Convert TCX to Garmin

Scope

Converts structured workouts (steps and targets), not recorded activities. See Workouts vs. activities.

Take a TCX (Training Center XML) workout into the Garmin Connect workout format (GCN JSON) so a plan exported from another platform can run on your Garmin watch or head unit. Use the free, in-browser Kaiord Editor (no account, no upload), or the CLI and TypeScript SDK. Conversions go through Kaiord's canonical KRD format and stay within round-trip tolerances (time ±1 s, heart rate ±1 bpm, cadence ±1 rpm).

Three ways to convert

1. Editor (in the browser)

Open kaiord.com/app, choose your .tcx file (GCN is already selected as the export format), and download the result. To send it straight to your watch, use the Editor's Garmin sync (backed by the garmin-bridge extension).

2. CLI

pnpm add -g @kaiord/cli
kaiord convert -i workout.tcx -o workout.gcn

To push directly to Garmin Connect (after kaiord garmin login):

kaiord garmin push -i workout.tcx --input-format tcx

3. SDK

import { fromText, toText } from "@kaiord/core";
import { tcxReader } from "@kaiord/tcx";
import { garminWriter } from "@kaiord/garmin";
import { readFile, writeFile } from "node:fs/promises";

const tcx = await readFile("workout.tcx", "utf-8");
const krd = await fromText(tcx, tcxReader);
const gcn = await toText(krd, garminWriter);
await writeFile("workout.gcn", gcn);

What survives the conversion

Data	TCX	Garmin Connect (GCN)	Result
Step order & names	<Step> / <Name>	workout steps	Preserved
Time durations	Time_t seconds	time durations	Preserved (±1 s)
Distance durations	Distance_t meters	distance durations	Preserved
Heart-rate targets	HeartRate_t (zone or bpm)	bpm	Preserved (±1 bpm)
Speed / pace targets	Speed_t	m/s	Preserved
Cadence targets	Cadence_t	rpm	Preserved (±1 rpm)
Power targets	— (TCX has none)	watts	Not present in the source
Repeats / intervals	Repeat_t	repeat blocks	Preserved

Heart-rate-based workouts convert cleanly: TCX carries heart-rate, speed, and cadence targets, all of which Garmin Connect supports.

Gotchas

No power targets. TCX workouts have no power target (the schema covers heart rate, speed, and cadence only), so a TCX-sourced Garmin Connect workout won't gain power targets. If you need power, start from a FIT or ZWO workout instead.

How does it get on my watch? A .gcn file is Garmin Connect's JSON, not a device file. Push it to your account with kaiord garmin push (via @kaiord/garmin-connect) or use the Editor's Garmin sync; Garmin Connect then syncs it to your device.

Sport mapping. TCX Sport values (Running, Biking, Other) map to the corresponding Garmin sports; anything unrecognized falls back to Other.

Related

• Convert Garmin to TCX — the reverse direction
• Convert TCX to FIT — a device-file export
• TCX format · GCN format
• All converters