SPECIAL TOPIC

may want to take into account how other runners can inspire and inform even when they do not run together.

Supporters prefer large, organized races, as those events are careful to create settings that cater to supporters as well as runners. These events act as a connection between runners and supporters. In contrast, remote supporters (i.e., those who stay at home while their friends or family are participating in a race) do not get a boost from the shared environment. While these supporters do have the desire to take an active part in the race, it is difficult for them to maintain focus, as they have limited influence on the race and may have a different perception of space and time than the runners. These design considerations make designing technology for remote supporters particularly complex.

We are learning how to design remote support technology that will enable friends and family to remotely cheer their runners on during races.

We do this through the design and prototyping of custom devices that enable runners to request help and supporters to send their support. We are investigating systems that incorporate ambient tactile and light input, as many of our runner interviewees dislike the headphone-based solutions currently available on the market. The user response so far has been positive, with runners claiming that remote support created a connection that engaged them and gave them perceived energy boosts.

Supporters were happy they were able to help their runner friends and family even though they could not be present at the race. Supporters who are also runners described having vicarious experiences of the race.

Supporting recall. Another common problem for runners is reflecting on past training efforts and race performances.

With GPS watches and mobile running
apps easily available, runners now
have access to extensive data about
their runs. However, we observed that
runners often find it hard to tell stories
about their runs, especially races. The
mental state of a runner is such that
it prevents them from remembering
everything. As a consequence, runners
often mention that they cannot properly
reflect on their past experiences to
improve their performance and training
routines. Currently no technology
supports recall for runners, leaving GPS
they are on their family for support.

For some, running is so important for
their feeling of well-being that they are
upset if they are forced to miss a single
training session. This prompted us to
design technology for dedicated runners
that will fit into the social world of
running. There are two key issues that
emerge from our ethnographic work for
which technology is still lacking.
Support and supporters. Support
means more than just cheering at the
sidelines. The majority of our randomly
chosen sample of supporters at races
were also active runners. Runners
understand each other, so designs

Researchers explaining how to use a remote support device just before a large cross-country race. Working on the race day entails interacting with users who are stressed and extremely focused, so demonstration routines need to be rehearsed beforehand.

An alternative approach to visualizing running activities. A map with a watercolor filter that depicts only salient features in the landscape may facilitate recalling the runner surroundings. A color map is used to visualize elevation for the track itself.