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How Nike tapped into the stat whore in us

Wired Magazine on how Nike+iPod (built-in software + a shoe sensor) has enabled ordinary folks to easily track and chart their runs,  making running “cool”.

But the power of self-tracking is even more profound. It’s not just that collecting this data can help us change our behavior all on its own. Using the immensely powerful tools now becoming available, we can set up positive feedback loops: We keep track of something, see how the data matches up with what we’d like to have happen, and then use that knowledge to modify our actions.

Add the Internet into the mix, and you can enable wonders like this:

On August 31, 2008, thousands of runners lined up for a 10K race in Taipei. And in Melbourne, Australia. In Istanbul and Munich, in Paris and New York, in Austin and at Nike headquarters. In 25 cities, Nike organized what it dubbed the Human Race. But if you weren’t in one of these locations, you could still participate—by running 10 kilometers on your own and uploading the data to Nike+. That day, 779,275 people participated both at the race sites and virtually, together running more than 4 million miles.

Note: Lifehacker has an article on alternatives to Nike+iPod if you have a first-generation iPod touch (I do) or the iPhone/iPhone 3G.


September 8, 2009 ·  Post to Twitter ·  Email this ·  Uncategorized ·  Comments Off


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