On The Go Map: Free Running & Walking Route Planner Online

Guessing distances and hoping for flat loops is the old way of planning a run. On The Go Map cuts through that hassle with a no-fuss, web-based route planner that requires zero registration and runs in any browser, mapping a run, walk, bike ride, or drive in seconds with automatic elevation profiles and easy link sharing.

Price: Free · Platform: Web-based (PWA) · Activities: Running, Walking, Biking, Driving · Elevation Profiles: Included · Sharing: Link sharing · Offline Mode: Yes (with PWA install)

The six specs below cover the essentials that matter most when choosing a route planner — from distance accuracy to offline flexibility.

What is On The Go Map and how does it work?

On The Go Map is a free web-based route planner that lets you create routes by clicking points on a map. It snaps those points to roads, paths, and trails using four activity modes: foot, bike, car, and manual. Each click adds a waypoint, and the distance updates automatically in either miles or kilometers (On The Go Map (official site)).

How the map and snapping works

• Click anywhere on the map to start a route — the line snaps to the nearest road or path based on the selected mode (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Drag existing points to adjust, or drag a segment to insert a new point (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Undo and redo are available for editing mistakes (On The Go Map (official site)).

Supported activities

• Foot mode – for walking or running, snaps to shortest roads, paths, and trails; allows two-way travel on one-way roads (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Bike mode – for road biking, enforces one-way roads and snaps to paved surfaces (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Car mode – for driving, snaps to fastest roads for cars. For those who prefer structured road trip planning, the AA Route Planner Classic offers a dedicated driving focus.
• Manual mode – off-road drawing where no roads exist (On The Go Map (official site)).

Key features at a glance

• Real‑time distance and elevation display (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Terrain icon toggles the elevation profile (On The Go Map (official site)).
• “Find my location” centers the map on your current position (On The Go Map (official site)).
• “Fit route” pans to show the full route (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Embed code allows the map to be placed on other websites (On The Go Map (official site)).

How to create a running route on On The Go Map?

Building a route takes just a few clicks. The tool is deliberately minimal — no onboarding, no clutter. Here’s the step‑by‑step process.

Starting a new route

1. Go to onthegomap.com in any browser.
2. Select Foot mode from the top bar (running icon).
3. Click once on the map where you want to start. A blue dot appears, and the distance counter resets to zero (On The Go Map (official site)).

Adding waypoints

• Each additional click creates a new waypoint, and the route snaps to the nearest road/path (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Distance updates in real time — no need to press a “calculate” button (On The Go Map (official site)).
• To insert a point between two existing points, drag the line segment itself (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Undo (Ctrl+Z / ⌘Z) removes the last point; redo restores it (On The Go Map (official site)).

Adjusting the route

• Drag any existing point to move it — the line automatically re‑snaps (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Right‑click (or long‑press on mobile) to delete a single point.
• Use the “Fit route” button (magnifying‑glass icon) to zoom to your complete route (On The Go Map (official site)).

One Reddit user on r/running described it as “a really simple website for planning running routes” — and that simplicity is the point.

“A really simple website for planning running routes.”

— Reddit user on r/running

Can On The Go Map measure elevation and show elevation profiles?

Yes — and it’s one of the tool’s strongest features. Turn on the “Terrain” layer by clicking the mountain icon on the map, and an elevation profile appears below the map. It shows total gain, total loss, max elevation, and grade along the route (On The Go Map (official site)).

Viewing elevation profile

• Click the terrain icon (mountain) in the top‑right corner of the map (On The Go Map (official site)).
• The profile panel opens below the map, showing a graph of elevation vs. distance (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Hover over any point on the graph to see the elevation at that location.

Understanding elevation gain

• The panel also displays total ascent and descent in feet or meters (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Grade (steepness) is shown as a percentage along the route.
• Data comes from digital elevation models (DEM) — not from user‑submitted GPS tracks, so it’s an estimate, not a recorded track.

Elevation accuracy

Because the elevation source is a DEM (typically 30‑meter resolution), small local features like short, steep hills may be smoothed out. For most running and biking routes, the overall gain and loss figures are reliable within about 5–10% error, comparable to what you’d get from a GPS watch without barometric altimeter (Routific (route optimization platform)).

Why this matters: elevation data is often locked behind paywalls in other apps. On The Go Map gives it away for free, with enough accuracy for 90% of everyday route planning.

How to share or save routes on On The Go Map?

Sharing a route is as easy as copying the URL. Since the route data is stored directly in the URL (via lat/lon coordinates), anyone with the link can open the exact same route (On The Go Map (official site)).

Copying the route link

• After creating your route, click the “Share” button (or copy the browser address bar URL).
• Paste the link into a message, email, or social post — the recipient opens it and sees your route with all waypoints intact (On The Go Map (official site)).
• No account is needed on either end to view or edit the route.

Saving as a bookmark

• Bookmark the URL in your browser to return to the route later, or use a dedicated journey planner like the National Rail Journey Planner for train travel.
• Since the route persists in the URL, it doesn’t expire — unless you change the route (the URL updates).

Using the PWA for offline access

• Open the site in Chrome or Edge, click the install icon in the address bar (or use the “Install” prompt) to add it to your home screen.
• Once installed as a PWA, the map and route data can be accessed offline if the route was created while online and cached (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Full‑screen mode and session memory between visits are available on the PWA.

The trade‑off: there’s no server‑side save. If you lose the URL, the route is gone. For long‑term storage, export the GPX file or save the URL in a note.

Is On The Go Map free and what are its limitations?

On The Go Map is completely free — no registration, no ads, no premium tiers (On The Go Map (official site)). That’s its headline appeal. But free tools come with trade‑offs worth understanding.

No registration required

• You never need to create an account or provide an email (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Start planning immediately — zero friction.

No ads

• The interface is clean and uninterrupted by banner ads or pop‑ups (On The Go Map (official site)).
• The site appears to be a passion project, not a commercial operation.

Limits of a web‑based tool

• No turn‑by‑turn voice navigation (as you’d get in Google Maps or a dedicated running app) (Routific (route optimization platform)).
• No training log, progress tracking, or calorie burn estimation — features offered by competitors like Mapometer (Mapometer (route planner for sports)).
• No integration with wearables (Garmin, Apple Watch). GPX export is the only bridge (On The Go Map (official site)).
• Limited to the map data provider (OpenStreetMap‑based), which may lack detail in some rural areas.

“Google Maps can provide overall mileage but not much else useful to runners, such as elevation profiles or surface types.”

— Routific 2025 review

For runners who just want to quickly map a loop, the limitations are irrelevant. For anyone building a long‑term training library, the lack of persistent storage means you’ll need to manage your own collection of URLs or GPX files.

The verdict: On The Go Map is the cleanest dead‑simple route planner available today. For runners, walkers, and cyclists who value speed over features, it’s the goto tool. For athletes who need a full training hub, it works best as a quick sketchpad — pair it with a dedicated app for logs and navigation.

Frequently asked questions