Free online FIT to KML converter

A Garmin device or training platform may record a route in FIT when the destination requires KML, such as Google Earth, a GIS application, or a map-sharing workflow. Converting the file exposes the recorded path as a geographic track while leaving the original FIT available for fitness data and archiving.

What the FIT format is

FIT, or Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer, is a compact binary format designed for fitness and outdoor-device data. Garmin watches, bike computers, sensors, and training applications commonly create FIT files.

A FIT file can contain GPS positions, timestamps, speed, elevation, heart rate, cadence, power, laps, workout data, and device metadata. It may describe an activity, route, workout, or course, so the available output depends on the records actually stored in the file.

What the KML format is

KML is an XML-based geographic format supported by Google Earth, Google My Maps, QGIS, and other mapping software. A converted activity usually becomes a LineString or a collection of track points with longitude, latitude, and optional altitude and time information.

KML is suited to displaying a route over satellite imagery, sharing it with users who do not use fitness software, and inspecting or editing it in geographic applications. It does not provide an equivalent container for most FIT-specific data such as heart rate, power, cadence, laps, training metrics, and manufacturer-specific fields.

How to convert a FIT file to KML

Using 101convert.com

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Upload the .fit file, select KML as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting .kml file. Open it in Google Earth or another KML-compatible application with File → Open or its equivalent.

Using GPSBabel

GPSBabel can convert supported FIT files to KML on a computer. Use a current version and the FIT input driver name garmin_fit:

gpsbabel -i garmin_fit -f activity.fit -o kml -F activity.kml

Replace activity.fit with the source filename and activity.kml with the desired output filename. GPSBabel versions and builds can differ in format support; if the garmin_fit input format is unavailable, use the built-in converter or another application that explicitly supports FIT input.

Quality and compatibility limits

Conversion cannot create location data that was not recorded. An indoor activity, an activity recorded with GPS disabled, or a FIT file containing only sensor measurements may produce an empty KML or one with no usable path.

The conversion is generally lossy. The KML normally retains the geographic track and may retain elevation and timestamps, but heart rate, power, cadence, laps, training metrics, event records, and device-specific fields may be discarded or reduced to descriptions. Keep the original FIT file as the authoritative archive.

KML coordinates use longitude, latitude, and optional altitude in the WGS 84 reference system expected by Google Earth. A viewer may display altitude as recorded, clamp the path to the ground, or apply terrain elevation, so the visible height can differ between programs. Time data is also dependent on the converter and the KML features supported by the target application.

A FIT file with multiple activities, segments, or tracks may produce several folders or placemarks rather than one continuous route. Inspect the converted KML before sharing it. KML is XML text and can be larger than the compact binary FIT file; use GPX instead when the destination accepts GPX and only a portable route track is required.