Joe Ciavattone, an employee of Outside Interactive, demonstrates the company’s virtual race technology at the New Balance Falmouth Road Race expo in Falmouth, Mass. AP/Collin Binkley
FALMOUTH, Mass. — Runners who failed to snag a coveted bib in a Cape Cod road race can now compete virtually from treadmills anywhere.
The New Balance Falmouth Road Race is among the first races to let runners download an app with video of the actual course and run from home or the gym. The race on Sunday is letting 100 runners race virtually as a pilot, while more than 12,000 compete in-person.
The company behind the technology says other races have agreed to adopt it, and another company plans to offer a virtual version of the London Marathon next year. Some are calling it the future of road running.
Virtual runners will use a video of the Falmouth course filmed last year. Their times won’t count among those who run in person.
