Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Tracking runners during marathons
![[Deleted User]](https://wb.vanillicon.com/ba397bbc381b57f1243431053f20964f_100.png)
Hi all - it's been a while since I was last here. For (probably all of) you who don't remember me, I'm a 3:20 marathon runner and 13 hour ironman, 2:15 Olympic triathlon (or I was when I was fit!). I run a tracking company. We mostly work with companies who send people to high risk Countries and high net worth individuals and their families. A friend of mine (who is also a client) has asked me to track his sister during the London marathon on Sunday(so he and his family can see where she is). I was wondering if this was something that we should be looking at making available more broadly and wondered if people could share their views? Mostly we track people through their mobile (doesn't matter which type). But, I really don't know how many people run with phones (I don't) and what the appetite is. You could get a position every 5 minutes, which would be helpful for people wanting to support you. I'd be very interested to hear whether or not others are plus think about this as something they'd buy for their supporters. I was thinking that ??20 would be a fair price - but, again, I don't really know. Any thoughts?
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Would this item be reusable or just one-use?
I generally use a tracking app when running/cycling but but would consider an alternative to use for running.
Thank you for responding.
Ben
I'm fairly certain that at London you can track people via their timing chips although these only update when the runner crosses the timing mats which I think are every 5 or 10k.
A system using mobile phones would possibly work at smaller events but at major event is likely to run into network overload and blocked signal problems.
With some of the newer watches / phone combinations you can do this already.
As Trogs says, you've tried getting a signal during the VLM ? I know the last time I ran it, Orange were supposed to text people my location, my wife got all the texts to her at once, just as we were passing Watford Gap on the M1 driving home, my daughter got all of them on the Thursday afterwards !
There are plenty of free apps available for use with your phone which are extremely accurate. You can have a cup of tea waiting for you when you get back home!
I thought you were planning to develop a small, cheap item that could do something very similar without having to take a phone out on your run.
Dave, are you talking about London having the GPS tracking? The reason I ask is because this year we kept our timing chips, which meant less congestion at the finish. I was wondering if the chips had GPS would they have to be handed in on the finish line.
I don't think it's anything to do with having GPS tracking next year. You can track every 5k anyway so I'm not sure GPS is that much use in a built up city.
My understanding is with chips it will tell you the time you crossed the mat at each 5k point. I thought GPS would tell you the actual location of where you are, if that makes sense.
I can only go by what was said to us at expo, next year they will be using gps tags so that competitors can be tracked and followed around the course, I didn't think that cutting the chips off was a problem anyway
They couldn't even get the app working properly this year.
Oh and hopefully named and shamed and banned for life.
LOL at the idea of the VLM looking at your track and printing it off before handing you a medal! Imagine the queues!
There is a possibility they would use the track to disqualify people after the event - but even that possibility is remote as they've been sluggish to disqualify people who blatantly jumped the barriers near halfway before.
He managed to catch a large number of cheats while most of the runners are still in the pub.
I've done a variety of jobs on the finish line and tag snipping is where the hold-ups generally occur. If they keep using disposable chips and people finish and clear the area quicker then maybe they'll consider increasing the field.
This year at London I used the 'share my location' facility on my iphone with my OH so that he could track me. Much more reliable than the LM app, that was next to useless!
On an iphone, open a text to a desired recipient, tap 'details' in the top RH corner, then you'll have an option to 'Share my Location' with that person.
Boom!
The hang up being you have to run with your phone which I appreciate not everone does.
Probably cougie. When I did tag snipping If they didn't have tags they were sent to information so times could be worked out etc. Also, no tag means they could have copied someone elses running number!
The number of helpers on the finish line was the same as previous years. It just meant some people weren't allocated jobs until the day.
It's not just tag snippers but there was also a team of tag counters. The tags were all threaded onto strings and counted. If they reduce the number of helpers next year it'll be a lottery just trying work as a volunteer