Digital Twinning of Lap-based Marathon Infrastructure

State-of-the-art sensor technologies, such as Real-Time Kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (RTK GNSS) and high-density Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR), provide unparalleled accuracy for creating digital twins of infrastructure against the backdrop of the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). A new generation of low-power sensor platforms and distributed, Long-Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN) communications provide continuous, online monitoring of the influence of the built environment on the surrounding environment. The built environment remains inextricably linked to sports engineering applications, notably marathons. The development and deployment of these technologies stand to benefit high-performance sporting events. This paper demonstrates quantitative micro- and macroclimatic measurements (temperature, relative humidity, altitude, CO2 concentrations, air quality, organic volatiles, and geolocation) associated with the built environment over the course of a 42.2 km lap-based marathon hosted at the University of Pretoria (UP) in South Africa, which were measured and wirelessly relayed in real-time. Digitization of the marathon route using RTK GNSS and LiDAR sensing capabilities was done, allowing for detailed geometry measurements and environmental analysis before and after such events. This intersection of engineering and sports disciplines and technology illustrates the potential realization of smart cities and recreation in an evolutionary society.