CES 2014: Fun run puts tech to the test on Vegas strip

That nip in the air left a group of runners, including me, shivering as we gathered prior to setting out on a short 10km (6.2 miles) sojourn along the city's main thoroughfare.
All of us were in town for the 2014 Consumer Electronics Show (CES). So, why were we going running? Three reasons, really.
Scratch a runner and underneath you will more than likely find a geek who has more than an average interest in the stats and numbers their hobby and body generate.

Dean Karnazes uses a fitness tracker to log data about his runs

Plus lots of tech journalists are runners, as are many of the folks that peddle fitness tech. The run was a great way to get the two groups together away from the vast generic halls of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Finally, wearable technology is a big theme at CES this year, and amateur sportsmen and women have been pioneers for this sort of portable hi-tech.
Marathon man The tech the average runner now sports has filtered down from elite athletes such as Dean Karnazes, who joined the 25 runners for the early morning trot.
Even among long-distance runners, Mr Karnazes is a phenomenon who enjoys such extreme reserves of stamina that he regularly gets up early to complete a marathon before taking his kids to school.
He's in no doubt that tech helps him achieve such feats of endurance.
"One device I use is a Fitbit Force to track foot turnover," he says.
"I do this to monitor running efficiency and tempo, in an effort to improve endurance."
The distances he covers mean his use of tech is a little more extreme than the average pavement plodder like me.
For instance, rather than use mapping apps and websites to plot a course round his neighbourhood he is more likely to use it to ensure that a cross-continental run does not go astray.

Spree Sports are at CES with a headband that tracks body temperature, heart rate and movement

Despite the differences, there is an affinity among runners no matter their ground speed or modest goals.
Their geekish nature means that many wear a GPS watch to track the exact distance they travelled, calories expended, and whether they hit the times needed to get a PB (Personal Best).
Beneath their hi-tech running tops many will also be girdled with a heart monitor to ensure their run is done at a pace that gets the organ pumping at its optimum