This day is probably not that far away. The technology is here - there's a watch for Alzheimer's patients/children that can be used to locate position. We have mapping software that can give 3-D maps of courses. All it takes is some eager beaver to write a little program to bring the two together and upload the data to the web in semi-real time (maybe update every 15 minutes). Someone with a little extra $$ could easily make this happen! A really neat idea!

-J

What I would like to have is the ability to watch the race from different perspectives. Imagine being able to watch the men's leader or the women's, or any number of fixed camera positions at your choosing. I hate being spoon fed something that some director picks, I want to be my own director.

Tom,

Yup, I have been wondering why IM Live coverage has been a bit behind technology, but then again...they ain't Microsoft ;-)

Coming from the video/broadcast industry (actually, sold workstations to animators, special effects artists, video post production dudes), GPS and satellite stuff have been around for 4-5 years. Now you're just getting economnical GPS things, and I would envision that to be incorporated into "chips" for timing in the future. With some investment, or a CEO who takes the Iron challenge that loves IM pushing his company, GPS technology should shrink enough within the next year or so. Currently, I work for a digital recording and video surveillance manufacturer, where I can watch realtime (30 frames per second) video of things happening at any number of clients around the world by simply going to the I.P. addresses of their systems that have cameras plugged in.

Heck, put a tranformer in the helicopter with a pan, tilt, zoom camera attached, sending out satellite (DSL) signal, and I could actually go in and control that camera remotely. It's just a different type of camera than your standard broadcast one.

oops...I technologically digress...my bad..

However, LAST year when I went to IM MOO to watch, we hooked up my buddy's laptop in his car, hooked up the GPS doo-dad, and watched how close we were getting to the desired location. Gotta luv techno geeks ;-)

I also have a friend back in Chicago who used to work for the company who wrote the software used at the Chicago Marathon that allows you to plug in an athletes race number, and it will call your cell phone, pager, etc. at certain distances along the course with the time they passed that location. This has been out for at least 2 years that I know of, and wondered why that could not be applied for IM racing too. For many of the online community who ARE glued to their screens for coverage (you can check out any number of forums where updates are frantically typed in for those who don't have fast access), we all know the lag time is a bit frustrating.

It looks as though they are finally going to have quite a few more timing mats down this year, which is a good thing. Hopefully they have reduced that lag time to get posted to the database and subsequently the web. With all the technology available now, it's only $$$'s that would determine which ones could be used. Heck, the idea of pay-per-view over the net isn't all that unappealing now (as opposed to the weak attempt a couple of years ago?). If Victoria Secret can do it...why not? (and although popular in the triathlon community, I doubt they would have to pay for the same time of bandwith ;-)

...and I've got a 30" plasma willing to be the test baby ;-)

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Craig Preston - President / Preston Presentations
Saving the world with more professional, powerful, and persuasive presentations - one audience at a time.

Don't they do this for the America's Cup races?. I may be wrong but I seem to remember seeing computerized images of the boats racing etc.

Yes, the AC boats had all sorts of telemetry and live audio/video. I believe the cameras were even remote operated. The GPS data was fed into computers that rendered a simulated race complete with boats, sails, logos, etc. Of course, this took a lot of equipment and processing power, both on the boats and on land. I don't think anyone wants to carry around a couple pounds of extra gear. Timex would have to pay me to wear my Speed + Distance GPS unit during a race.

Tom,

Let's face it watching and Ironman for the non-enthusiast is about as exciting as watching the grass grow: "Reid has a two minute lead on DeBoom" . . . and hour and a half later, "Reid still has a two minute lead on DeBoom" !! . . and so on. That's why we are never going to see these races live on network or even cable TV. The NBC Ironman show is great, but that is 17 hours of a race compressed into 90 minutes and shown three weeks later. That's not coverage of the race, that's a great TV show. There IS a difference

IronmanLive tried essentailly live-to-air coverage in the first couple of years, but the costs were brutal with little or no return ( remember there is still little or no direct advertising revenue from the Internet yet) and they had to cut back on this significantly. I have worked a bit in TV Sports Broadcasting and the production costs mount quickly.

With the chip timing we do have a way of "following" the races now. There are real time updates when competitors cross the timing mats out on the course. This is true for both the leaders/contenders and right on the through the back of the pack. Family/friends can "follow" someones progress throughout the race: " Hey, Johnny swam 1:13. He must be out of the water and on the bike".

I was told a few years ago that what was next, was putting digital video or still camera's out on the course right after the timing mats, so that you could see a friend/family member pass by that camera after the mat/chip had sensed they were there. I think that they do this at the finishline at some IM events now, but I think that it is only at the finish line. The technology is there to do this, but I suspect there is a substantial cost to getting many more mats and cameras on location.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I watched a bit of the race from Roth on the internet and they actually had several camera locations and I believe a motorcyle mounted camera. Fantastic watching Macca v Lothar! A few more races like this and we would be ready for prime time!

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

for more info check out http://www.subaruprimalquest.com/race2003/ for an attempt to do what is being discussed.

it seemed like a great idea. sounds like the units had trouble with water from the first couple paddling legs. besides... if I was racing I would want my transponder-thingy to "malfunction" too. less weight, AND with the added benefit that it would delay spectators noticing my DNF!

burns

efernand wrote: " I hate being spoon fed something that some director picks, I want to be my own director."

Just so you are not my director also. If I don't have control I want a professional. Even if I did have the possibility of control I might want to let a professional do it.

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Frank,
An original Ironman and the Inventor of PowerCranks

I want everyone to be able to pick and choose the footage they want to watch. Interested in the men's race? Watch it. The women's? Same thing. Just have the raw feeds from all the cameras available, and let the viewer pick and choose.

This morning on the massage table I had the most magnanomous, ignominious (when no adequate words exist to express myself I make up my own)insight into the role of technology in covering Ironman. This vision is vast, so sweeping, so utterly epic and ground breaking I cannot share it here. It demands a grander venue (not that there are any...) My vision is so omniscent and omnipotent it will expand our collective conciousness of endurance sport and blur the lines between spectator and participant, envoking a vicarious experience so real you'll feel as though you've just peed your own pants at the twenty mile mark of the marathon without ever leaving the comfort of your computer chair. A new breed of experience is over the horizon: The experience of being a "spectacipant" as opposed to just being a participant or spectator. Even my own massive, whirring intellect only maintains the most tenuous grasp of this enormous insight. When it becomes digestible to the mortal mind I will post the path to ultimate wisdom on these very pages. Stay tuned. It will boggle your mind.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Tom, have you discovered Anquetil's secret method for involving the spectator?!?!?

Tom, are you refering to 'smell-o-vision'?? Just imagine the scent of a DeBoom at mile 22. I can smell it now, just what I want in my living room.

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Reverend Dr. Jay
Lake of the Pines Triathlon fastest bike course record holder - Golden State Super Sprint fastest tri course record holder - Wildflower Long Course slowest run course record holder (4:46:32)

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"If you have a body, you are an athlete." -Bill Bowerman