherever you want. See you on the road.
FAQ
Can I import FIT files into Velunite?
Yes. On the import page choose "Recorded activity" and upload .fit, .gpx or .tcx files: up to 20 at a time, 20 MB each at most. ZIP files must be extracted first.
What is the difference between FIT, GPX and TCX files?
FIT is the full format of Garmin-type devices, with sensors and a session summary. GPX is the open standard for tracks and routes, with position, elevation and time. TCX is a workout format with laps and heart rate. If you have the original FIT, use that.
How do I download an activity from Garmin Connect?
On connect.garmin.com open the activity, click the gear and choose "Export Original" (a ZIP containing the .fit) or "Export to GPX". With a USB cable you find the .fit files in the device's Garmin/Activity folder.
Can I upload years of history in one go?
Not in a single upload: the limit is 20 files at a time. But duplicates are recognised, so you can upload in blocks, starting from the most recent year, with no risk of duplicates.
Which activities can be imported?
Cycling and running, with GPS position and timestamps. Indoor activities without a track go in through the manual tab. Avoid uploading other sports, such as walks in FIT, because they would be labelled wrongly.
Can I import Apple Watch activities?
Yes, from the GPX files in the Apple Health export (workout-routes folder). They contain no heart rate and the sport is guessed from average speed. With HealthFit or RunGap you can export to FIT with all the data.
Are imported activities public?
Not all of them. They appear on the "Most ridden roads" map only in aggregated, anonymous form, if at least 3 people have been there. You can hide your rides and set private zones around home.
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