Zürich Marathon App: Global Virtual Competition for Swiss Premier Marathon
When pandemic restrictions threatened the traditional Zürich Marathon, IRTECH developed an interactive race app. Athletes worldwide completed the official 42.2 km course according to their local time with synchronized bilingual audio commentary.
Project Metrics
- Distances
- 10k, 21.1k & 42.2k
- Turnaround
- 4 Months
- Audio Commentary
- EN & DE in sync
Project Background
The Zürich Marathon is renowned as one of Europe’s most scenic race courses, tracing along Lake Zürich. When public health mandates caused the cancellation of in-person mass races, the organizing committee needed a modern way to keep their running community engaged worldwide.
IRTECH was tasked with engineering a digital platform that would scale the event internationally while upholding the authentic spirit of racing through the streets of Zürich.
Virtual Race App Concept
In just 4 months, IRTECH engineered a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android, launching for race day on April 25, 2021.
- Three Official Distances: City Run (10 km), Half Marathon (21.1 km), and Full Marathon (42.2 km)
- Controlled Start Windows: Each participant had a strictly enforced 3-hour window in their local timezone to commence their race
- Bilingual Audio Atmosphere: Audio cues with mile markers, background stories of Zürich landmarks, and encouragement in German and English
- Verified Results: Secure individual login tokens prevented tampering and validated official finisher times
Engineering & Press Recognition
Athletes run in varying topography — from urban concrete canyons to remote trails. IRTECH’s sensor fusion smoothed out erratic GPS spikes and delivered verified timing accurate to the second.
A pre-flight device check confirmed that OEM battery optimization parameters would not terminate the tracking service mid-marathon.
Outcome
Thousands of runners across Switzerland and international running clubs crossed the virtual finish line, generating widespread press acclaim and proving that digital racing expands event reach far beyond municipal borders.
Screenshots & UI Showcase
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