Live runner tracking is one of the great puzzles in trail and ultra-running that still has no “easy” fix. Yes, there are several races that afford loved ones at home the opportunity to live track their runners over the internet, and that technology typically comes at a tremendous cost. While the Human Potential Running Series is still not in a place to broadcast live runner tracking across the internet, we have been able to engage in a new partnership with our friends at CalTopo to be able to live track runners on our end during a race; more on that in a moment.

In 2021 we got to work in trying to figure out the runner tracking puzzle. Our work was accelerated by incidents we encountered at one of our events in 2022. For 2023, we are proud to announce that we’ve finally figured out some kind of workable solution to this conundrum.

Traditionally in the sport of trail and ultra, runners are tracked via pen and paper as they pass through aid station locations along a course. Volunteers write down your bib number (or locate it on a sheet) and accompany it with the time you entered (and/or left) the aid station. Naturally, if there is a large pack of runners passing through an aid station at any one time some of them get missed and race officials may be left with questions about the whereabouts of a runner.

It is an entirely different story in road running where you can implement chip timing in an urban setting. Chip timing is incredibly difficult to accomplish in most of our race settings at HPRS and comes at a considerable cost. We know other races in the trail and ultra-world utilize chip timing for live tracking, and many of them are events on looped courses or where Wifi service is readily accessible. We know several races who purchased their own RFID technology to implement chip-timing on their own (rather than hiring a service), and that technology is often buggy with many different avenues for malfunction. This leads to a tremendous amount of email complaints from friends and family trying to live track a runner from the outside, something we just don’t have the bandwidth to handle on race day.

Companies like Open-Source Timing and UltraLive.net offer the use of technology, but it’s not too far from the traditional pen and paper method of runner tracking. You still need volunteers at each aid station to input the data into an application. If there is no cell service or WiFi at the aid station location, the information is recorded electronically through the app and then uploaded to the web once service is acquired/reacquired. The only difference between the old school method of runner tracking and this method is the use of technology to record a runner’s time through the station.

The second area involves GPS and cell tower technology for up to the minute live tracking of runners. We reached out to Trackleaders.com to inquire about their services, but our attempt at correspondence with them was met with silence. We asked Strava to help us out, but it seems they’re not truly interested in working alongside race directors for improving race experiences.

Many races are buying into Starlink as a source for WiFi at race headquarters or at multiple aid stations along a course. This also comes at a considerable expense for equipment and monthly activation fees, though this technology is ever evolving and the cost of entry seems to be coming down. There is hope for the future with this technology and HPRS is continuing to monitor Starlink’s offerings to be able to better track runners on our courses through smartphone and satellite technologies.

We investigated buying our own Spot Trackers at $100 a unit (x200), then ensuring each device is turned on for the entire year and discovered that the cost in the first year would be around $38,000; then $20,000 each year following. What is frustrating on our end is that some of those with the technology we need to ensure the health and safety of our runners, are charging an immense premium for the use of that technology. In other words, we don’t have the available revenue to spend on something like this.

We also investigated using Life360, Apple Tags, Runkeeper, RunningGuru, and RaceJoy through RunSignUp.com. We really feel like we went to the depths on this, trying to find a cost-effective partner to work with in live tracking our runners when possible, and we are proud to announce our partnership with CalTopo.com

“CalTopo maps and tools are frequently used no nationwide and internationally by first responders as well as recreationalists to plan, navigate and return home sage from their backcountry adventures.” https://caltopo.com/about/who-we-are

Runners in HPRS races will be encouraged to download the CalTopo app onto their smartphone. The app is free to use in situations where cell phone coverage is present. If a runner would like to download the associated maps, onto their phone through the app, so that they may use the map offline (when no cell service is present), they will need to purchase the individual mobile plan for $20/year. This is the most cost-effective mapping app in the business. $20/year for peace of mind! We feel this is a steal!

HPRS will provide runners with a link and QR code to be able to access each race’s map through the CalTopo app. The runner will then be able to use the app to self-navigate the course. Again, paying the $20/year subscription will allow a runner to utilize this technology when cell service is not present. When cell coverage is present, it will work for free! HPRS will also have an incredibly detailed “how-to” instructional manual discussing how to use this technology for our events.

We also went a step further…

We approached CalTopo about the possibility of live tracking of our runners for volunteers and HPRS staff. They had never done such a thing but were finally ready to give it a whirl. Enter HPRS as the guinea pig for this new use of their technology.

Julie Vargo is an employee representative at CalTopo. She says about our partnership, “At CalTopo, we are always excited when our users find new applications for our collaborative mapping tools. Human Potential approached us about finding a way to live track participants during long running races to improve their risk management capabilities during the events. We were happy to come up with a plan that gave them access to tools allowing easy set-up for each event and a way for many users to connect to the same map at once, all at a reasonable price.”

For select distances (mostly ultra distance) at our races, we will be requesting that runners allow us to live track their location through use of their smartphone and the CalTopo app. HPRS will be able to live track you so long as cell phone coverage is present. Should a runner lose cell reception on their phone, your last known location will still be present within our tracking of you. No, the technology is not perfect. Having a last known location for your whereabouts can be incredibly helpful in locating you should assistance be required. Simply put, it’s better than nothing and certainly better than a pen and paper record at an aid station.

Runners who opt in to allowing us to live track them, will have full access to the CalTpop app without the need to purchase the $20/year plan. HPRS has already paid it for you for use at that specific race only. Only HPRS staff, volunteers, and all runners who opted in will be able to see the live tracking.

This live tracking is not for friends, family, or spectators in the outside world. It is specifically for risk management purposes only, as again, we do not have the bandwidth on race day to handle emails from loved ones unfamiliar with the technology, or due to technology glitches.

HPRS is committed to not only utilizing this technology for the live tracking of runners, but to continue to investigate other ways in which we can enhance this initiative to ensure better care for our participants within our events. We hope most of you will jump in to utilizing your smart phones technology as a viable tool for your health and safety, more-so than as a tool for selfies and social media mid race. This technology provides many runners who are “navigationally challenged” with the peace of mind to keep them on track and found on race day.