Understanding TCX to GPX Conversion
TCX (Training Center XML) and GPX (GPS Exchange Format) are both XML-based formats, but they serve different purposes. TCX is training-focused: it includes workout structure, lap data, heart rate zones, and calorie counts alongside GPS tracks. GPX is GPS-focused: it's the universal standard for geographic data that virtually every mapping and outdoor application supports. When you convert TCX to GPX, the GPS coordinates, elevation, and timestamps are preserved perfectly. Heart rate and cadence data may be carried in GPX extensions if present, but training-specific data like laps and calories are lost since GPX has no concept of workout structure.
The data that survives TCX to GPX conversion intact is precisely what GPX was designed for: every GPS trackpoint with its latitude, longitude, elevation, and timestamp is written to the GPX output verbatim. Heart rate and cadence extensions use the Garmin TrackPointExtension v2 namespace (<gpxtpx:hr> and <gpxtpx:cad>), recognised by Strava, Garmin Connect, and most modern fitness applications. Training-specific TCX data — lap splits, calorie totals, workout structure — has no equivalent in GPX and is not included in the output.
Why Convert TCX to GPX?
GPX is the most universally supported format for geographic activity data. While TCX has broader training metric support, it is specific to the Garmin-ecosystem. Mapping and route-sharing platforms — Komoot, Wikiloc, AllTrails, RideWithGPS, Plotaroute — almost exclusively use GPX. Converting TCX to GPX is the standard approach when you want to share a route without sharing full training data, embed a route on a website, or analyse a GPS track in GIS software like QGIS.
GPX is also the format accepted by most fitness watches for navigation. To load a Polar Flow route onto a Garmin, Suunto, or Coros device for turn-by-turn navigation, convert the Polar TCX export to GPX and transfer it to the watch. Garmin Connect allows GPX course upload for navigation — a path not available with TCX files from non-Garmin sources.
What Is Preserved — and What Is Lost?
Preserved in the GPX output: GPS coordinates (latitude, longitude, elevation), timestamps for every trackpoint, and heart rate and cadence if your TCX file contains them (written as Garmin TrackPointExtension v2 XML elements). Lost in conversion: lap structure, calorie totals, sport-specific fields, and workout metadata. If you need laps, calories, or workout structure for import into a training platform, use the TCX file directly — TCX-compatible platforms can receive it without this conversion step.
How to Use This Converter
Upload your .tcx file using the dropzone above. The converter runs in your browser — no data is sent to a server. The resulting GPX file downloads automatically and can be opened in any GPS application, uploaded to Strava, Komoot, or RideWithGPS, or transferred directly to a GPS watch. For route-only sharing without training data, the GPS track in the output is clean enough for embedding in websites using Leaflet, Mapbox, or Google Maps with a standard GPX parsing library.
How to export TCX from Polar Flow
- Open Polar Flow in your browser and go to your diary
- Click on a training session
- Click the export icon and choose TCX
- Upload the downloaded file above
vs. Other Conversion Methods
Polar Flow exports TCX natively, not GPX. Garmin Connect can import TCX and re-export as GPX — but this requires creating accounts and uploading private activity data to both platforms. This converter runs entirely in your browser, keeps your GPS data local, and produces a GPX file in seconds without any account creation or data sharing. For athletes who value data privacy, a browser-based converter is the cleaner approach.
Common Issues
If the GPX shows no track in a mapping application, the source TCX file likely had no GPS coordinates — common for treadmill runs and indoor sessions recorded without a GPS signal. This converter cannot generate GPS data that was not in the original file. If the TCX has GPS data but it looks wrong (straight lines, points in the ocean), the TCX may have corrupted trackpoints from satellite acquisition problems — trim these outliers in GPSBabel before converting.
Adaptive Sport and Wheelchair Routes
TCX files from wheelchair road racing, handcycling, and adaptive triathlon are converted identically to any other activity. The GPX output can be shared on mapping platforms, used for course navigation by other adaptive athletes, or analysed in elevation profiling tools to identify flat sections and descents — particularly relevant for wheelchair racers managing momentum. Pace-aware route tools like RideWithGPS work equally well with wheelchair GPX tracks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Strava recognise heart rate in the converted GPX?
Yes, if your TCX file contains heart rate data. The converter writes heart rate using the Garmin TrackPointExtension v2 namespace that Strava uses for its own GPX exports. After uploading to Strava, the activity will show your heart rate graph exactly as it would for a native Strava recording. Cadence data is carried through the same mechanism.
Is the converted GPX compatible with Komoot, Wikiloc, and AllTrails?
Yes for GPS track sharing. Komoot, Wikiloc, and AllTrails use GPX for route display and accept the standard GPX 1.1 output from this converter. These platforms do not display heart rate or cadence extensions, but the route will display correctly. If you are sharing a route for others to navigate, the GPX output is ideal.