When I took up running in December 2022, I never anticipated that it would evolve into both an endurance practice and an artistic pursuit. What began as a means of getting fit led me to complete not just one marathon, but three. Along the way, I discovered an unexpected intersection between movement and creating art.

Marathon training requires long runs—sometimes up to 20 miles—meticulously executed to meet distance goals. As I mapped these routes, I became intrigued by the possibility of using GPS tracking to create drawings. This form of GPS art is often seen in major cities like New York or Chicago, where dense street grids allow for relatively straightforward designs. But what happens when you attempt the same in a place like Saginaw, Michigan?

Saginaw’s irregular street patterns presented both a constraint and an opportunity. Designing routes that formed recognizable figures—birds, lizards, faces—meant carefully manipulating each turn within the limits of the existing streetscape. Using mapping software, I sketched possibilities, refining each path to maintain both shape and mileage requirements.

Then came the act of running itself. Guided by a voice in my ear bud, issuing directives—“In .1 miles, turn right” or “You’re off course. Check the map”—I moved through neighborhoods, tracing unseen lines. Each route demanded full engagement, a balance of endurance, focus, and adaptation. By the end of each run usually feeling pretty spent, I could finally step back and see what had been drawn.

Running is an accumulation of miles, just as drawing is an accumulation of lines. In both, progress is often imperceptible in the moment, but over time, forms emerge. The act of moving forward—whether in training or in art—transforms individual moments into something whole.

About the Artist

Thor Rasmussen, a lifelong Michigander except for a brief stint in North Carolina. He is currently Associate Director of the Saginaw Art Museum & Gardens and The Temple Theatre. Despite his busy role as a husband and father of four, Thor sails on Saginaw Bay during the summer, runs a photography business, and is an active member of the St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral Parish.