Sports
20:42, 30-Nov-2018
SCO Kunming Marathon adds facial recognition to double check runners
Updated
20:15, 03-Dec-2018
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The SCO Kunming Marathon, which will be held on Sunday in the city of Kunming, southwest China's Yunnan Province, will use facial recognition to vet runners and match their faces with their IDs to prevent cheating.
"Competitors must carry a valid ID and carry out verification through the facial identification system," Xinhua reported quoting organizers.
The new technology is expected to ensure runners won't take shortcuts or have others run on their behalf.
It will work along with a collection of other gadgets, such as timing carpets, digital displays, and cameras, which are set at halfway through the marathon and at every turning point.
Runners are also required to pass through each timing gadget during their journey. Otherwise, their results and ranking will be invalidated.
The marathon in Kunming will be comprised of four categories: full marathon (42.195 km), half-marathon (21.0975 km), healthy run (5 km) and family run (2.018 km).
Organizers say a total of 41,000 runners from 51 countries and regions have registered to take part in the event, including over 6,000 runners in the full marathon.
The top prize of the full marathon is 10,000 U.S. dollars for each male and female winner.
If the champion is a Chinese national, they could get a bonus of 20,000 yuan (2,880 U.S. dollars). Anyone who breaks the previously set record will receive an extra 10,000 yuan (1,440 U.S. dollars). The current records, set in 2016, are two hours, 22 minutes and two seconds for men and two hours, 33 minutes and 53 seconds for women.
(Top image by Li Wenyi)