With the influx of fitness trends comes the rise of running events. And in Madrid, Spain, this is evidenced by the increase in the number of marathons around the city. But it looks like organizers, although managing different events, are currently facing the same problem: cheating runners.
In hopes of getting to the finish line first and taking home the prize, if there is any, some runners cheat, often getting away with it because the offense remains unnoticed and unproven.
But not this time.
Marathon organizers, specifically that of the Movistar Madrid Half Marathon, have sought the help of technology to ensure a clean game and encourage the participants to play the right way.
Madrid Half Marathon Requires Runners to Wear Tracker Watches for a Clean and Safe Event
At the recent half Madrid half marathon held on April 8, 2018, all 1,000 participants were required to wear a GPS tracker watch courtesy of Trackimo.
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The watch helps judges and organizers keep tabs of each runner’s progress, total running time, stops, etc. Through the GPS technology, every piece of information gathered by the tracker was sent to the panelists, staff, and the runners’ relatives through a phone application on the device developed by phone company Telefonica.
Apart from ensuring a fair and clean game, these tracker watches also give the runners an easier way to request assistance when they need one. The watches come with an SOS button that they can press to alert anyone with the app that something is off. Once they receive the alert, help is immediately sent to the runner and prevent any unwanted situations.
Although the use of Trackimo tracker watches is just a trial organized by Telefonica, the positive results of the marathon held last Sunday prove that it will not forever stay as one.
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