Runner Has Completed 5,000 GPS Art Sketches
An Iowa runner achieved a milestone by mapping images across 99 counties to help stay mentally focused.
Updated on Oct. 1, 2026 in Running
Rik Zortman has finished his 5,000th GPS-mapped running sketch, a nine-year endeavor that spans 37 states. His most recent run covered 3.14 miles in Iowa City to sketch Eliana Gaul, who serves as the Iowa football Kid Captain.
Why it matters
Zortman began his creative running project following the death of his son in 2009. He continues the practice as a way to maintain mental sharpness and navigate grief through sustained physical activity.
Over nine years, the runner has logged 5,000 individual runs across 99 Iowa counties and 37 states. While the project is a personal initiative rather than a formal study, it represents a high-volume, consistent habit of endurance exercise integrated with cognitive-spatial tasks.
The players
Rik Zortman
An Iowa-based endurance runner who uses GPS mapping technology to create public art while exercising.
Eliana Gaul
The 10-year-old Iowa football Week 5 Kid Captain who has been diagnosed with spina bifida and epilepsy.
The details
The process involves mapping names and words by running along street grids using a GPS application. To achieve the specific detail required for his sketches, Zortman pauses his app to create diagonal lines and letters, effectively turning city blocks into a canvas. This integration of physical exercise and mental focus serves as a deliberate strategy to keep his mind engaged during his runs.
Timeline
2009: Armstrong Zortman died.
September 2026: Zortman reached his 5,000th sketch milestone.
October 3, 2026: Eliana Gaul serves as Kid Captain against Ohio State.
Health Landscape
The intersection of physical endurance and complex spatial navigation is a recognized area of interest in wellness for its potential to stimulate executive function. This approach follows a pattern set by research on the cognitive benefits of combining physical movement with spatial navigation tasks.
Integrating cognitive tasks like route planning or navigation into your walking or running routine may offer additional mental stimulation. If you are interested in trying new habits to keep your mind sharp, it is worth discussing with your doctor how to safely incorporate varied mental and physical exercises.
The takeaway
Rik Zortman's project illustrates how combining physical activity with creative, goal-oriented tasks can serve as a supportive tool for mental clarity. Consider identifying a routine activity and adding a creative or navigational component to help keep your own mind sharp and engaged.
What happens next
Eliana Gaul will serve as the Kid Captain for the Iowa versus Ohio State game on October 3, 2026.
Further reading
Learn more about the intersection of physical endurance and mental health in the Running section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KGAN.
