BOSTON MARATHON GOES HIGH TECH WITH SENSOR TRACKING PROCESS

          Next month's Boston Marathon will feature "the most
     sophisticated minute-by-minute monitoring ever in a road
     race, with electronic sensors tracking the progress of
     runners every 5 kilometers, then instantaneously feeding
     that information to TV viewers and Web site watchers,"
     according to Larry Tye of the BOSTON GLOBE.  At 5K
     intervals, runners will cross 25-foot rubber mats that
     contain electronic equipment capable of recognizing the
     computer chip in their shoes and recording their time to
     that point.  That information will be fed to the three local
     TV stations covering the race live.  Through the official
     Web site, bostonmarathon.org, Internet watchers will be able
     to monitor the times at each 5K mark for race leaders, and
     should be able to get information on any entrant by plugging
     in the name or race number.  The new setup "is not unduly
     expensive, adding $50,000 to the $50,000 organizers paid for
     the less extensive computer tracking system they have used
     the last two years" (Larry Tye, BOSTON GLOBE, 3/31).