RFID Navigates South African Rivers in Kayak Marathon

The organizers of South Africa's 120-kilometer (75-mile) Dusi Canoe Marathon were able to assess
the safety and speed of racers during a rigorous race by using RFID tags affixed to their watercraft
(either kayaks or stand-up paddle boards), as well as readers positioned along the course. The
system not only ensured that the organizers, the Natal Canoe Club, would know when someone fell
behind and might require assistance, but also provided information to each participant's friends and
family members so that they could plan to meet him or her along the course, in order to bring muchneeded food and water. Finally, the solution monitored the exact time at which each racer crossed
the finish line.

The system, provided for the Dusi Marathon by Finish Time Event Management, employs passive
ultrahigh-frequency (UHF) RFID tags from Tadbik and readers supplied by RFID Race Timing
Systems.

A pole-mounted RFID reader antenna (shown on left) was installed at various checkpoints along the
racecourse. Photographer: Anthony Grote.
The Dusi Canoe Marathon, which took place on Feb. 19-21 between the cities of Pietermaritzburg
and Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, is among the world's most challenging such events. It takes three
days to complete, and participants must paddle and hike the distance along the Msunduzi and Mgeni
rivers, which include various sections of rapids and obstructions, as well as the presence of
poisonous snakes. When the marathon was first held in 1951, the only paddler who completed the
race (Ian Player, the event's founder) reached the finish line in six days, eight hours and 15
minutesdespite his having been bitten by a night adder. Now, with lighter watercraft, paddlers are
expected to finish the course in only three days, and are responsible for carrying and replenishing all
of the supplies they will need along the way.

Carrying sufficient water to stay hydrated for the duration of the entire race, however, can prove
difficult for a racer who must also lug a kayak or paddle board as many as 15 kilometers (9.3 miles)
over mountainous terrain. In addition, with temperatures in some areas reaching 50 degrees Celsius
(122 degrees Fahrenheit), running out of water prematurely can be lethal. Therefore, most
participants receive water and other supplies along the route, distributed by friends. Even with the
proper supplies, however, the marathon can be treacherous. Thus, says Craig Eldridge, Finish
Time's technical director, the event is not advertised on a worldwide scale, in large part because the
club only wants very serious paddlers who have familiarity with the area to attempt the journey. One
individual drowned during this year's race, he says, and accidents have been fairly commonplace.

While tens of thousands of spectators arrive for the event, only approximately 1,500 participate in a
total of 1,000 boatssome using doubles, others singles. The first day, they are required to complete
45 kilometers (28 miles) of the course, and a third of that distance involves portaging (carrying the
kayak or board on land). Day two covers about the same distance, ending in the flat waters of the
Inanda Dam. Day three is the shortest, at 35 kilometers (21.8 miles), and involves several very large
sections of rapid water. If anyone fails to complete each day's leg, he or she is disqualified from the
competition.
http://www.rfidjournal.com/articles/view?12800