New Technology Could Change Viewing Experience For Track and Field

By Doug Binder, DyeStat Editor

One of the new wrinkles at New Balance Nationals Outdoor in June was the trial use of ISO Lynx, an innovative real-time data tracking system that adds layers of information to the action on the oval.

The technology has been around for close to a decade, but Lynx, the company that helped track and field take a quantum leap forward when its digital cameras began churning out finish line photos in 1992, is looking for ways to expand.

This weekend, ISO Lynx will be employed at The Match: Europe vs. The United States in Minsk, Belarus.

“It’s all about the concept of tracking in real-time,” said Hugues Lacroix of FinishLynx. “There is an entertainment factor as well as information for coaches.”

ISO Lynx uses 10 sensors located around a track. Athletes’ bibs carry electronic tags that transmit 40 times per second. If at least three or four of the sensors hear a tag, they can triangulate the athletes’ position.

“The body blocks the signal, so the sensors only work on the side or the front of (the runner),” Lacroix explained. “That’s why we need 10.”

The data includes speed, acceleration, estimated finish time, distance behind first place, and an almost limitless array of splits.

At New Balance Nationals, where ISO Lynx was used for the first time, the video feed included athletes’ speed and estimated finish time. It was also capable of taking accurate splits in relays despite the staggered lanes.

“I think it’s fun,” Union Catholic NJ coach Mike McCabe said after a couple of days of seeing the data displayed. “Our 4x2 (relay) in lanes, it’s hard to split. With this, we can at least peak up and see where it looks. It’s good information to have, especially if you’re chasing records.”

With ISO Lynx, a distance runner can monitor pace and estimated finish time simply by looking at the scoreboard. Additionally, the system could spit out how many meters of a race has been completed, and how much is left.

“I think it’s pretty cool,” McCabe said. “It’s not going to hurt the sport. I think it can engage fans when they figure out what’s going on.”

Lacroix said he got positive feedback from the meet announcer, who was able to explain that something special was happening when a team in the 4x200 was on national record pace.

“The winner of the racewalk found it interesting he didn’t have to look behind to see how far back the second-place guy was,” Lacroix said.

ISO Lynx technology has been employed in football and other sports as well.

So far this year, ISO Lynx has been used at the European Indoor Championships in Scotland and the European U-23 Championships in Sweden, in addition to NBNO.

“I think it has tremendous entertainment value once we show it’s reliable and it can be on TV showing info in real-time,” Lacroix said.

The accuracy is exact. A greyhound racing track in Australia uses the ISO Lynx system and the dogs run much faster than the humans – 17 meters per second.

ISO Lynx could have applications for field events as well. Information about speed in the horizontal jumps is easy to obtain.

“We’ve put tags in footballs. Track and field is rather traditional,” Lacroix said. “Putting tags in implements is probably not something that’s going to happen soon, but perhaps in the future.”

Beyond this weekend’s meet in Belarus, Lacroix is hopeful that the technology is part of the big meets in 2020.

“Next year’s (U.S.) Trials, or the Pre Classic, it’s comes down to where we want to be and where people want us,” Lacroix said. “Being at New Balance this year was about letting people see this, and then get interested in it, and see where that leads.”