What does 'Gain' mean on Map My Run?

[RubySlippers]

I did W8R1 today on a new route as my other, very flat one, was working out a wee bit too short. Great run, lovely day and I skirted alongside a field where there were new lambs (ahhh). One or two ewes even had three lambs each and they were so tiny looking dazed and confused on wobbly legs (bless).

So this new run goes up a hill on single track road, that took me the first 10 minutes, then down over fields then bobs gently along the valley floor back home. When I've plotted it on Map my Run it has said that I've started at 42m then gone up to 84m. I know it's hardly an Iron Man challenge but hey it felt like a big hill to me at the time. The thing I don't get is the gain, surely it should be 42m too, to add up to 84m.

Hopefully a clever gadget bod can explain. I'm a bit wary as I got in such a muddle over pace last week and realize that yep I was slow and that today I'm even slower - but I it doesn't matter just now because I am getting there.

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

My understanding is that these Apps show a pic of the actual terrain (obtained from GPS data) but the GAIN figure is a summation of all the ups without the downs. So for example , if you ran over two hills that were 100 feet higher than where you started the gain would be 200 feet

[RubySlippers Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Thank you, it makes sense. cheers.

[Renka Graduate]

Your start elevation was 42 but part of your run came below that so the overall 'gain' between the highest and lowest points is 44.

[RubySlippers Graduate in reply to Renka]

OK, I hadn't realized that it had gone lower, thank you for your help.

[Renka Graduate]

You're welcome - it took me a couple of runs to figure it out too x