One of the most known and largest races in Connecticut, the 2017 Hartford Marathon was all about determination, passion and community. The course showcases the revitalized riverfronts of Hartford and East Hartford with breathtaking views of the Connecticut River and classic New England charm of Old Main Street.
And, to add to the scenic course as part of the race day experience, race organizers offered RaceJoy to participants and spectators for live tracking, progress updates at every mile, and fun and motivational audio cheer messages.
Thousands of individual runners and relay teams used RaceJoy on race day. Participants and teams took advantage of RaceJoy’s live GPS tracking so that others knew their exact position on the course.
We received very positive feedback from participants. One half marathon participant said:
This was only my second half marathon and at mile 12 I was struggling with leg cramps! All of a sudden, I received a cheer from my daughter through RaceJoy saying “if Janet Jackson can have a baby at 52, you can do this”! Ironically, I was listening to Janet Jackson tunes at the same time! It cracked me up and surely helped motivate me! This app is great from both a motivational perspective and safety too! My cheering squad knew exactly where I was and how I was doing! Love this idea!!! Keep up the good work 😀
– Lise A. Hartford, Half Marathon Participant
Another participant shared:
Using RaceJoy was a blast! My family tracked me and sent a “Woohoo!” cheer at every mile.
– Kayla G. Hartford, Half Marathon Participant
A top-notch marathon experience with high-energy crowds is a keystone feature of the Hartford Marathon. More than 5,000 cheers were sent over the course of the weekend, and we even had a few supporting fans reach RaceJoy’s 50 cheer limit to a given participant on race day. Now, that is some serious support!
Special congratulations to Melissa on attainting her PR at Hartford, but more importantly on her new baby. Hubby gets a gold star, too! 😉
I am a new mom, just ran the Hartford Half with my PR! I fit training in with runs with the stroller, making a race with no stroller feel easier! I’m lucky to have a wonderful supportive husband. For the race, my husband and 7-month baby could follow me on RaceJoy. Thank you!
– Melissa G. Hartford, Half Marathon Participant
Those who used RaceJoy were also able to receive progress updates at every mile, which included information like pace, estimated finish and elapsed time. Relay teams made full use of this feature and received alerts for the active leg and over all team time. RaceJoy issued an impressive 43,000 alerts on race day!
At the end of the race the post-race party offered all the pomp and circumstance with a festive celebration in Bushnell Park with beer, live music and food. And, of course, the participants got to show off their special swag after earning their bragging rights for finishing the race.
Race organizers also used RaceJoy to track key race operations like the lead and tail female and male runners so that they, at any given time, knew the exact location of the top finisher and final person on the course. Thank you to the race organizers for including us at the 2017 Hartford Marathon and congratulations finishers on a great race day!
If you’d like to offer RaceJoy at your event, check out our website or your RunSignUp dashboard for more information. Please note that we require a minimum two-week load time and an electronic version of your course map (KML/GPX format preferred).
