Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge and other athletes will be forced to wear social-distancing technology around their necks during their races.
The 100 elite competitors together with 500 event coordinators will be forced to were the Bump device – a garget that makes an audible alert when the wearer is too close to others.
The event organizers said the race, 19 laps of a closed course in St James’s Park, screened from the public, is the first major marathon since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Non-elite runners can take part in the 24-hour virtual version of the event.
The device will be not be worn during the race with the athletes taking them off just before the starting line.
The Bump uses radio-frequency technology that allows organizers to keep track of whether the athletes and staff are within a defined distance of one another.
BBC reported that if one tests positive for the coronavirus in the subsequent two weeks, those who have been in close proximity will be notified.
Bump has been designed by robotics company Tharsus that is based in Blyth, Northumberland.
“This weekend’s event is the culmination of months of planning around how to deliver a socially distanced 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon that is safe for all participants and stakeholders,” director Hugh Brasher said as reported by BBC.
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“This technology has played an important role, giving our athletes and internal teams extra confidence to engage with the event safely.”
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