No need for AR in this case. There was a laser grid projected onto the road in front of the runners by a pacing car.

https://image.businessinsider.com/5da1887a4af90974904877c2

https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2...

But that can't provide the drafting and morale benefit of running behind your teammates

Wait ... why a laser projection? You could just use the car for pacing.

IIRC it was done that way as a way to follow the optimal path, instead of eyeballing it and taking corners too wide and adding more distance. Might not seem like much, but he had to shave off less than a minute of his previous attempt, so every little helps.

Maybe for keeping a safe distance without having to eyeball it, or for avoiding the fumes.

Road cyclists frequently draft behind a car or motorcycle; motor-paced racing used to be a very popular discipline and motorcycles are still used for pacing the Keirin event.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor-paced_racing

The pace car was a Tesla so no fumes :)

Might want to use an electric car to avoid the fumes. I do wonder if the car, even a larger distance ahead, does more for drafting than a human in front of the runner.

They used an Audi e-Tron car for pacing the Ineos 1:59.

For the previous attempt at the Breaking 2 event at Monza racetrack, they used a Tesla as a pace car.

I don't have the source on hand, but there was an interview with the person who designed the unusual reverse-V shaped pacer formation, where he said that if it was up to him there wouldn't be a car in front of the runners. The goal is to have as much air as possible hit the front pacers.

According to the article, it was an electric car.

Could be a requirement to stay a certain distance back to keep the car from performing too much of the drafting maybe?

Marathon runners would run naked if they could. Certainly don’t want or need some heavy gadget on their head.

A device like google glass wouldn't be much heavier than their usual glasses.

There are specific limits on the size and functionality of sunglasses at sanctioned track and field events.

Some events don't even allow the use of Garmin watches (by elite runners) because they can be used for pacing.

Very much a non-elite runner here, but yeah, "run vs my previous best pace" is a standard mode and seeing "you are 12 seconds ahead and will finish with a time of xx:yy" is very, very motivating.

Every once counts. Also, it would be a pain to keep on while running.

Are there any ultramarathon runners that wear glasses while they run?

It’s very common to wear sunglasses in an ultramarathon. Runners usually also wear a vest to carry their water, food, safety gear, headlamp, etc.

Different sport altogether, it’s more the endurance so the pace is generally lower. Also you usually won’t have much support along the way so carrying water & food is pretty essential.

That would be amazing for many sports, I think. Gamers are used to ghosts in races showing them what others have done. Doing this for real-life sports could really change how people train.

Personally, I find this a very inspirational idea.

> Doing this for real-life sports could really change how people train.

Strava live segments kind of do this already and it's more of a curse during training. The hardest part of training for running, aside from the consistent long hours, is taking it easy most of the time. Strava segments cause you to compete with yourself and others and go too hard. This quickly leads to burnout and injury. Slow, consistent runs are what you need during training, and a GPS watch can already give you that.

I won't argue that nobody will use it incorrectly. In fact, I'm positive that it'll happen just like you say at first.

And then the internet will be flooded with bloggers talking about how everyone is doing it wrong since they're now self-proclaimed experts, repeating the same things they've heard someone else say.

And eventually, most people will get on the right track with it. It'll be a "GPS watch" in their head that's far more effective.

And I'm sure people will take it beyond that in ways that neither of us are prepared to imagine yet.

What possible benefit would AR provide in this situation?

AR would allow each athlete their own personal pacing grid, or ghost racer, or ideal line. You can run that on a watch or bike computer (or heads-up display), but AR would be that much more intuitive.

It doesn't apply to this one-person demonstration event, but it would sell like crazy to the gear nuts.

phkahler thinks if the record attempt is invalid because of the team of pace runners, why not use a simulated pace runner to gain the benefit without breaking the rule?

Of course, if the speed benefit of pacing is down to psychology and camaraderie rather than purely information, a simulated pacer might not offer the same benefit.

There were 3 reasons why the record is invalid: swapping pacers, drinks handed directly to him by support team (on bicycles), not an 'open event'.