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TCX converter

A .tcx file is Garmin's Training Center XML: an activity file that records not only where you went but how the effort was structured — laps, heart rate, cadence, power and calories — alongside the positional track. It is a fitness format first and a geographic one second.

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Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.

Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.

Where TCX comes from

Garmin introduced TCX with Training Center software in the mid-2000s because GPX had no vocabulary for training data: GPX knew about position and time, but not about laps, heart rate or intensity. TCX added them as first-class elements rather than extensions, and it remains the format that carries structured workout data between Garmin devices and training platforms.

How TCX works

  • Activities contain Laps, and Laps contain a Track of Trackpoints — a stricter hierarchy than GPX's.
  • Each Lap carries aggregates: TotalTimeSeconds, DistanceMeters, Calories, average and maximum heart rate.
  • Trackpoints carry Position, AltitudeMeters, DistanceMeters, HeartRateBpm and Cadence as defined elements.
  • An Activity declares a Sport attribute — Running, Biking or Other — which shapes how platforms interpret it.
  • Power and extended metrics arrive through a namespaced extension rather than the core schema.

When to use TCX

  • Exporting a structured workout from a Garmin device
  • Uploading training data with lap structure and heart rate intact
  • Analysing a session where laps matter, not just the route
  • Converting an activity to GPX or GeoJSON for mapping

Strengths and limitations

Strengths

  • Carries training data as defined schema elements, unlike GPX's extensions
  • Lap structure is preserved, which matters for interval sessions
  • Widely accepted by training platforms

Limitations

  • More verbose than GPX for the same track
  • Effectively a Garmin format, despite broad acceptance
  • Power and newer metrics still require namespaced extensions

Compatibility

Read by Garmin Connect, Strava, TrainingPeaks, Golden Cheetah and most fitness platforms; mapping tools generally prefer GPX. Novus Convert parses activities, laps and trackpoints locally and converts to GPX, GeoJSON and KML.

Positions, timestamps and altitude are preserved. Heart rate, cadence, lap aggregates and sport type have no equivalent in GPX, GeoJSON or KML and are not carried across.

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