Sunday 24 April 2016

London Marathon 2016: How to track friends and loved ones during the race

London Marathon 2016: How to track friends and loved ones during the race

The Virgin Money London Marathon tracker app let's you follow the progress of friends and family out pounding the pavement in real time this weekend

Anyone wanting to follow their friends and family running the London Marathon this weekend can do so on with a handy smartphone app.
The race's official iOS app makes it easy to track where your loved ones are on the course as well as find the best pub beer garden for a cheeky pint.
First introduced last year, the Virgin Money London Marathon app will let you track a specific runner (or runners - you can follow several at once) or see the leaderboard for the whole race.
Split times and finishing positions will be updated as the race progresses and all the first aid points and drinks stations are included on an interactive map.
"The app basically pulls in all the information from our timing system," said Jason Ochoa from the London Marathon Team.
"That information is based on timing mats that runners cross over after every five kilometers," he told Mirror Online.
London Marathon app
The London Marathon app shows the position of runners in real time
"The app extrapolates from pace a rough position of each runner between each five kilometers."
The timing mats sync up with RFID (Radio-frequency identification) tags issued to each runner.
The app has received a bit of polish since it was launched last year and will still predict where runners will finish overall based on their current pace.
And - crucially for those of us who aren't running the race ourselves - the app will list pubs along the way with special Marathon-themed events on during the day.
Because it's only right that supporters are allowed to stop off for a quick one en route to their next part of the track.
Tom Lovelock/Virgin Money London Marathon
At the moment, the app is only available on iOS devices.
If you use an Android phone, then the easiest way is to go to the Marathon's webpage in your browser and click on the link to the tracking service that the app uses directly.
A quick word of warning - both the app and the site can drain your battery if used extensively so we'd suggest charging up when you stop for that well-earned pint.

Do you have a friend or family member taking part in the London Marathon?

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