Discussion
Conclusion
This project served two purposes for improving navigation and knowledge of ultramarathon trail races. First, we see that through the initiative and outcome of this project, the possibility for GIS services to collaborate with trail race organizations would be beneficial to both runners and other sports that involve long distance events. Second, our intentions to fill the gap of academic literature regarding geovisualization for ultramarathon-type events established a need for more research in navigation of trail races from the trail runner’s perspective. The overall project can be improved by the availability of satellite imagery or aerial photographs to improve visualization techniques and the overall quality of the animations and videos. It is important to note that although the Unity and Flyover results are similar, the method, data and time required is dependent on the resources of the GIS user and the desired output of their project. For trail runners, having access to multimedia visualization methods, such as our Web App, will have the potential to further increase participation, contribute to the sharing of social media posts, and facilitate friendly competition. The Web App provides an interactive approach for trail runners to share their experiences of the trails. In addition, the increasing popularity of trail running and the application of social media is additive to the trend of Web 2.0 and the implication of volunteer geographic information.
Future Improvements
In the future, it is recommended that further research into the availability of reliable and low cost satellite imagery or aerial photography will benefit trail race visualizations. Additionally, it is because the GPS data we received are recorded from a secondary source, additional ground truthing of GPS data is necessary to ensure data is accurate. Lastly, our project members were not experienced trail runners, therefore, our visualizations are limited to the knowledge of our geovisualization background. The implementation of our four visualizations will need to be tested with a group of various experienced trail runners to identify further improvements and refinements.
