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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Punishment for those disrupting assembly proceedings, warns Speaker UT Khader
Belagavi: Speaker U.T. Khader on Friday warned that members who disrupt Assembly proceedings by talking in their seats during debates will be made to sit in the House for an entire day as a disciplinary measure.
The warning came after the Question Hour, when Deputy Leader of the Opposition Arvind Bellad was permitted to initiate a discussion on the development of North Karnataka.
At this point, expelled BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal objected, stating that he had been seeking a debate for the past three days but had not been given an opportunity.
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Responding to the objection, Speaker Khader said Bellad had already been granted permission and assured Yatnal that he would be allowed to speak at the next opportunity. He noted that even as a serious discussion was underway, several MLAs were speaking among themselves with their microphones on, disrupting the proceedings.
Expressing displeasure over the conduct of members, Khader likened the situation to football, where players receive red, yellow, or white cards for violations. Similarly, he said, the Assembly issues warning cards to members who disturb the House. If they fail to correct themselves despite repeated warnings, they would be required to remain seated in the Assembly hall for a full day as punishment, he stated.
