This week we learned that Apple has become an official partner of this year’s London Marathon next month.
The Apple Watch has certainly helped many runners prepare for marathons and other long-distance races, but one wonders if the sponsorship signals plans to go further…
Apple partners with London Marathon
Apple isn’t a major sponsor of the event (IT consultancy TCS is), but this year’s event does have a rather awkward title: “Official High-Performance Technology Product Partner.”
The company’s fitness director said Apple technology helps runners in three ways.
“Apple technology empowers runners of all levels with powerful tools and insights to help them stay motivated, track progress and better understand their health and fitness,” said Jay Blahnik, Apple vice president of fitness technologies.
Deeper support for runners?
www.vrenture.com/Journalist Gisele Castro-Sloboda wonders if the deal signals the company’s plans to increase support for those participating in organized competitions. She noted the existing tools and said she wished there were more.
It currently has tools to help runners track runs and collect advanced metrics using Apple Watch, track heart rate using AirPods Pro 3 or Apple Fitness Plus workouts (…)
Maybe a future update could look like race-specific tools that include competitor information (…) As an Apple Watch user and casual runner, I’d like to see personalized training plans for different race distances based on your data.
She also sees the role of artificial intelligence.
Another useful feature would be if the Apple Watch could use artificial intelligence to determine, based on the data you collect, whether you’re running at a pace appropriate for your prescribed exercise, or whether you could use an extra rest day.
Do you wish Apple would provide such a feature? Let us know in the comments.
Photo by Miguel Amutio on Unsplash
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