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Nicole Blum/MicroMemphis ReporterNicole Blum is a senior broadcast journalism major. She is an intern at WMC-TV 5 and works in the Marketing department at the University of Memphis. Send her your story ideas and follow her on twitter: @N_Blum.
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HYPERLOCAL NEWS HUB BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS DEPARTMENT OF JOURNALISM
Tiny Chips Clock Runners' Times
By Christopher Whitten/MicroMemphis Contributor
September 16, 2011
The rain didn’t stop the nearly 2,000 runners from participating in the Cooper-Young Festival Friday 4-Miler. In fact, the rain didn’t stop the thousands in attendance or even Memphis Mayor Wharton as he was on hand to signal the official start of the race.
Bryan Baddorf, 28, was the overall winner with a time of 21:24. Caroline Blatti, 37, was the first female to cross the finish line with a time of 25:08.
The race was timed by Start 2 Finish Event Management Timing Services. Each runner had a bib number with an electronic tracker according to Adam Shelton of S2F Timing. On the back of each bib was a Radio Frequency Emitting Diode chip that communicated with the virtual finish line maintained by race officials. There were sensors set up all along the finish line that would read the timing chips as racers crossed. The sensors then communicated with computers listing the racers’ results as they crossed almost instantly.
While this technology contributed to immediate race results, not everyone was happy with it. Many racers lined up to check their results but only to learn they had no finish time. In which case, they had to go to officials in order to resolve the matter.
“We have backup systems in place,” said Shelton in reference to workers physically inputting racers’ numbers into computers in case the virtual system failed.
Onlooker and Festival supporter Aaron Lovett is a member of the U.S. Army. He came to watch his friends compete. He said he can run two miles in about 14 minutes.
“A lot of these people are faster than the military,” Lovett said as he stood in awe in front of the results tent.
Kells Hecht, 11, ran in Friday’s race. He came right after a tennis match at the Racquet Club of Memphis. He is also a member of his school’s cross country team. He finished 14th in his division with a time of 38:42.
“I just like to run,” Hecht said. “I have another tennis match tomorrow at 8 a.m. and a soccer game at 11 o’clock.”
September 16, 2011
The rain didn’t stop the nearly 2,000 runners from participating in the Cooper-Young Festival Friday 4-Miler. In fact, the rain didn’t stop the thousands in attendance or even Memphis Mayor Wharton as he was on hand to signal the official start of the race.
Bryan Baddorf, 28, was the overall winner with a time of 21:24. Caroline Blatti, 37, was the first female to cross the finish line with a time of 25:08.
The race was timed by Start 2 Finish Event Management Timing Services. Each runner had a bib number with an electronic tracker according to Adam Shelton of S2F Timing. On the back of each bib was a Radio Frequency Emitting Diode chip that communicated with the virtual finish line maintained by race officials. There were sensors set up all along the finish line that would read the timing chips as racers crossed. The sensors then communicated with computers listing the racers’ results as they crossed almost instantly.
While this technology contributed to immediate race results, not everyone was happy with it. Many racers lined up to check their results but only to learn they had no finish time. In which case, they had to go to officials in order to resolve the matter.
“We have backup systems in place,” said Shelton in reference to workers physically inputting racers’ numbers into computers in case the virtual system failed.
Onlooker and Festival supporter Aaron Lovett is a member of the U.S. Army. He came to watch his friends compete. He said he can run two miles in about 14 minutes.
“A lot of these people are faster than the military,” Lovett said as he stood in awe in front of the results tent.
Kells Hecht, 11, ran in Friday’s race. He came right after a tennis match at the Racquet Club of Memphis. He is also a member of his school’s cross country team. He finished 14th in his division with a time of 38:42.
“I just like to run,” Hecht said. “I have another tennis match tomorrow at 8 a.m. and a soccer game at 11 o’clock.”
Cheers Keep Runners on Track
By Greg Williams/MicroMemphis contributor
September 12, 2011
This year’s Cooper-Young 4-Miler saw 1,949 timed runners racing as part of the annual festival. The streets of the neighborhood were closed off and residents lit up their homes and cheered the runners on. Seven-year resident Monty Morgan was in his front yard with his family, cheering on the runners as they passed by his house.
“It’s like a kickoff to a three-day-long Super Bowl party. I don’t run, I cheer them on,” said Morgan.
The residents, runners, and supporters of this annual race were happy to talk about the festival centered in their neighborhood.
Experienced runner Keith Guest has been a fan of the 4-Miler since the beginning.
“I run it every year,” Guest said. “It’s the people, the tradition and the cause.”
The friends and families of the runners lined the streets of Cooper and Young, trying to cheer on the runners at as many different points as possible. At the Celtic Crossing restaurant, people were outside enjoying a drink and watching as the racers went by.
After the race was over, many of the runners stayed in the area. There was live music, food, and beer tents to help the runners recover and refuel from a long journey.
September 12, 2011
This year’s Cooper-Young 4-Miler saw 1,949 timed runners racing as part of the annual festival. The streets of the neighborhood were closed off and residents lit up their homes and cheered the runners on. Seven-year resident Monty Morgan was in his front yard with his family, cheering on the runners as they passed by his house.
“It’s like a kickoff to a three-day-long Super Bowl party. I don’t run, I cheer them on,” said Morgan.
The residents, runners, and supporters of this annual race were happy to talk about the festival centered in their neighborhood.
Experienced runner Keith Guest has been a fan of the 4-Miler since the beginning.
“I run it every year,” Guest said. “It’s the people, the tradition and the cause.”
The friends and families of the runners lined the streets of Cooper and Young, trying to cheer on the runners at as many different points as possible. At the Celtic Crossing restaurant, people were outside enjoying a drink and watching as the racers went by.
After the race was over, many of the runners stayed in the area. There was live music, food, and beer tents to help the runners recover and refuel from a long journey.