FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Grandma's Marathon Utilizes Crowd Science Expert In Planning 2021 Event
Leading Expert Marcel Altenburg Helping to Analyze 2021 Race Plan
(DULUTH, MINN.) --- Grandma's Marathon-Duluth, Inc. has partnered with
world-renowned crowd scientist Marcel Altenburg of Manchester Metropolitan
University to optimize the event's participant flow as part of the
organization's COVID-modified race plan.
Altenburg has previously worked with larger marathons like London, Berlin,
Chicago, and New York as well as other major marathons around the world. He
has developed crowd science software called Start Right, which uses a
unique mathematical algorithm to help race organizers visualize, predict,
and control the flow of participants throughout the entire race.
"Grandma's Marathon is unique in its setup and all measurements of the
event are very fortunate," Altenburg said. "With the right adjustments,
this race can be organized with social distance in the place at the start,
through the course, and at the finish."
Grandma's Marathon is planning a half capacity event, including but not
limited to the following changes on race day:
- Bus Transportation – Buses to the start line for the marathon and half
marathon will allow a maximum of 25 participants, and all public transit
safety guidelines will be in place. Participants will exit buses in a
controlled fashion to ensure there is always adequate space in the start
corral.
- Rolling Start Line – Participants will enter a start corral for both the
marathon and half marathon, which will be spaced to allow for appropriate
social distancing. Once in the corral, participants will immediately
advance toward the start line. Participants will then be released from
separated lanes in staggered fashion, five at a time, to control the flow
onto the racecourse.
- Masks & Face Coverings – All participants, volunteers, staff, and others
present will be required to wear a mask or face covering at all times other
than while actively participating in a race. This includes but is not
limited to on the bus, in the start corral, and after crossing the finish
line.
Altenburg's analysis of the current plan, with the above safety measures
included, shows a decreased density that allows for a minimum of 12 or more
feet of spacing between participants at all times during the race. In
general, participants will have 20 feet of possible distance to other
people at most points on the racecourse.
"Start Right is an amazing tool that is helping us plan an effective race
weekend with confidence," Grandma's Marathon Race Director Greg Haapala
said. "With this analysis, we know our racecourse and the established
capacity limits allow for the appropriate spacing between participants, but
we will still require everyone involved to act responsibly throughout the
event."
Altenburg's model checks the participant density and spacing at all points
along the racecourse, including the start and finish lines, aid stations,
or narrow sections of roadway. At one of the highest density spots, the
finish line, his analysis shows the 2021 plan decreases the peak by 64
percent from 2019.
"We measured the entire course and simulated every participant based on the
specific data of the event," Altenburg concluded. "The result is that
Grandma's Marathon is uniquely equipped to be among the first marathons to
come back when the time is right."
Attached are photos illustrating Altenburg's analysis of the 2021 Grandma's
Marathon weekend, which is scheduled for June 17-19, 2021. There is also a
video simulation available on our YouTube channel, linked here ---
https://youtu.be/1C_JJKf8G8o.
Altenburg has also done crowd science analysis for professional soccer
teams, stadiums with up to 100,000-seat capacity, airports, and more than
100 other races around the world. His work has been featured in
publications like the New York Times, Washington Post, and Runner's World.
He has a Master of Arts in Human Science from Helmut Schmidt University and
a Master of Science in Crowd Safety and Risk Analysis from Manchester
Metropolitan University.
For more information, please call our office at (218) 727-0947 or visit
grandmasmarathon.com.
ABOUT GRANDMA'S MARATHON
Grandma's Marathon began in 1977 when a group of local runners planned a
scenic road race from Two Harbors to Duluth, Minnesota. There were just 150
participants that year, but organizers knew they had discovered something
special. Grandma's Marathon weekend draws approximately 20,000 participants
for its three-race event each June.
The race got its name from the Duluth-based group of famous Grandma's
Restaurants, the first major sponsor of the Marathon. Over time, the level
of sponsorship with the restaurants changed, but the name stayed the same.
Grandma's Marathon-Duluth, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit
organization with a 17-member Board of Directors and a small, nine-person
staff.
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