Nike wanted to elevate the experience at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco by asking a bold question:
“Can runners update their social feed mid-race—without ever touching their phones?”
They envisioned a way for athletes to engage their networks in real time, turning each checkpoint into a social celebration.
Since runners can’t carry and use their phones mid-race, the solution had to be hands-free, automated, and tied to race progression. It also needed to integrate with existing RFID race timing systems and ensure reliability for thousands of participants across a large-scale outdoor course.
Bluewater was brought in to create a custom social automation platform. The experience began with pre-registration, where runners crafted their own Facebook messages that would be triggered during the race. Each message was tied to their unique racer ID.
Using the RFID tags already embedded in runners’ bibs or shoelaces, Bluewater’s system tapped into the live data stream. As participants crossed designated gates, the system verified the ID and automatically triggered their personalized message to post on Facebook—making each checkpoint a virtual high-five from the road.
Nike delivered an unprecedented digital marathon moment, connecting runners to their online communities in real time—without breaking stride. The activation blended technology, storytelling, and personalization to create a shareable, buzz-worthy race experience that made every mile matter.
