Right at the end of October, and the beginning of November, it becomes marathon month! Toronto, Chicago, NYC...and we have staff at each of 'em!
ML provides staff for Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), who sponsors these races. Now, while we staff the three cities listed above, NYC has the largest Expo, so we'll focus on that one!
The NYC Marathon Expo
First and foremost, the Expo! You can find anything and everything race-related here! It takes place over three full days at the Javits Center on West 34th Street. TCS always has a massive booth, which is the heart of the Expo. Our Laners bring all the ins and outs of this station to life! There's a larger-than-life iPhone (that works!) with the TCS app, a stunning graphic video about the race, a make-your-own cheer card station and more!
At The Heart of It All...
This year, the TCS Booth had a bit of a remodel from previous Expos! The Imagine the Difference: a Digital Twin demo was an exciting addition. Before the NYC Marathon, TCS announced it would be creating a digital twin of Boston Marathon champion Des Linden’s heart. A "Digital Twin Heart" is a virtual replica of a person’s heart, offering precise data on its function, efficiency, and response to varying conditions.
Digital Twin Heart technology can provide unique insights into heart performance. It can pave the way for future athletes and individuals to optimize their heart health. For example, imagine simulating or analyzing your cardiac activity at a certain point in a race. Say, mile 15 of the TCS New York City Marathon, on the hilly Queensboro Bridge. That data could unlock new insights!
Once fully created, they will be able to run countless simulations on Des’s heart in the virtual world to understand what could happen in the physical world. This is about more than elite athletic performance – it’s about safety and prevention too! In healthcare, a digital twin powered by AI could monitor an individual's health and predict potential issues before someone is harmed.
The Bottom Line: Digital Twins could soon be commonplace for all of us, thanks to recent advancements in fields like AI, machine learning, and virtual reality. Pretty cool stuff! ..and our Laners were there to introduce this to all the runners stopping by the booth.
Meanwhile...Away From the TCS Booth...
Simultaneously, we also had a Laner over at the Abbott World Marathon Majors Booth! We know, busy busy busy!
Abbott World Marathon Majors is an organization that coordinates The Six Star Medal! This was first introduced in 2016 to honor the runners who complete all six Major Marathons: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. Pretty cool! Every year, they have a booth to raise awareness of their programs and to provide a landing spot for those runners eligible for their Medal. And our Laners are right there, with a smile, guiding folks and handing out swag!
Last, But Not Least: Race Day!
Now that the Expo is wrapped up, it's time for Race Day! Throughout the years, Laners have been stationed all over the route of the race, working in different capacitities. A constant (and Laner favorite!) is TCS' Post-Race Hospitality Event at Tavern on the Green, in Central Park.
When TCS runners finish their race, they're invited to come hang - and recover - at Tavern on the Green. It's quite the set-up: a gourmet lunch and dinner buffet; hot beverages; beer and wine; and access to the west side Grandstand Seating for a view of the runners. There's even a stretching and recovery zone! Yep, you guessed it: our Laners are there to help welcome and congratulate the exhausted runners. They also assist with bag check, and even take pictures of the runners.
The energy of these Marathon events is one that's extremely positive and exciting. Runners come to these cities with such a fun and gracious outlook. It's always a great time for our Laners, who get to interact with countless people from all over the world - each with their own story. Marathon Season may be a busy one here at Mustard Lane, but we love every bit of it!
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