How data and analytics will transform athletics on the track and keep fans engaged

Data analysis in sport is already producing game-changing results, to the point that every decision now being made on the pitch, track or field is being driven by data in some shape or form. We see evidence-based insights continuing to enhance athletes’ performance and are now fundamental to revolutionising how we understand, enjoy, and engage with sports.

The impact of data has been witnessed on a global scale across multiple sports. In athletics, however, while we have seen huge technological strides in footwear, apparel, and training methods, the modern synthetic running track has remained largely unchanged since the 1968 Summer Olympics. It struck me during my career as a professional athlete, what if we could radically innovate the running surface and see if it could help athletes run faster?

I started working on the idea when a chronic autoimmune condition put an end to my track running career a few years ago. Though I can no longer compete professionally, it’s my belief that technology and bringing athletics into the digital age will empower the next generation of athletes to reach their fullest potential.

Our vision, put simply, is to transform athletics with the world’s first integrated smart flooring system by democratising data and enabling athletes to gain actionable insights from their performance, provide provision in measurement in order to make adjustments and potentially achieve faster running speeds.

According to Fortune Business Insights the global sports analytics market size was valued at USD 3.78 billion in 2023. The market is projected to be worth USD 4.81 billion in 2024. As levels of innovation – continue to reach new heights, we are incredibly excited about introducing Feldspar into this ecosystem and drive change and innovation to the next level. Against this background, I highlight how data will continue to transform and evolve the athletics industry to benefit athletic performance and make it more engaging and exciting for spectators watching in stadiums and at home.

Improving Athletic Performance

In the modern era, athletes and coaches are already using data to optimise their performance and data science also plays a crucial role in identifying potential risk areas of injury by analysing patterns in performance data. Traditionally, this information has been captured using camera-based methods at competitions or on smartphones during daily coaching sessions. There’s also very limited information on display on what happens on an individual level between the start and finish line, which makes it very hard to determine important metrics like stride length and frequency from cameras, as they lack a precise reference for distance. However, advancements in technology now offer the potential to capture athletes’ footsteps directly, transforming performance analysis through insights provided in real-time.

The way this information is collected by our next-generation, digital flooring solution will set the standard in the industry. The state-of-the-art materials combine advanced sensors and patented hardware technologies. The sensors will capture a wider range of running metrics that were previously hard to access such as stride length, stride frequency, ground contact time and max velocity. In addition, it will capture basic metrics but more accurately than before, helping runners potentially achieve faster running speeds.

Using a combination of camera-based technologies and data captured from the track will allow easier access for athletes and coaches to get valuable insight into their running in both training as well as before, during or after competition as well as for the fans who want to understand more about the sport.

How will technology be used to improve the fan experience in athletics?

Data is reshaping how sports fans interact and engage with sports. We expect that the huge amount of information we’ll be able to obtain through our digital running track will transform the fan experience even further. There is a lot to learn from what has already been achieved in football, Basketball and Motor Racing for example.

At Feldspar we plan to democratise the data available, which will bring fans closer to the action by bringing together what is happening on the track and connecting it to the spectators watching in the stands. For instance, data can be displayed on big screens at events, integrated into live broadcasts, and accessed via mobile apps, making the viewing experience more interactive and engaging. The adoption of new technology will not only enhance precision in measurement, but it also has the potential to elevate the profile of athletics by adding more layers to the athlete’s story, and it will create high energy live events for fans of the sport.

As we continue to develop and refine our offering, the goal remains clear: to ensure that athletics not only keeps up with technological advancements both on and off the track but leads the way in adopting new technology in the future that will likely see world records broken and also pave the way to an elevated fan engagement at global sports events.

The writer Alvina Chen is the founder and CEO of Feldspar, the UK-based technology company building the world’s first sensor-enabled high-performance running track that’s set to transform live sports entertainment in athletics.