Titan Desert MTB race through water. Photo: Titan Desert.

[Via Satellite 04-21-2016] The organizers of this year’s Titan Desert extreme mountain biking race have chosen to deploy Spot Gen3 satellite trackers to enhance the safety of the 400 race competitors. Taking place from April 24to 30, the 11th Titan Desert race, sees extreme cyclists ride more than 660km across Morocco’s cold Middle Atlas mountains followed by vast expanses of searing hot desert. Mobile communications in this remote and harsh terrain are either limited or completely non-existent, making satellite the only reliable means of communication.

Each participant will have a Spot Gen3 on their backpack, allowing race organizers, emergency support teams, sponsors, family and friends to precisely track each rider’s location online. Approximately 100 race marshals and operations personnel will also carry a Spot Gen3 device. In the case of emergency, a rider can press the device’s SOS button to request help. The Spot Gen3 transmits his or her location to the organizing team, making it easy to dispatch the closest support within minutes.

Athletic gear and tracking specialist WAA Tracking, a Spot partner based in France, is providing Titan Desert with a customized online tracking solution. WAA’s mapping system enables position location for individuals and tracking of their progress. If a participant strays from the route, WAA’s geo-fencing software will alert race officials instantly. Nearby 4x4s can then be sent to find the rider, check that the participant is all right and, if so, direct them back onto the correct route.

Since 2007, Spot has initiated more than 4,200 rescues worldwide, many life-saving. Titan Race directors chose Spot in part because of the device’s success in the Marathon Des Sables, which also takes place in Morocco.