SMT Unveils New Digital Technology at TCS New York City Marathon With Course-Wide LED Displays and Selfie Cams and Kiosks

SMT returned to the five boroughs of New York City to support the 52nd running of the TCS New York City Marathon. With an array of technology solutions, SMT plays a role in elevating the marathon experience for all participants and spectators.

This year marked the ninth that SMT joined forces with race organizer the New York Road Runners to provide video display productions and clock-and score interfacing for the TCS NYC Marathon. It is also the 14th year that SMT showcased its enhanced graphics and broadcast technology on behalf of Film 45 and IMG, producers of the TCS New York City Marathon broadcast.

Among the new innovations introduced by SMT this year were its Selfie with the Stars interactive photo stations, live selfie cams and 18 new LED displays set up across the grounds and course.

SELFIE WITH THE STARS: This year, SMT added its popular selfie stations in partnership with title and technology consulting sponsor Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), who brought this activation to its booth at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo and the TCS New York City Marathon Pavilion. Fans chose from the likenesses of marathon luminaries Meb Keflezighi, Deena Kastor, Amanda McGrory and Ali Feller, captured by SMT’s Video Production Services (VPS) team. The resulting selfie was conveniently delivered via email, creating a keepsake from the marathon.

LIVE SELFIE CAM: SMT integrated into its video productions a live selfie cam system that further enhanced audience engagement. By scanning a QR code with a mobile device, spectators livestreamed themselves directly to the video displays. This platform also redirected fans to a sponsor site at the end of each activation.

LED DISPLAYS: This year, in addition to continuing to provide video production services, SMT supplied 18 new LED displays set up across the grounds and course, displaying content unique to various locations, including the Javits Center, start line, and finish line. Five on-course displays were located at miles 8, 16, 20, 23 and 26.

In addition, two LED track boards greeted runners with SMT-produced race content. Additionally, a 50-foot ribbon board suspended from the photo bridge displayed runner times for each of the waves.

Content included:

• Live Leaderboards and Countdown Clock: Keeping track of the race leaders in real-time.
• Broadcast and Social Media Feeds: Connecting the event with the broader digital world.
• Sponsor Messages and NYRR Public Service Announcements: Ensuring important messages reaches the audience, with sponsor logos and graphics.

Throughout the multi-day event, from the Opening Ceremony to the bustling Marathon Pavilion and along the entire 26.2-mile racecourse, SMT’s video displays kept an estimated 50,000 runners and two million spectators continuously updated and inspired.

In addition to SMT’s on-site services, SMT also delivered broadcast and streaming services.

FINAL FINISHER CELEBRATION: On race day, SMT’s dedicated team produced a live stream for the TCS NYCM’s Final Finisher Celebration, capturing the exhilaration of the marathon’s last finishers as they crossed the finish line.

The TCS New York City Marathon was broadcast live locally on ABC7/WABC-TV in New York City and nationally on ESPN2 and in Spanish on ESPN3, reaching a global audience of millions. The TCS New York City Marathon app also livestreamed all four professional races (men’s and women’s, wheelchair and open divisions) in full.

Key elements of SMT’s broadcast contribution included:

• Race Crawls: Featuring lower-screen tombstones displaying the current place of elite men and women, wheelchair athletes, and participants’ names as they cross the finish line.
• Pointer graphics: Identifying relevant runners at points along with course.
• Talent Prompters: Delivering historical and relevant data to commentators and production teams.
• TCS Statistics Interface: Displaying full-page panels of relevant race information.

“The TCS New York Marathon is a monumental event, and we are thrilled to return this year to capture the sheer excitement, the incredible statistics, and the heartwarming human-interest stories,” states Tori Nachuk, Events Project Manager at SMT. “Our annual mission is to encapsulate the very spirit of the race through our video board presentations, from the exhilaration of runners picking up their packets at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo at the Javits Center to the grandeur of Parade of Nations during the Opening Ceremony, and the moving moments of the emotional Final Finish Celebration.”