Precision of Wearable GPS in Marathon Races

Abstract

[EN] This article determines the precision of the most relevant GPS models used in marathon races. It uses public data of the participants in the leading marathons. We have retrieved 73 865 records from 85 GPS models. There are differences in the precision obtained by road GPS models compared with models designed for trail races and mobile phones. The precision also depends on the finish time: The longer the race takes, the higher the error. No evidence of differences among the studied brands appear. The results can be helpful for manufacturers to get field information about the behavior of the devices in real conditions. And it can be beneficial for end-users also since the data help the buy decision. On the other hand, with this information, athletes could have available more accurate measures about their pace and other data during a marathon.