Find a Marathoner? There's an App for That

When more than 47,000 runners take to the streets of the five boroughs of New York on Sunday for the ING New York City Marathon, they'll be joined by hundreds of thousands of fans lining the streets for the entire 26.2 miles.

Watching runners go by–and calling out the names of total strangers on their bibs–has become as much a part of the event as water stops and mile markers.

Keeping track of a favorite runner–well that's become quite a challenge. Trying to catch friends and loved ones as they pass at certain points has often been a hit-or-miss proposition. Did he cross that mile point yet? Did she already get here? Is that him over there?

Past attempts by the New York Road Runners Club, which organizes the massive Marathon undertaking among hundreds of races each year, to help spectators locate favorite runners have sometimes been spotty.

A text-messaging program utilized last year, for example, was left to the mercy of wireless carriers' overloaded cell towers, and many of those notices were delayed, rendering them useless.

So it was back to the drawing board for Ken Winell, Vice President, Digital & Mobile for the New York Road Runners. What Winell and his team have come up with is an App for iPhone, iPad and Android–the Official ING New York City Marathon Mobile Spectator App Presented by Subway–that no Marathon fan will want to be without.

“This year, we really paid attention to what the spectator would want to do, not just the runner,” said Winell.

Having frequent intervals at which they are notified of their runners' progress is an important element, and it's well-covered by the app.

“The New York City Marathon has more splits than any other marathon in the world,” he added.  “We have for Mile 8 onward, every mile plus all the 5K's, and for the pros we have from Mile 3 all the way out to the finish.”

If the runner has a phone, those tracking him or her will get a real-time notice of location. If not, the approximation based on the intervals applies.

It uses tons of data for sure, but using it all effectively and in a cleaner environment that integrates commonly requested elements is the real victory of the App. 

In addition to the ability to track up to 10 runners simultaneously, users can watch the live stream of the men's and women's leaders and local WNBC-TV broadcast, as well as get tourist information and listings, special offers, a photo and a NYRR-produced video gallery that has been integrated with the course map.

“We recognize that runners, maybe 10-to-15 percent, run with their phones. We don't encourage that they do so, but we wanted to address this situation in a safe way.”

While there is a free version of the App, most users will likely want the inexpensive ($2.99) premium version, which includes the live streaming and tracking of their favorite non-professional runners (pro athletes and celebrity runners like Apolo Anton Ohno and Jennie Finch are free).

The possibilities from a marketing/sponsorship/partnership side are endless because of the location-based services. The 2011 event will utilize those to a degree, serving almost as a test run for future use.

“Once you turn on notifications, and this is all opt-in, we know where you are, and you can get alerts,” said Winell.  “So if, for example, I'm standing on First Avenue and I'm near a Dunkin Donuts, it's going to tell me you've been standing near a Dunkin Donuts for over an hour, you must be ready for a cup of coffee, in recognition of your support, here's a coupon for 10 percent off, go in, show this, you're done.”

And for the end of the race, the App has included a “friend finder” to help families locate runners, since the sheer size of the race prevents a formal family reunion.

Jerry Milani is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.