How to export a FIT or GPX file from Garmin Connect
Download the original FIT file, or a GPX or TCX version, of any activity from Garmin Connect on the web, and what to do with the file next.
Open the activity on the Garmin Connect website, click the gear icon at the top right and choose Export File to download the original FIT file, or pick the GPX or TCX option in the same menu. The FIT file arrives as a ZIP, so unzip it to get the .fit file.
Steps as of October 2026, following Strava’s guide to exporting from Garmin Connect (updated September 2026). Garmin sometimes renames menu items: older versions of Garmin Connect called the FIT option “Export Original”.
How do I export a FIT file from Garmin Connect?
Use the Garmin Connect website on a computer and export from the activity’s own page, not from the activity list.
- On a computer, go to connect.garmin.com and sign in.
- Open your Activities page from the toolbar on the left.
- Click the activity’s title to open its own page. If the only export you see is CSV, you are still on the activity list.
- Click the gear icon in the top right corner of the activity page.
- Choose Export File for the original FIT file, or the GPX or TCX option.
- If you downloaded a FIT file, unzip the download to get the
.fitfile.
FIT or GPX: which should I download?
If your device records in FIT, as Garmin watches do, export the FIT file: it is the complete recording. Choose GPX when the app you are moving to only accepts GPX.
| FIT | GPX | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Garmin’s binary format for data from sport, fitness and health devices; “Export File” gives you the file as your watch recorded it | A common text format for GPS tracks |
| What it holds | Everything the device recorded for the activity | Points with position and time, and sometimes speed and heart rate |
| Opens in | Apps that read FIT (it is not human-readable) | Most mapping and GPS apps |
| Use it for | Backup, or analysis in another app | Maps, or apps that only read GPX |
What can I do with the exported FIT file?
Keep it as a backup, or analyse it in another app. To see the speed, route and best runs of a sailing, windsurf, wing, kite or paddle session, import the FIT file into Waterspeed’s web app at go.waterspeedapp.com with the import button on the left. Then set the sport type from Edit on the activity page, and the session syncs to the mobile app. For step-by-step instructions, including GPX files, see how to open a GPX or FIT file.
Can I skip the Garmin Connect export?
Yes, for water sport activities: connect your Garmin account in Waterspeed’s settings, and every new activity recorded as a water sport syncs automatically from Garmin Connect, with up to 18 months of past activities on first connection. Syncing is free. Export a FIT file only for activities recorded under another sport type, since changing the type afterwards does not make them sync. For setup, see Waterspeed for Garmin.
