RUNNING USA – AthleteTracker Offers Text Updates for Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon Fans

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Fans of the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and the Medtronic TC 10 Mile on Sunday, October 6 can follow the progress of runners via text message again this year thanks to AthleteTracker, powered by Avtex, a complimentary application that will send real-time reports on individual runners on race day.

Avtex, a provider of customer experience technology solutions, will once again partner with Twin Cities In Motion to bring the state's premier running events closer to the people following them. Fans can track up to three athletes registered in the marathon or ten mile. As runners move along the course, real-time updates via text-message will be sent to their fans' phones. In addition to allowing spectators to sign up and use the service, AthleteTracker includes the ability for runners to sign up and see who is following them and invite others to follow them.

"AthleteTracker takes advantage of the latest cloud technologies from Microsoft," said Neil Iversen, Director of Software Development at Avtex. "We send over 100,000 text messages with AthleteTracker during race day and we wanted to leverage the scalability of the cloud to provide the best experience to the fans."

The registration website has been optimized for mobility to allow individuals to sign up using a smartphone, tablet or computer.

To register for the free service, visit: avtex.com/athletetracker.

At the sign-up page, fans simply enter their mobile phone number and submit the names of the runners they wish to track. Athletes running in the events can use the same webpage to see who plans to follow them on race day. To use AthleteTracker, users must register by Saturday, October 5 at 7:00 p.m.

"We're happy to again partner with Avtex to bring AthleteTracker back to our event," Virginia Brophy Achman, executive director for Twin Cities In Motion, said. "We continuously strive to improve the overall experience for spectators during the registration process and on the race course. AthleteTracker enhancements will also allow TCM officials to better track race leaders for event announcers and the media."

A total of 22,000 runners are registered in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon and Medtronic TC 10 Mile. In turn, they will be followed by more than 300,000 fans along the course and by additional friends and family members who cannot be in Minneapolis and St. Paul on race-day but who can now track the race from afar with AthleteTracker.

RUNNING USA

For more information, contact athletetracker@avtex.com

Source: Twin Cities In Motion Date: October 2, 2013