.fit

What is a .fit file?

Binary fitness data from your Garmin — GPS, heart rate, power, and more.

Safe format
Type Misc
By Garmin
MIME application/vnd.ant.fit

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What is it

FIT (Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer) is a binary data format developed by Garmin for storing activity, health, and device data from fitness devices. Every Garmin watch, cycling computer, and fitness tracker speaks FIT. When you finish a run, ride, or swim, the device writes a .fit file containing a timestamped stream of GPS coordinates, heart rate, cadence, power, temperature, and dozens of other metrics.

The format uses a compact binary encoding designed for resource-constrained embedded devices — smartwatches with limited storage and processing power. Data is organised into records conforming to predefined message types: session, lap, record (per-second data points), event, device_info, and many more. The FIT SDK defines hundreds of fields across these message types, and manufacturers can add custom developer fields.

FIT files are the lingua franca of the fitness tech ecosystem. Garmin Connect, Strava, TrainingPeaks, Zwift, and Wahoo all import and export FIT. The format carries more data than GPX (which is limited to GPS tracks and basic extensions) and is more compact. If you're analysing training data programmatically, the FIT SDK provides parsers for Python, Java, C, and C++.

Technical details
Full Name
Flexible and Interoperable Data Transfer
MIME Type
application/vnd.ant.fit
Developer
Garmin
Magic Bytes
0E 10 (or 0E 20)
Safety
.fit is a known, safe format.
What opens it
Garmin Connect
FREE Web / Mobile
Strava
FREE Web / Mobile
Golden Cheetah
FREE Win / Mac / Linux
FIT File Tools
FREE Web
FAQ
How do I convert FIT to GPX?
Upload to Garmin Connect and export as GPX, use GPSBabel (free), or use an online converter like FIT File Tools. Most fitness platforms accept both formats.
What's the difference between FIT and GPX?
FIT is binary, compact, and carries rich fitness data (heart rate, power, cadence, training metrics). GPX is XML-based, larger, and primarily stores GPS tracks with limited extension support.
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