Live Tracking - FOR MAPRUN ADMINISTRATORS ONLY
MapRun allows Administrators to see runners using MapRun6 in real-time as they participate in an event... ie "Live Tracking".
Due to the extra backend services required, Live Tracking is arranged by purchasing a "subscription".
If Live Tracking is enabled in the settings for an Event, MapRun6 will send locations typically every 10 to 30 seconds, via cellular data, to the MapRun Server. If the participant is off-line (eg out of range), data is buffered and sent when the user comes back on-line. The volume of data sent is very small and should not be a concern to users on limited cellular data plans.
For Live Tracking to be enabled, the event should be created with Live Tracking option switched on. The frequency of location updates can also be set. Note that any participant in an Event can turn off (or on) live tracking in their settings (affecting them individually).
The viewing of Live Tracking is strictly limited for privacy and confidentiality reasons:
- Privacy - user's privacy regarding their current location, and
- Confidentiality - so that the competitive neutrality of an event is not eroded.
Access to Live Tracking is managed as follows:
- Live Tracking is viewed at the MapRunView website: https://live.maprun.net .
See this page for details of MapRunView.
- MapRunView requires the Administrator to login with their Administrator username/password.
- Access to the MapRunView system also requires, either:
- The Administrator has subscribed to the service for a period (eg a week), or
- The Administrator account has been enabled for Live Tracking (typically for testing/evaluation)
The MapRun Store can be accessed here.
When you do purchase a subscription be sure to use the email address of your MapRun Admin account.
Due to the extra backend services required, Live Tracking is arranged by purchasing a "subscription".
If Live Tracking is enabled in the settings for an Event, MapRun6 will send locations typically every 10 to 30 seconds, via cellular data, to the MapRun Server. If the participant is off-line (eg out of range), data is buffered and sent when the user comes back on-line. The volume of data sent is very small and should not be a concern to users on limited cellular data plans.
For Live Tracking to be enabled, the event should be created with Live Tracking option switched on. The frequency of location updates can also be set. Note that any participant in an Event can turn off (or on) live tracking in their settings (affecting them individually).
The viewing of Live Tracking is strictly limited for privacy and confidentiality reasons:
- Privacy - user's privacy regarding their current location, and
- Confidentiality - so that the competitive neutrality of an event is not eroded.
Access to Live Tracking is managed as follows:
- Live Tracking is viewed at the MapRunView website: https://live.maprun.net .
See this page for details of MapRunView.
- MapRunView requires the Administrator to login with their Administrator username/password.
- Access to the MapRunView system also requires, either:
- The Administrator has subscribed to the service for a period (eg a week), or
- The Administrator account has been enabled for Live Tracking (typically for testing/evaluation)
The MapRun Store can be accessed here.
When you do purchase a subscription be sure to use the email address of your MapRun Admin account.
Users can Opt Out (and Opt In)
Even if an event is set with Live Tracking switched on, we have decided to allow users to opt out of live tracking. Users are not prevented from switching off live tracking in the "Options and Settings" in MapRun, which will disable live tracking for them individually.
Even if an event is setup with Live Tracking switched off, individual users can switch Live Tracking on for themselves individually. This can be useful for testing/evaluating Live Tracking, where the organiser can ask a small number of people in a "normal" event, to turn on Live Tracking as a test.
Caution
Do not use this system as the only safety mechanism for an event.
MapRunView will NOT give a complete view of all runners. Some of the main reasons for this are:
- Runners using MapRunG (on their Garmin Watch) are not tracked. Garmin does have a “LiveTrack” feature, if you carry a phone with you, but this is not integrated with MapRun.
- The older App, MapRunF, is not supported in this version of MapRunView. Unfortunately we can’t retrospectively stop that App from being used in an Event.
- Also people can still:
- Run without a SIM card,
- Run with cellular data switched off,
- Switch off live tracking in "Options and Settings"
- Runners phone batteries can run flat.
This software is in Beta phase, and no guarantees are provided.
Checklist
For Live Tracking in an Event, MapRun Administrators should ensure that the following steps are taken:
- They have arranged for their Administrator Account to have access to Live Tracking either by:
- having purchased a subscription from the MapRun Store (see link above) using the same email address as linked to your MapRun Administrator account, or
- being a tester/evaluator (as agreed via [email protected])
- The event settings (when publishing the event) have "Live Tracking" switched ON (or as noted above, individuals in a non-Live-Tracking event, can switch on Live Tracking for themselves individually).
- Have informed participants that this is a "Live Tracking" event (as a courtesy, so that they know that they may be tracked) and that they need to be using MapRun6.