They will be released onto the course from separate lanes, staggered five at a time. The model checks participant density at all points along the course, including the start and finish lines, aid stations, and the most narrow points along the way.įor the marathon and half marathon, runners can expect to be able to social distance within their starting corrals. The 45th Grandma’s Marathon will not get close to past numbers, but the 9,500 participants expected for the weekend (split between the 5K, half marathon, and full marathon) is still larger than we’re accustomed to since the spread of COVID-19 was deemed a pandemic in 2020.įollowing the race day plan, the Start Right model shows that runners will have a minimum of 12 feet distance between them and other runners throughout the entire race, and up to 20 feet possible at some points. “So, he just repurposed his algorithm to help with the problem at-hand, which is, ‘How do you keep runners as safe as possible as they work their way through your event?’” In the past, it has been used to help create a seamless race experience for some of the world’s largest races for tens of thousands of people.įor the Berlin Marathon, the London Marathon, the Chicago Marathon, and others that Altenburg has worked on, it was more about weekend flow than it was social distancing, says Zach Schneider, marketing and public relations director of Grandma’s Marathon. It uses a mathematical algorithm to predict and control the flow of movement.
The software Altenburg developed is called Start Right. RELATED: The 2021 Boston Marathon Will Be Postponed Altenburg has been working with race directors on modeling and optimizing the crowd flow so that racers can safely social distance in every aspect of race weekend.įrom buses shuttling racers to the start line 25 at a time to mask mandates everywhere but on the course, the team has seemingly thought through every moment with safety in mind.
Race directors are hoping the event will go on June 17-19 as planned.Ĭonfidence of that happening was raised thanks to the help of Marcel Altenburg, a crowd scientist and senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK. With most of America’s largest spring marathons either canceled, virtual-only, or postponed for the fall, Duluth, Minnesota’s Grandma’s Marathon could be the largest return to endurance running since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members!
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