Running’s Tech Boom Is Just Getting Started

The interaction of sport and technology was very evident at the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show Jan. 6-9 in Las Vegas, especially at the massive Intel area. Photo: Brian Metzler

I’ve been telling everyone for years that whatever happened in George Jetson’s technology-enhanced life, we’d one day be able to experience in ours.

The long-running popular cartoon series and 1990 animated film about a family from a futuristic outer space society are ancient history—just like the running shoes, clothes and accessories of the original running boom—but the age of technology is obviously upon us. As 2016 unfolds, a new generation of high-tech running gear is dawning, and some of it would make ol’ George Jetson proud.

This year’s new gear will certainly continue the paradigm shift that has seen running become more intertwined with technology in recent years.

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In short, the game-changing products and technologies that are emerging have the ability to help runners become more efficient, smarter about training, wiser about recovery and ultimately faster. Although first-generation wearables—heart rate monitors, basic smartwatches, simple step counters and even so-called sleep monitors—have gained traction and acceptance, the latest innovations—from advanced smartwatches to tech-enhanced shoes and apparel to sophisticated gait monitors and running power meters—definitely represent what’s next.

“I think what is apparent is that the world of technology and sport are colliding in a really cool way,” says Chris Ladd, executive vice president of New Balance, which recently launched a Digital Sport division focusing on game-changing digital experiences and wearable technologies. “I think the data, the sensors, the technology available right now allow the athlete to have an unprecedented view of their performance. It’s a really exciting time.”

Ladd points out that New Balance’s expertise is in developing athletic footwear, apparel and accessories, not electronics or advanced technologies. But, he says, that’s exactly why it has forged partnerships with leading-edge tech companies like Intel, Strava, Google and Zepp. It’s through those partnerships that joint understanding of athletic training and improvement can be understood and game-changing products can be developed.

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The new division will initially focus on three product categories: devices, including a new smartwatch that will allow runners to track workouts and listen to music untethered from a smartphone; embedded technology, such as intelligent sensors integrated into New Balance footwear and apparel; and performance sport, including a sports equipment micro-fob that senses, analyzes and provides feedback of an athlete’s performance.

The first tech-enhanced shoes from Altra and Under Armour are expected to debut by late winter. Using a chip in one of the shoes, the Under Armour Gemini 2 Record Equipped ($150) automatically tracks a runner’s speed, distance, cadence and route and seamlessly downloads the data to the brand’s Map My Run platform.

The Altra IQ ($199), which interacts with iFit wearable tech devices and software, has been designed to provide real-time running analysis and coaching feedback that can make a runner more efficient. It has full-length sensors in each shoe and can tell runners if they’re overstriding, have too slow of a cadence or have a stride imbalance.

“The way technology becomes useful in running is not just by giving runners data but by helping runners use the data for improvement, for example their gait or their fitness,” says Golden Harper, one of the founders of Altra Running. “Our goal wasn’t so much to create a tech shoe, it was to continue with the reasons we started Altra and that’s to help runners improve and reduce the chances of injuries.”

RELATED: First Look: Altra IQ Tech Shoe

The new Stryd chest strap power meter is another good example of modern technology benefitting runners. It measures the power an athlete produces while running, allowing that runner to instantly understand how much effort they’re putting forth—a little or a lot, too much or too little—during a particular run.

Ultimately, it’s a device to help a runner understand efficiency and run at any speed or effort while keeping their power output as low as possible—either by fixing minor form flows, adjusting intensity on the go or developing workouts to promote efficiency, although in theory it could even help a runner choose the most appropriate shoe for a particular type of run.

“There is more and more technology coming into sport and the challenge is to find out what is actually useful and what is noise in the background,” says triathlete Craig Alexander, a three-time Ironman World Champion. “For me, I see two real applications to monitoring power output: working on your efficiency, monitoring it and seeing where it breaks down and being able to make adjustments; and also being able to monitor it and build fitness based on it.”

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