Cross training has been causing a furor in Spain for several years, and proof of this is the proliferation of competitions focused on this type of modalities and its success in participation. Deka, the functional fitness decathlon organized by Spartan Race is a clear example of this boom. In the first of the four events that will be held this year in Spain, at the end of June, in Malaga, it brought together 820 participants. In the test that will be organized at the Wizink Center in Madrid on July 29, between 1,200 registered and 1,500 participants are expected. But, what is the secret of this event to build in just two years a community of faithful athletes that is growing?
“We base our strategy on three pillars: sport, technology and community. In the sporting part we have a model that meets the expectations of the athletes, with demanding and fun tests”, indicates Ángel Sanz, general director of Spartan Race in Spain. The events that Deka celebrates are only, in the words of the manager, “the end of the year party”.
Deka, the functional fitness decathlon organized by Spartan Race, will hold four events in Spain this year, with a growing community of athletes
“For everything we expect to happen at events, it is necessary to previously activate a series of elements that involve technology, networks, communication and content,” he adds. It is at this point that it appears my zonewhose technology has fueled a competition that seeks differentiate yourself by trusting the monitoring of the added value offered to your participants. It is an ally for athletes, even outside of events.
Measuring performance is not the only aspect that Myzone devices take into account. In fact, it’s not even the main one. “By monitoring heart rate we control cardiovascular risks and, therefore, we transmit security to the event”, contributes Guillermo Aldasoro, general director of Myzone Iberia. It is not a trivial aspect, since it is about high intensity tests that require a high cardiovascular resistance.
“Myzone is an unbeatable vehicle when it comes to meeting the objective of providing useful information before, during and after the competition. It helps to make the experience even better than the expectation”, resumes Sanz. The participants can follow in real time through the screens of the pavilions, references of their level of pulsations or the performance that they offer in each of their tests through the color code of the wearables that they use
The company’s devices also contribute to improve viewer experience of eventssince they provide valuable information that helps them see the records of each athlete, which of them is at maximum capacity and how they face each of the zones.
After each event, runners receive a report recording their activity and how their parameters have been in each zone and minute, key information to detect the points where they have the greatest room for improvement. “You can improve what you can measure with data. It is a competition, but the athletes compete against themselves with the challenge of improving their own times”, says Aldasoro. Athletes appreciate it. “The experience of the athletes has taken a leap in quality,” corroborates Sanz.
The integration of technology in Deka events, on the other hand, has made it possible to build a community around it. “Gamification allows sharing challenges, motivating users who can compare workouts and look at their results. It is a very motivating tool that is fun and that ensures that athletes do not disconnect from training when there are no events”.
Have on hand the records of the best athletes enhance the aspirational component of this test, since it is useful for the less experienced to see how their referents train and what physical parameters they record in each section. “Unlike a conventional heart rate monitor, which does not tell you at what point of effort you are, it tells you where you are and allows you not to have to think about it, only to execute the modality in which you are”, adds the general manager of Spartan Race in Spain.
Deka, which will hold two other tests after the summer in Barcelona, on September 30, and in Tenerife, on November 18, is just the Spartan Race’s excuse to bring fitness to the greatest number of people and go beyond those who participate in obstacle courses. The ten stations that make up a Deka circuit seek to replicate the strength and resistance sessions that its participants already carry out in the gyms where they train.
“It is a symbiotic relationship for us, since it allows us to maintain contact with users linked to sports centers, who try what we can offer them and give us their feedback. feedback”, indicates the general director of Myzone Iberia.
