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Creating a Course in Garmin Connect
Your Garmin Connect™ account can be used to create courses for your device. For a list of devices compatible with this feature, see - What Garmin Devices Are Compatible With Courses?. You can check your device owner's manual to see what navigational features are supported.
NOTE: For safety purposes, popularity routing, automatic routing, or follow roads routing will avoid major roads and highways intentionally.
Select a platform below to reveal instructions to follow.
Creating a New Course
Garmin Connect App
The Garmin Connect app allows you to create a pre-planned course that you can download to your compatible Garmin device.
Automatic: Garmin Connect will generate a course based on distance and starting direction. The course will be created using the Garmin Connect Trendline Popularity Routing feature to generate a course based on popular routes, streets, trails, etc. used by other Garmin Connect users.
Enter a Course Name, Distance, and Direction, then select Next.
When naming courses, keep in mind that most devices have a limit where they only look at the first 15 characters in the name of a course. If there are multiple courses where the first 15 characters are the same, the device will think they are the same course. To work around this limitation, make sure the names vary within the first 15 characters.
Pan and Zoom the map and then select a location on the map for your starting point.
Select to access options for changing the course.
Custom: Create a point to point course based on your customized criteria.
Pan and zoom the map under the pin to place your start point.
Select Next.
Pan and zoom the map under the pin to place your next point.
Select Next.
Select to undo the last course point.
Select to add more course points.
Select to access more options for editing the course.
Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to access and edit the course name, course type, privacy setting, or goal pace/speed.
When naming courses, keep in mind that most devices have a limit where they only look at the first 15 characters in the name of a course. If there are multiple courses where the first 15 characters are the same, the device will think they are the same course. To work around this limitation, make sure the names vary within the first 15 characters.
Once you're done creating your course, select Done or Save.
Creating a Course in the Garmin Connect App:
Garmin Connect Web
Use the Course Creator Tool to generate a course that can be sent over to your Garmin device.
NOTE: If you need to create a private course, you will need to select Google Maps or HERE when creating your course. OpenStreetMap is open source, so all courses created using OpenStreetMap must remain public. Select your map option from the upper right corner of the map.
From a web browser, sign into your Garmin Connect account.
Select from the upper left corner to expand the menu navigation.
Select Training & Planning.
Select Courses.
Type in a search location.
Select (upper right) to choose your map view options.
Select Create New.
Select a Course Type.
Select a Drawing Method:
Custom: Create a point-to-point course based on the custom drawing option you select.
Follow Popular Routes: The course will be created using Garmin Connect Trendline Popularity Routing feature to generate a course based on popular routes, streets, trails, etc. used by other Garmin Connect users.
Follow Roads: Route creation tool will stay locked to roads.
Freehand: Route creation tool will connect between each click a straight line between each point.
Automatic: Select a distance and direction, and Garmin Connect will generate a course.
Select the map and place your first point.
If necessary, use the Location search field at the top of the map to center in on the location of your starting point.
For custom courses, click on the map to place additional points.
If the course that you create takes you onto a bridge, please note that the elevation data will be inaccurate when crossing the bridge. This is because the data is taken from ground level and does not take into account the bridge you are crossing.
Use the Add Course Point feature at the top of the page to add in custom points such as a rest stop, sprint, or climb.
Course Points and other locations used to build a course will show under the Next Waypoint Data Field on your device.
For more information regarding course points that can be added see: Using Course Points
Select the Pencil Icon to name the course.
When naming courses, keep in mind that most devices have a limit where they only look at the first 15 characters in the name of a course. If there are multiple courses where the first 15 characters are the same, the device will think they are the same course. To work around this limitation, make sure the names vary within the first 15 characters.
Select Save New Course.
Creating a Course From a Previously Recorded Activity
You can create a course out of the GPS track of a previously recorded activity. Select a platform below to reveal instructions to follow.
Why is The Elevation Different Than My Recorded Activity?
After converting a .tcx or .gpx activity recorded on a Garmin device into a course, it is normal to see different ascent and descent values in the course than were present in the activity. The reason behind this difference is that devices will use either a barometric altimeter to record elevation continuously throughout the activity, or will use GPS correlated with elevation survey data to determine elevation, as explained in How Are Elevation Readings Calculated for My Activity in Garmin Connect? .
When an activity is converted to a course, however, the activity's elevation data is discarded in favor of a digital elevation model of the track of the course, which may not be as accurate as a device's barometric altimeter. The reason for this elevation source change is that courses are designed with editing in mind, so if points are added to your course that weren't on your original activity, you won't have elevation for the course for that point unless the elevation source is changed.
to access options for changing the course.
to place your start point.
to place your next point.
to undo the last course point.
to add more course points.
to access more options for editing the course.
from the upper left corner to expand the menu navigation.
(upper right) to choose your map view options.
to name the course.
(top right).
(top right).