Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running

In recent years, recreational running has experienced significant growth, with millions of individuals participating in the sport worldwide. This growth has highlighted the need for accessible and effective training tools and methodologies tailored specifically to recreational runners. While elite a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Allouch, Maxime
Other Authors: Ruane, Jonathan
Format: Thesis
Published: Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2024
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/155998
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author Allouch, Maxime
author2 Ruane, Jonathan
author_facet Ruane, Jonathan
Allouch, Maxime
author_sort Allouch, Maxime
collection MIT
description In recent years, recreational running has experienced significant growth, with millions of individuals participating in the sport worldwide. This growth has highlighted the need for accessible and effective training tools and methodologies tailored specifically to recreational runners. While elite athletes benefit from high-end performance labs, personalized coaching, and advanced training camps, these resources are often too costly and specialized to be scalable for the average runner. This thesis investigates how recent innovations in wearable devices and data science can democratize access to such elite-level resources. Employing a critical analysis, this study examines the evolution, accuracy, and real-world application of such technologies through case studies and a comprehensive review of existing literature. Additionally, the thesis discusses future technological directions, exploring potential advancements and their implications for the recreational running community. We highlight the urgent need for rigorous and independent research to validate the efficacy of these innovations. It is crucial to quantify their impact on running performance and injury prevention, challenging the often overstated claims found in marketing materials. This research could enable runners to make more informed decisions about their training methods. By making high-quality training more accessible, we aim to improve both the performance and experience of runners at all levels.
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spelling mit-1721.1/1559982024-08-13T03:12:54Z Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running Allouch, Maxime Ruane, Jonathan Sloan School of Management In recent years, recreational running has experienced significant growth, with millions of individuals participating in the sport worldwide. This growth has highlighted the need for accessible and effective training tools and methodologies tailored specifically to recreational runners. While elite athletes benefit from high-end performance labs, personalized coaching, and advanced training camps, these resources are often too costly and specialized to be scalable for the average runner. This thesis investigates how recent innovations in wearable devices and data science can democratize access to such elite-level resources. Employing a critical analysis, this study examines the evolution, accuracy, and real-world application of such technologies through case studies and a comprehensive review of existing literature. Additionally, the thesis discusses future technological directions, exploring potential advancements and their implications for the recreational running community. We highlight the urgent need for rigorous and independent research to validate the efficacy of these innovations. It is crucial to quantify their impact on running performance and injury prevention, challenging the often overstated claims found in marketing materials. This research could enable runners to make more informed decisions about their training methods. By making high-quality training more accessible, we aim to improve both the performance and experience of runners at all levels. S.M. 2024-08-12T14:14:11Z 2024-08-12T14:14:11Z 2024-05 2024-06-25T18:19:21.045Z Thesis https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/155998 In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted Copyright retained by author(s) https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/ application/pdf Massachusetts Institute of Technology
spellingShingle Allouch, Maxime
Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running
title Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running
title_full Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running
title_fullStr Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running
title_full_unstemmed Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running
title_short Democratizing Performance: Impact of The Data Revolution on Recreational Running
title_sort democratizing performance impact of the data revolution on recreational running
url https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/155998
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