Dissect your marathon stats on the run

By PETER GRIFFIN

Marathon runners are being given the chance to dissect their race performances with New Zealand software designed to break down statistics into internet graphics.

Marathons are a niche sport, but Auckland-based Runpix Corporation envisages a big market in providing after-race graphics for the bigger events, which can attract tens of thousands of participants.

Runpix was yesterday generating internet graphics for the Toronto Marathon, which attracted 10,000 athletes. Participants wore a transponder chip which recorded their times as they crossed the finish line. Runpix then used the data to create graphics that gave a bird's eye view of the finish line, with the runners plotted as they finished.

Via a website, users could then enter their names to find their race details, maps and comparisons with other runners.

Runpix founder David Duignan said events such as the New York Marathon had huge budgets and the entry fee could stretch to US$100 ($145) per runner.

But little thought went into displaying results, he said.

"The existing way of displaying results for marathons is just lines of text. No one worldwide is doing anything like this," Duignan said.

Marathon runners were devoted to their sport and the Runpix website (www.runpix.com) was "hammered" with visits after major races.

"The average mum or dad runs take three months to train for a marathon. You feel like an old soldier returning from the war afterwards."

Duignan said he had drawn on "20 years in database development and the occasional marathon" in developing Runpix, which he expected to make money by partnering with race organisers and sponsors.

He is providing graphics for the Zurich, Amsterdam, Toronto and Houston marathons and is in negotiations to cover several more.