"What drives me is motivating people to run."
Sander Gabel, Growth Director
Sander, you’re our Growth Director in Amsterdam, but today we’re curious about your creative alter ego: Runbrandt. What inspired you to start turning city maps into running artworks?
Sander: The idea is actually pretty simple: every run leaves a line on a map. One day I thought, “What if that line could mean something?” So I started designing routes that formed shapes – animals, objects, sometimes symbols connected to a cause or a brand. Suddenly, a normal run felt completely different. It made me see the city in a new way.
For those totally new to it – how would you describe GPS art in a nutshell? What makes it different from a regular run?
Sander: When you track a run, you see your route on a map. I use that route like a drawing and build shapes into it, often something playful or meaningful. It’s still a workout, but the focus shifts. You’re not thinking about pace. You’re thinking: okay, left turn here, tiny U-turn there – does this tail still look like a tail? It’s fun. A completely different experience.
Making art with your feet is one thing, but translating that vision into a real route is another. How do you plan, track, and bring these designs to life?
Sander: There’s a lot of staring at maps involved. Sometimes I start with just a location and wait until a little detail sparks an idea. Other times someone wants a specific shape – that’s trickier, because cities are full of rules: canals, dead ends, buildings. Short routes are the biggest challenge. Under 10k means you can’t add much detail, so you have to be clever. I use an online tool called Plotaroute. I draw, change, redraw, leave it for a bit, come back later with fresh eyes. My boys are my test panel – if they recognize the figure right away, it works. Then I upload it to my GPS watch and run it. There’s planning behind it, always. It’s never just “let’s see what happens.”
Do you remember your first design?
Sander: Oh yes. It was a squirrel. I ran it with my older son in a stroller – a 20-kilometer route that felt like an adventure. At one point, the path crossed a tiny bridge, far too narrow for the stroller.
So I stopped, lifted him out, and set him on the grass, where he sat calmly and watched me.
It wasn’t dangerous at all because he was just two meters away, listening like a champ while I carried the stroller across that tiny bridge. I finished the run, but it took me a couple of weeks to confess that to my wife – because this wasn’t exactly in the original plan. It’s a reminder that behind every design, there’s a story and sometimes, a little improvisation.
You’ve had brand partners join your art. Can you share a favorite story from these collabs, and what it means to run for more than just yourself?
Sander: It started with charity runs for the Plastic Soup Foundation and the Dutch Cancer Society. Then the media began picking it up, and brands started reaching out. One of my first collaborations was with On Running. I created a route in the shape of the Swiss flag that people could run to try new shoes. A memorable recent one was with Philips. They wanted a route shaped like one of their products, starting and finishing at their headquarters and under eight kilometers. Basically, they said: “Here’s the puzzle, good luck.” I designed their Baristina coffee machine with a cup next to it. The whole executive board ran it with us. Nobody knew the shape beforehand; they only saw it when they uploaded the run to Strava. That reveal is always the best part.
Motivation seems to come in many shapes. What drives you: the workout, the creativity, the community… or does something else keep you coming back for more?
Sander: What drives me is motivating people to run. I believe running is for everyone, but there’s too much focus on speed. In Dutch, the word for running is “hardlopen,” which literally means “fast walking.” That creates the idea that running has to be fast. Many people think they’re not fit enough or don’t have the perfect body shape for a marathon runner, so they avoid it. By focusing on creativity instead of speed, I make it fun. My runs are never about distance or pace – they’re about creating the picture as perfectly as possible. During group runs, you’ll see me calling out: “Okay, 90-degree turn to the right in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!” Or we’ll do U-turns and zigzags. From the outside, it looks crazy – almost like choreography – but that’s what makes people smile. And when they see the artwork afterward, that moment is priceless.
We’ve heard there’s a surprise waiting for Serviceplan colleagues: special GPS art runs, designed for some of our Houses of Communication. Without revealing the design, how would you tempt everyone to get out there and discover it for themselves?
Sander: I’ve already prepared routes for Amsterdam, London, Paris, and Hamburg and I’d love to create more. If you have a wish for your city, just reach out to me or send me ideas. Every location has its own possibilities, and we have so many creative minds among us! And honestly, you don’t need me to start. Grab a map, sketch something simple, and give it a try. It doesn’t have to be perfect – a stick figure, a dog, anything fun. Whenever I visit another HoC, I try to create GPS art there too. If anyone wants to join next time, just let me know. And if you’ve tried your own design, share it with me – I’d love to see what you come up with!
Thank you for talking to us, Sander!
Explore our open positions and start your own story with us.
Interested in working with us?