Sony and Virsig Turn in Personal Best Performance at 2014 NYC Marathon
The NewYork City Marathon is a tradition held sacred not only by New Yorkers,
but by people from around the globe who come to take part in the yearly
event. Participants from more than 130
countries vie for a select number of spots to run the 26.2 mile course. Meanwhile, the whole city unites as spectators
to cheer on those undertaking one of the most grueling feats of physical stamina
and endurance, which in 2014 took an average of 4 hours and 35 minutes to
complete.
The 2014
TCS New York City Marathon -- held November 2, 2014 -- was completed by more
than 50,000 runners who ran through all five boroughs ending in the scenic
embrace of Central Park. Furthermore, over one million spectators
crowded the length of the course for hours to cheer on runners on.
When
large crowds gather in confined areas for many hours, the topic naturally turns
to security. As a result of this spotlight
on safety issues at large-scale and widespread events, like a marathon, a
comprehensive plan is put in place to keep the race runners and spectators
secure. This year, the New YorkRoad Runners (NYRR), the running club who organizes the annual race and
their medical team chose New York City-based networked technology and systems
integrator, Virsig, LLC to spearhead and execute their security plans, and to
provide technological assistance and direction to increase safety.
Sony was chosen by Virsig
to be the IP camera of choice to securely monitor the world’s largest marathon,
along with support from several other global technology partners including:
Firetide, Inc.—a Division of UNICOM Global; Milestone Systems and Network Video
Technologies. Sony’s cameras were
required to perform multiple functions ranging from situational awareness at
all entrances and exits, to threat assessment, and personnel management. In excess of 50 Sony security cameras were
installed along the route, including SNC-HM662, SNC-XM632, SNC-WR632C,
SNC-CH260 and SNC-CH280; which includes fixed cameras with on-board video
analytics, dome, bullet, 360 degree and pan-tilt-zoom style cameras.
“To help
ensure the safety of the biggest marathon in the world is no small task. Sony is pleased that we were able to be an
integral part of the security process for the second year in a row,” said Phil
Coppola, Northeast security manager, Sony Electronics’ Security Systems
Division. “Virsig worked day and night to get their system up and running and
they had to contend with some terrible weather leading up to the race. With their experience in wireless
transmission and video surveillance system design and installation, Virsig
allowed the Sony cameras to operate to their fullest potential and play a
pivotal role in helping to secure the marathon participants and spectators.”
Although
the marathon takes place during the day, the setup occurs over the course of
several preceding day, and Sony’s cameras needed to be able to perform reliably
during daytime and nighttime hours. The
Sony high-definition bullet cameras that were used come equipped with infrared
illuminators that provided race coordinators with uninterrupted views,
regardless of lighting conditions.
Sony’s
IPELA ENGINE security cameras, which were also installed at the 2013 New York
City Marathon, were coordinated through Milestone Systems XProtect Corporate, a
powerful IP video management software (VMS) designed for large-scale and
high-security deployments. Meanwhile, Sony’s
new, ultra wide dynamic range IP surveillance cameras were placed throughout
the last mile of the race in Central Park and around the finish line.
The
innovative SNC-XM632 IPELA ENGINE camera was used in multiple locations for a
broad overview of the areas around the entrance and exit points at the
race. The camera has a 113-degree wide
angle field-of-view and a hi-res, full HD imager, allowing for images that were
far more detailed and expansive than anything used in the past.
Additionally,
the marathon coordinators required a camera that would provide situational
awareness to monitor the activities inside the emergency and medical
tents. Because these were temporary
structures, they were unable to take advantage of multiple camera views. For those areas, the SNC-HM662, a 5MP camera
capable of providing 360 degree views from a single sensor, was selected. From this one camera, race organizers were
able to know exactly what was going on in each tent, at all times.
“We
selected Sony for multiple reasons; first and foremost because of the quality
of the picture, and secondly because of the ease of installation,” said Glenn
Taylor, executive director, Virsig “We
have a very short window to get the equipment up and running and we don’t have
a lot of direct access to the cameras during the actual marathon. This is particularly why we relied on the
photo framing and auto focus that’s built into the electronics of the Sony
camera.”
The
weather leading up to the marathon was very challenging, including freezing
cold temperatures and rain, so it was important for Virsig to use cameras that
were durable, reliable and self-sufficient.
Sony’s security cameras automatically adjust to meet requirements in
lighting and environment, and hold up to the unpredictable demands of the
weather. This ensures that race managers
can deal with unforeseen circumstances and medical emergencies and rest assured
that the cameras will perform their functions without the attention of a team.
The
casual observer may not have noticed Sony’s cameras or seen them on the front
lines of the marathon, but according to all involved, it was a job well done. Runners were able to focus on their
exhausting task while race organizers could concentrate on logistical issues
and medical matters, without worrying themselves with the overall safety. Sony’s
end goal of maintaining a secure and worry-free environment for the over one
million people involved in the world’s largest race was met, for the second
year in a row.