Hong Kong will finally jump into the hi-tech running age with a revolutionary timing device at the King of the Road competition in March. Championchip, a device that transmits an identification number at specified points, will be attached to each participant's shoelace.
Next month's Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon, which has 15,000 entries and climbing, may be too big to experiment with Championchip, but the timing technology will likely be in place next year - if it proves successful in the King of the Road on March 2.
'As it has been used in marathons, triathlons and other events around the world with proven superior performance, I am confident it will help us produce faster and more accurate results,' said William Ko, chairman of the Hong Kong Amateur Athletic Association (HKAAA), the event's organiser.
Introduced in 1994 by Dutch company Seven Hill Run, the chip will also provide runners with split times for different sections along the race's 10 kilometre route. 'Besides its effect on our timing method, we also want the new system to benefit our participants as well. By comparing their timing of separate sections many runners will be able to adjust their training method and strategy for future races,' revealed Ko.
'Our staff will also be looking closely at the effect of this device during the course of the race. If it proves to be a success, we will start using them for all of our races next year.'
The King of the Road, which is limited to 3,000 runners, will be held over the grounds of the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok for the fourth consecutive year. But the route has been changed to help runners achieve better results.