At this year’s Challenge Wanaka Half, we witnessed something truly exciting – how RaceRanger is changing the game for fair racing with age group athletes using RaceRanger to take control of their drafting in real time. The feedback was fantastic, with many competitors telling us that understanding what 12 meters actually looks like removing the stress and ambiguity of staying legal.
RaceRanger, an advanced electronic drafting detection system, was implemented at Challenge Wanaka, providing athletes with real-time feedback on their positioning within the 12-meter draft zone.
Now, we’re taking things a step further. Challenge Wanaka is set to publish anonymous drafting data from the race, giving athletes, officials, and event organizers an exclusive look at the insights RaceRanger provides.
The data collected from the event provides a clear and objective picture of drafting dynamics, including:
- How long an athlete spent inside the draft zone
- How much ‘illegal time’ for each athlete (breaking the drafting rules) which could be made up of;
– taking longer than 25 seconds to overtake
– taking longer than 25 seconds to drop back
– anytime they enter a draft zone and then drop back out the back (yo-yo) - Who (the favourite wheel) an athlete drafted from the most (in zone)
- An athlete’s longest single ‘follow’ – drafting instance behind a specific competitor
- How often an athlete “yo-yo’d” in and out of the zone
Each athlete also produces an individual file of their race, with the potential of offering new levels of self-analysis and learning opportunities.
From Challenge Wanaka’s perspective the trial provided for fairer racing and better athlete experience.
Event Director Jane Sharman commented “RaceRanger was a fantastic addition to Challenge Wanaka this year. As an event that prides itself on fairness and integrity, having a system that helps athletes understand and manage their drafting distances in real time was a game-changer. We saw competitors actively using the units to stay within the rules, which contributed to a much cleaner race overall.”
“One of the biggest challenges in long-course racing is enforcing drafting rules consistently. RaceRanger gave our officials valuable insights, helping them make more informed decisions throughout the event. While penalties will always be a part of the sport, the goal is education and awareness—and RaceRanger is proving to be an incredible tool in achieving that.”
Jane Sharman added “we received overwhelmingly positive feedback from athletes who said RaceRanger took away the guesswork of drafting. Knowing exactly where they stood in relation to competitors allowed them to race with confidence, without constantly worrying if they were at risk of a penalty. Many also commented that it was eye-opening to truly understand how far 12 meters actually is in a racing environment”.
What’s Next for RaceRanger?
This isn’t it for the team at RaceRanger, they’re continuously improving their design and outputs to make racing even fairer, easier to understand, and more enjoyable. Some exciting developments ahead could include:
- Moving toward a single unit per bike that athletes can easily install themselves.
- Exploring live internet connectivity, meaning real-time drafting data, live athlete tracking, and even a potential ‘stopped athlete alerts’ for added safety
This technology is a game-changer for racing. It’s not about penalties—it’s about giving you the knowledge to make better in-race decisions, helping officials focus on what matters most, and ultimately creating a fairer, more transparent, and more enjoyable experience for all athletes.
“Challenge Wanaka has always been at the forefront of innovation in triathlon, and we’re excited about where RaceRanger is heading. The potential for live tracking and real-time race data is something we believe will elevate the athlete experience and make races even fairer. We’re looking forward to continuing to work with RaceRanger as the technology evolves.” added Jane Sharman.
RaceRanger is revolutionizing how we approach drafting enforcement, simplifying the job for officials and giving athletes real-time awareness of their positioning. The more we understand drafting dynamics, the better and fairer racing will become.
Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to develop new features. And if you raced at Challenge Wanaka or are interested in knowing more, check out the links to RaceRanger data below, both the summary sheet and examples of personalised athlete reports (currently in development).
