Communication is constant when we are going about or day. Why shoud it be any different than when competing?
Steve Raquel points out that one of the hardest parts of a marathon is the loneliness. Sometimes, the streets are empty. To keep racing, you need encouragement. Why not get it from the web, from people who are following the race from all parts of the world?
Is there any doubt that athletes will increasingly be connected while competing? It feels like e are just on the verge of a new form of competition where the information that followers provide an athlete will be as important as all the other aspects of the competition itself.
Here are Steve’s five ways that social media could help runners in the Chicago Marathon:
- Create a marathon Hashtag. Create the #BOACM (Bank of America Chicago Marathon) hashtag and allow attenders and followers a way to Twitterate (Twitter-celebrate) the Chicago Marathon throughout the event. People with mobile phones can send tweet and twitpic updates from all over the city instantaneously for everyone to see. Allow for tweets/twitpics to be posted on digital screens placed all around the city so runners can see what people are saying. For those who aren’t there, use www.twubs.com to keep up with the latest action as it happens.
- Chicago Marathon iPhone Application. Develop an iPhone app that ties in a runners’ GPS coordinates from their timing chip so that people can know where they are at all times. In addition, afterward runners can get almost instant feedback on their pace and overall time they’ve run so far. In addition, this app acts as a locator for where friends and family can position themselves to cheer without the fuss of wondering if they passed already!
- Skype Encouragement Call Centers. In tandem with the iPhone app & GPS locator, allow areas in the back half of the marathon where amateurs (like me) start to get weary and would love to get encouragement from people far away. Allow special walk/rest stations where a runner can get a 30-second to one-minute call from a loved one far away who can encourage them.
- Facebook FanPage/Broadcast Page. Just like the NBA and PGA have used Facebook to broadcast live event video and real-time chatting, allow fans to use Facebook to get involved in the Chicago Marathon via Facebook. The page could show real-time competitor results, allow people to look up where their friend is and/or tag all the friends who are competing. Facebook could have different pages for different mile markers so people can see multiple parts of the marathon at the same time. People could also post messages of support that would be posted on digital boards at various mile markers. Related, numbers of runners coming into view could be posted online so that people can send real-time encouragement to them as the runner goes by.
- YouTube Encouragement Video Areas. Fans and friends of runners can record short videos of encouragement before the event that runners can play at different part of the race. Ideally, a runner could enter a rest/walk section and trigger the start of the videos playing or they could be playing in a loop. This would be great in those long stretches where spectator support is lower.
