4 ms·

A friend who at the time ran a charity that sponsored marathon runners asked me if there was a technological solution to tracking runners more closely than just

A friend who at the time ran a charity that sponsored marathon runners asked me if there was a technological solution to tracking runners more closely than just the mats that read runner shoe or bib RFID tags. The issue was she wanted to do at the New York City Marathon and frankly I was concerned there would not be enough cell tower availability for real-time monitoring. These days the answer is run any of 100 cellphone tracking and location sharing apps like Glympse and carry on since every time we go up (3g->4g->5g) we get more and more towers in smaller and smaller coverage areas. But at the time I was envisioning a peer-to-peer network of esp8266 devices all sharing location data and passing along updates via whatever open wifi access points they could find. I hate to say race organizers should demand people load a phone app just so they can get an official result, but maybe we're back to needing dedicated hardware or enough tracking mats that spoofing the system becomes impractical.

tinus_hn 5y ago
Do people actually carry a smartphone while running a marathon?
- rossriley 5y ago
  Unlikely at the higher levels, I would just use a Garmin watch and sync up the timings after the race.
code_runner 5y ago
I just think that the cons out weight the pros. The professional runners are monitored so closely cutting is not a realistic option.... and they're the ones actually getting prize money... obviously they're tested for doping etc... Everything else is really just personal achievement... and if you're cheating at that level you're just depriving yourself of legitimate accomplishment. It isn't a race organizers responsibility to keep you from doing so.... When it comes to something w/ limited availability like a Boston etc... that is different.... if you cut a course (or cheated via other means) in order to submit a qualifying time you're legitimately affecting others as well. I have to admit it does get murky here and there.

tinus_hn 5y ago

Do people actually carry a smartphone while running a marathon?

rossriley 5y ago
Unlikely at the higher levels, I would just use a Garmin watch and sync up the timings after the race.

code_runner 5y ago

I just think that the cons out weight the pros. The professional runners are monitored so closely cutting is not a realistic option.... and they're the ones actually getting prize money... obviously they're tested for doping etc... Everything else is really just personal achievement... and if you're cheating at that level you're just depriving yourself of legitimate accomplishment. It isn't a race organizers responsibility to keep you from doing so.... When it comes to something w/ limited availability like a Boston etc... that is different.... if you cut a course (or cheated via other means) in order to submit a qualifying time you're legitimately affecting others as well. I have to admit it does get murky here and there.