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Using Our Maps

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  6. Using Our Maps
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  8. Details Panel
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  10. Action Controls

Action Controls

Action Controls is the toolbox at the top of the Details panel. Use it to change the map layer, open Minimal Mode, add your own GPX route, measure distances, share your favourites, and set the language and units.

Opening Action Controls

  1. Click or tap DETAILS on the right-hand edge of the Live map.
  2. Click the ACTION CONTROLS bar to open or close it.
The Details panel with the closed Action Controls bar, below the clock, circled in purple.
The Action Controls bar in the Details panel on Badlands 2026.

It can start closed, and always does on a phone or small screen.

The open Action Controls section showing Map Layers, Map Mode, Overlay Your Own Routes, Copy My Favorites, Measurement Tool, Change Language and Display Preferences.
Action Controls open on Badlands 2026.

Map layers

Under MAP LAYERS:, choose the base map: DEFAULT, DARK, SATELLITE, OSM or OPENTOPOMAP. Some events add more. See Map Layers.

Minimal Mode

Minimal Mode is a very light version of the map for weak mobile signal or older, slower devices.

  1. Under MAP MODE, click MINIMAL MODE.
  2. The map reloads in Minimal Mode.

Minimal Mode shows the plain OpenStreetMap map with participant markers and checkpoints. Each label gives the participant’s name, distance and time since their last report. There’s a place search and a find-my-location button. There’s no Details panel, no participant tracks and no weather.

Minimal Mode on Alicante900 2026: a plain OpenStreetMap map with the route, distance markers and participant markers labelled with name, distance and time since last report.
Minimal Mode on Alicante900 2026.

Overlay your own routes

Add a GPX route file from your device to compare it with the event route or the participants’ tracks. Only you can see it.

  1. Under OVERLAY YOUR OWN ROUTES, click SELECT GPX FILE.
  2. Choose a .gpx file. The route is drawn on the map, and the file name appears under the button.
  3. To remove it, click the bin icon next to the file name.

You can add more than one file. Long routes make large files, so Wi-Fi helps.

A red GPX overlay line on the map next to the blue event route, with the file name my-route.gpx and a bin icon under Select GPX File in Action Controls.
A GPX file overlaid on Badlands 2026.

Copy My Favorites

Your favourites are saved in this browser only. To move them to another device, or send them to a friend:

  1. Under COPY MY FAVORITES, click COPY.
  2. A message confirms that a link with your favourites has been copied.
  3. Paste the link wherever you need it. Opening it loads the map with the same favourites.

See Sharing a map.

Measurement tool

  1. Under MEASUREMENT TOOL, click ENABLE MEASUREMENT.
  2. Click points on the map to draw straight lines. The total distance shows in a box at the top left.
  3. Click UNDO to remove the last point, or NEW MEASUREMENT to start another line.
  4. Click DISABLE MEASUREMENT when you’ve finished.
A purple measured line with four points drawn across the map, with the Undo and New Measurement buttons and the line's distance in a box at the top left.
A measured line on Badlands 2026.

Change language

Under CHANGE LANGUAGE, open the Language menu and pick a language. Choose from English, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Traditional Chinese and Simplified Chinese. The map menus change straight away, and your choice is remembered.

Display preferences

Under DISPLAY PREFERENCES, set each of these separately:

  • distance and speed: km, miles or nautical miles
  • temperature: Celsius or Fahrenheit
  • wind: m/s, mph, knots or Beaufort

Then click SAVE PREFERENCES.

When it might not appear

  • ACTION CONTROLS can start closed, and always does on phones and small screens. Click or tap the bar to open it.
  • Minimal Mode has no Details panel, so you’ll need to go back to the full map to use these tools.

Last reviewed: October 2026

On this page

  • Opening Action Controls
  • Map layers
  • Minimal Mode
  • Overlay your own routes
  • Copy My Favorites
  • Measurement tool
  • Change language
  • Display preferences
  • When it might not appear
  • Related articles