Case Study

Kunak part of Running for Clean Air in the creation of healthier cities through urban marathons

World Athletics

Sector: Urban

Need

Running for Clean Air is an initiative by World Athletics, funded by the Clean Air Fund, aimed at addressing air pollution in urban areas.

Air pollution impacts on performance and health during exercise, whether you are a professional athlete or an amateur runner. World Athletics’ Running for Clean Air initiative is dedicated to combating air pollution in urban areas, using urban marathons as a powerful platform.

This project is being implemented in two selected cities – Lagos, Nigeria, and Warsaw, Poland – and is tied to their city marathons. The goal is to highlight the connection between air pollution and physical activity, underscoring their importance for people’s health. City marathons impact a large part of the city, both in terms of area and population, making them a unique opportunity to engage existing running communities, inspire positive changes within cities, and raise awareness of air quality issues.

World Athletics has previously collaborated with Kunak Technologies, for instance, to monitor air quality and heat stress during a world championship. This partnership is another part of their broader air quality efforts.

World Athletics promotes the creation of healthier cities through the "Running for Clean Air" initiative by enabling the collection of air quality and heat stress data on runners in Lagos (Nigeria) and Warsaw (Poland).

Solution

Two Kunak AIR Pro stations, one in each city, are deployed for a duration of six months. The locations of these stations remain unchanged during this period and were chosen for their accessibility and popularity among people who exercise.

The data from these devices is available online to anyone with a link and shared with project stakeholders through monthly summary reports.

Additionally, dynamic monitoring is conducted during the city marathons. A Kunak AIR Pro station is mounted on the back of a bike that follows runners along the marathon route. This setup is intended to provide race organizers with information about variations in different sections of the route, along with recommendations on how to mitigate air pollution and heat stress risks for athletes.

Results

This hyper-local monitoring gathers the necessary data to facilitate dialogues between city governments, athletes and recreational runners, race organizers, and local NGOs. If successful, the project advises people, through their local authorities, to exercise and to exercise during those times of the day and when air pollution levels are lowest.

The devices deployed in this project offer a precise approach. Strategically placed at a height of about 2 metres, they accurately reflect the air quality to which physically active and exercising people are exposed.

Project details

Customer: World Athletics

User: World Athletics

Location: Lagos (Nigeria) and Warsaw (Poland)

Sector: Urban

Year: 2024

Parameters:

NO, NO₂ , CO, CO₂ , O₃
PM_2.5, PM₁₀
Temperature, humidity, pressure and dew point
Heat streess (WBGT)
Wind speed and direction

Solutions

AIR ProProfessional air quality monitoring station
AIR Pro
The most accurate air quality monitoring station

SENSOR-BASED | BEST AVAILABLE ACCURACY

Benefits
- Multi-pollutant
- Smart cartridge system
- Fully autonomous
- Real-time data
- Proven accuracy
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AIR CloudAir quality software
AIR Cloud
Multipurpose air quality software for professionals

REAL-TIME DATA | ALWAYS UPDATED

Benefits
- Secure and condifential
- Air quality reporting
- Advanced data analysis and visualisation
- Reliable data guaranteed
- Data sharing and integration
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Nitric oxideReliable real-time data on NO
Nitric oxide
Reliable information about nitric oxide

GASPLUG TECHNOLOGY | PATENTED DESIGN

Specs
- Electrochemical
- R² >0.9
- Range: 0-5,000 ppb
- Resolution: 1 ppb
- 24 months of operating life
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Nitrogen dioxideReliable real-time data on NO₂
Nitrogen dioxide
Reliable information about nitrogen dioxide

GASPLUG TECHNOLOGY | PATENTED DESIGN

Specs
- Electrochemical
- R² >0.85
- Range: 0-12,000 ppb (Type A) | 0-500 ppm (Type B)
- Resolution: 1 ppb (Type A) | 0.01 ppm (Type B)
- 24 months of operating life
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Carbon monoxideReliable real-time data on CO
Carbon monoxide
Reliable information about carbon monoxide

GASPLUG TECHNOLOGY | PATENTED DESIGN

Specs
- Electrochemical
- R² >0.85
- Range: 0-12,000 ppb (Type A) | 0-500 ppm (Type B)
- Resolution: 1 ppb (Type A) | 0.01 ppm (Type B)
- 24 months of operating life
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Carbon dioxideReliable real-time data on CO₂
Carbon dioxide
Reliable information about carbon dioxide

GASPLUG TECHNOLOGY | PATENTED DESIGN

Specs
- NDIR
- Typical accuracy (MAE): ±30 ppm
- Range: 0-5,000 ppm
- Resolution: 1 ppm
- > 7 years of operating life
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OzoneReliable real-time data on O₃
Ozone
Reliable information about ozone

GASPLUG TECHNOLOGY | PATENTED DESIGN

Specs
- Electrochemical
- R² >0.9
- Range: 0-2,000 ppb
- Resolution: 1 ppb
- 24 months of operating life
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Particulate MatterReliable real-time data on suspended particles
Particulate Matter
Reliable information about particulate matter

GASPLUG TECHNOLOGY | PATENTED DESIGN

Specs
- Optical particle counter
- Up to R² >0.9
- Range: 0-1,000 | 0-2,000 | 0-10,000 ppb
- Resolution: 1 μg/m³
- 24 months of operating life
See more