Austin Marathon Partners with Brilliant Solutions for First-of-Its-Kind iPhone App
From a city known for its athletic pursuits, technological aptitude and creative energy comes the very first iPhone application for a premier marathon event

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Posted Wednesday, 16 December, 2009

From Ryan Lamppa, Running USA

AUSTIN, Texas - (December 14, 2009) - Austin Marathon organizers partnered with Austin-based Brilliant Solutions, Inc. to create the first-ever mobile application for endurance racing. Launching today on the Apple App store and available for free, the official iPhone application - called Austin Marathon - allows users to find information about the event, challenge others to participate in the race, view course maps, receive race results directly on their iPhone, including the results of those they have challenged and find other useful information about the Austin Marathon.

This app brings endurance racing to the forefront of technology and gives the Austin Marathon an opportunity to share up-to-the-minute information in a way that is new, different and modern.

"This iPhone App is yet another example of how we strive to make every aspect of our race reflect the needs and values of our host city and our participants," said John Conley, Race Director of the Austin Marathon. "It's important that our race communicates in a way that is convenient and fun, but we also love that Brilliant Solutions, Inc. has made it so easy for people to share information among themselves and challenge others to join the race."

The application is powered by iRace, a robust endurance race database engine developed by Austin-based, Brilliant Solutions, Inc. iRace can also be found on the Apple App store as a stand-alone application that is inclusive of more than 13,000 races found throughout the United States.

"Focusing iRace on specific races makes a lot of sense for us as a business," says Brant Winterbottom, President of Brilliant Solutions, Inc. "We want to interact directly with the running community, and there is no better opportunity for us to be involved than through premier running events like the Austin Marathon. We are tremendously excited to be part of such a great event."

Austin Marathon utilizes the newest iPhone features, including Apple Push Notification (APN). Runners are notified on their iPhone as soon as race results are available and can easily view them within the application. APN is also used to invite - or "challenge" - others to participate in the event. When a challenge is accepted, the results of those challenged are also viewable within the application, letting runners compare their finishing times.

"The challenge feature is extremely unique. Many runners participate in races with family and friends, so the Austin Marathon app was designed to enhance the shared race experience," Winterbottom said.

Runners without access to an iPhone can also benefit from the application. The application is supported online at www.myirace.com and includes many of the same features available on the iPhone.

Austin Marathon provides another mechanism for sponsors and advertisers to connect with their market in a unique way that is not available through traditional race marketing. The mobile application can facilitate two-way communication between advertisers and their target audience through the use of banner ads and other interactive graphics within the application.

"There are many applications available today that support runners in their training. However, there is a noticeable gap in applications specific to endurance races," Winterbottom said. "Austin Marathon, powered by iRace, enhances the race experience for runners and provides a new and exciting platform for the race itself to interact with the participants."

The 2010 Austin Marathon and Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, February 14. More race information at: www.youraustinmarathon.com

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