Sigfox and Capturs, in partnership with SFR Reunion, will enable real-time monitoring of runners and an alert service during the Grand Raid race in Reunion Island from 17-20 October 2019
Sigfox, the world’s leading provider of connectivity solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), is making its 0G network available for Capturs trackers throughout the 2019 edition of the Grand Raid in Reunion Island. This will ensure exclusive real-time tracking of runners on the SFR Grand Raid website.
The 51 best runners in the Grand Raid, all races combined, will be equipped with the GPS Capturs tracker, in addition to the runners who have bought or rented their trackers, enabling the public to follow them as closely as possible throughout the race. GPS positions of the elite runners will provide their exact position every 2 minutes maximum. Real-time monitoring is only available on the SFR Grand Raid website.
The Capturs GPS tracker is based on Sigfox’s technology and network that enable it to send the user’s GPS coordinates in real time. This is the second year in a row that the beacon has been available on the Grand Raid, the ultra-trail race also known as “Diagonale des Fous”, which is one of the most difficult races in the world. The tracker meets the need for organizers and relatives, allowing them to follow the runners at any time during the event and regardless of their location.
This technology has been designed to ensure the safety of runners and sportsman/women practicing outdoor and extreme sports. If the runner finds themselves in difficulty, the tracker has a button that allows them to alert their loved ones, as well as the organizers of the Grand Raid, in order for the latter to determine their exact location and send help as quickly as possible.
For this 27th edition of the Grand Raid, more than 500 runners have chosen to invest in a Capturs tracker. By using Sigfox technology, Capturs is able to offer a tracker that is both space-saving and less expensive than satellite systems, does not require a SIM card and has a revolutionary autonomy, 360 times greater than that of a smartphone. It therefore supplements the use of mobile phones, which are highly adapted to short trails but cannot accompany runners on ultra-trails, which last between 20 and 60 hours. For example, Benoit Girondel, the winner of the 2018 edition of the Grand Raid, took a little over 23 hours to complete the race.
“We have been in Reunion Island since 2016 thanks to our partnership with IO Connect, our operator in the Indian Ocean area,” explains Nicolas Andrieu, Vice President Middle East and Africa at Sigfox. “For the past 3 years, the Sigfox network has been deployed in a large part of Reunion Island where more than 93% of the population is currently covered. It is thanks to this unique coverage, and in particular on the Grand Raid races, that the geolocation of runners will be ensured in all circumstances. We are delighted to be able to offer this service to Grand Raid participants in partnership with SFR Reunion.”
Reunion Island is famous for its many hikes on very varied terrain and its activities with extreme sensations, accessible to beginners and experts alike. It is an ideal destination to exploit the full potential of a technology like Capturs and Sigfox’s low-speed network, for simple performance monitoring or to ensure the safety of the most adventurous athletes.
The GPS Capturs tracker is available in Reunion Island for rent at 29 €, or at the price of 99 € on the SFR Grand Raid website. For those who choose to buy it, the tracker can be used throughout the year, for all types of sports activities, thanks to a subscription that gives access to the Sigfox 0G network, already operational in 65 countries around the globe.
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About Sigfox
Sigfox is the initiator of the 0G network and the world’s leading IoT (Internet of Things) service provider. Its global network allows billions of devices to connect to the Internet, in a straightforward way, while consuming as little energy as possible. Sigfox’s unique approach to device-to-cloud communications addresses the three greatest barriers to global IoT adoption: cost, energy consumption and global scalability.
Today, the network is available in 65 countries, with 1 billion people covered. ISO 9001 certified and surrounded by a large ecosystem of partners and IoT key players, Sigfox empowers companies to move their business model towards more digital services, in key areas such as Asset Tracking and Supply Chain. Founded in 2010 by Ludovic Le Moan and Christophe Fourtet, the company is headquartered in France and has offices in Madrid, Munich, Boston, Dallas, San Jose, Dubai, Singapore, Sao Paulo and Tokyo.
