Runner Uses Strava to Create Holiday Scenes on the Run
Owen Delaney, a 40-year-old British runner, has been creating holiday-themed Strava art on his runs near London.
How can you use your wearable tech devices to send holiday greetings? Owen Delaney, a 40-year-old British runner has been getting creative with his daily runs and creating holiday-themed Strava art on his runs near London.
“I was looking at a map of Bushy Park last week and I thought the Diana Fountain would make a great Rudolph’s nose, so I drew him using the Strava route planner and just went out and ran it,” says Delaney, an avid runner and father of two. “People seemed to like it, so I did Santa the next day.
“That was the toughest one, trying to run his eyes and eyebrows through knee deep bracken, in the dark, it was very unforgiving on the legs! Then I thought why not try and come up with something different every day until Christmas.”
Does it take much preparation?
“Santa took a while, about an hour I think, to draw and plan,” he says. “The ones since then were pretty quick to prepare. I’ve probably spent a few hours on it in all, drawing routes for all the runs up until Christmas day, and a few other ideas.”
What’s the trick to successful Strava art?
“Patience. Forget about your pace, and try to find paths and landmarks to use, this makes it much easier to navigate!” Delaney says. “It’s easy to overshoot a planned turning point—you need to keep a half eye on the app when you’re running.
“I read a great quote in a book by Richard Askwith recently: ‘Find the kind of running that gives you the most joy, and just get out and do it,’ or something to that effect. I’m enjoying this kind of running!”
How long have you been running in Bushy Park? What do you like about it?
We moved back to the area in 2006 I think it was, so around 10 years now. To begin with I used to just run laps inside the perimeter of the park, but more recently I realized there’s so much more fun to be had exploring the woodlands and trails within,” he says. “These days I try to vary my runs as much as possible and keep things interesting. Being the birthplace of the parkrun movement is also a great draw for people. There’s nothing quite like the sight and experience of setting off for a weekly 5K with my son and friends, with often close to a thousand other runners. I love Bushy Park, and never want to take for granted how lucky we are to have these open spaces to explore.
What do you like most about Strava?
“I’ve been a Strava member for 4 years now,” Delaney says. “The social aspect is the biggest appeal for me. It’s great for keeping in touch with my friends’ training runs and races, and looking for inspiration from them.”