Ever wondered who’s responsible for all those little moving dots during races like The Spine Race?
In this episode of RUNcensored we’re joined by James Thurlow from OpenTracking – the company behind the GPS tracking used at many of the UK’s biggest trail and ultrarunning events including The Spine Race, Northern Traverse, The Fellsman and Arc of Attrition.
James explains how OpenTracking grew from tracking small cycling events to managing thousands of devices across major endurance races. We talk about the evolution of dot watching, why reliable tracking matters for safety and race management, and how the technology has changed the way races operate.
We also get into some of the stories behind the system: runners accidentally taking trackers home, devices running out of battery in the early days, messages that convinced runners not to quit, and the moment OpenTracking had to shut down messaging during The Spine Race after abuse was directed at runner Sarah Porter.
It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the infrastructure that now underpins modern ultrarunning.
If you’ve ever refreshed a tracker map at 3am during The Spine Race, this one’s for you.
#runningpodcast #trailrunning #ultrarunning #spinerace #dotwatching #fellrunning #opentracking #ultrarunningcommunity
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