Eliud Kipchoge is already set for the London Marathon set to take place on Sunday. Staff and athletes present at the marathon will be required to wear social distancing devices as a precautionary measure against Covid-19.
Kipchoge, who is among a group of 100 elite runners, together with the 500 staff will all be required to wear the bump devices which produce a sound alerting the other person when they are too close.
The device, designed by robotics company Tharsus, uses radio frequency technology which allows the organizers to track the racers and staff when they are in close proximity to one another.
“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.
“This technology has played an important role, giving our athletes and internal teams extra confidence to engage with the event safely.”
The social distancing device will however not be worn during the race, as the athletes will take them off just before they get to the starting line.
Kipchoge and other Kenyan athletes slated to participate in the London Marathon left the country on Sunday night aboard an executive chartered plane that was hired by organizers to fly in the elite athletes from Kenya and Ethiopia.
The organizers said that the race, 19 laps of a closed course in St James’s Park, is the first major marathon since the Covid-19 pandemic.
If anyone among the staff or elite runners tests positive for Covid-19 during the two weeks before and after the event, those who have been in close proximity will be notified.
Non-elite runners are expected to participate in a 24-hour virtual version of the event.
