Toronto man goes viral for creating animated stick man using running routes on Strava app
A Toronto accountant, Duncan McCabe, has captured global attention after spending months running through the streets of the city to create a flip animation featuring a dancing stick man. Using the route-tracking app Strava, McCabe’s project seamlessly combined his love for running and video editing, leading to a viral sensation. The creative video has amassed 25 million views on X (formerly Twitter) and over nine million views on TikTok.
Captioning the video as “Strava art animation through the streets of Toronto! This took me 121 runs from January to October 2024,” McCabe meticulously mapped out each run to bring his stick man to life. Inspired by Strava artists Lenny Maughan from San Francisco and Mike Scott from Toronto—who famously used GPS routes to create unique drawings—McCabe set out to make his own mark with a nod to his favorite song.
"For six months, I had a line across the stick man's head for animation. The hat-tip was a creative touch and a tribute to the song," McCabe shared in an interview with Canada Running. He also emphasized the difficulty of keeping the stick figure consistent, saying, “My stick man had to be the same size in each frame. I spent 10 months planning the project.”
Since going viral, McCabe has received widespread praise from both the running community and social media fans, who marveled at his dedication and the execution of his unique idea. Comments flooded in, calling it “one of the most impressive things" they had seen. One user said, “The amount of effort and planning that goes into this is insane,” while another hailed it as "the greatest running-related post" ever.
This isn’t the first time McCabe has created large-scale running art. Last year, he completed an animation featuring animals like dinosaurs, giraffes, whales, and sharks, running a total of 700 kilometers through Toronto's streets.
In a similar vein of using GPS for art, a UK runner, Terry Rosoman, made headlines earlier this month by drawing a giant penis across South Wales to raise awareness and funds for men's mental health. Covering 120 kilometers in 24 hours, Rosoman cheekily mentioned his intention of becoming the top Google search saying “Am I doing this to secure my name as the first result on Google when someone searches "world's largest c**k and balls"? Absolutely. However, I also have a far nobler cause in mind.”
I’ve seen a lot of the Toronto running community, but this guy wins. pic.twitter.com/il9LBXyiSD
— Ben Steiner (@BenSteiner00) November 21, 2024
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Elephant calf brought from Bijnor kept under care at Pilibhit Tiger Reserve
Pilibhit (PTI): A 19-day-old elephant calf, brought from Bijnor, was placed under care at the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) on Sunday, an official said and added that the calf got separated from its mother in the forest area of Bijnor.
The calf was born on December 2 in the Bijnor forest area and got separated from its mother shortly after birth, the official said.
The forest department made several attempts to reunite it with its mother, but without any success. To ensure the calf's safety and better care, it was decided to transfer it to the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve on the instructions of senior officials.
On Saturday, Deputy Director Manish Singh received the calf. Special arrangements have been made in the reserve for its care. It has been kept in a safe and clean environment to provide it with a natural setting and protect it from external noise and disturbances.
Singh told reporters that raising an 19-day-old calf is challenging.
It requires a special diet as a substitute for mother's milk and constant monitoring.
He said a special team has been formed to provide 24-hour care. Since the calf is very young, it is being cared for like a newborn baby.
According to Singh, the primary responsibility for monitoring the calf's health has been entrusted to PTR's veterinarian, Dr Daksh Gangwar. Under his supervision, a complete record of the calf's health checkups, diet, and body temperature is being maintained. The team is ensuring that the calf does not contract any infection.
