CGI are proud to team up with Brighton Marathon and the National Autistic Society to create a VR (virtual reality) walkthrough experience of the marathon to make the event more accessible and inclusive, especially for the neurodivergent community.
From sensory overload to a sense of control
Marathons will always have big crowds, lots of things happening at once, and plenty of noise. For some runners this is just another exciting part of marathon day, but the busy atmosphere can be overstimulating for many people, especially the neurodivergent community, such as those with autism.
The National Autistic Society said their community “find the crowds, noise and other sensory experiences of mass participation events overwhelming.”
So… how do we make sure that the marathon is a positive experience for everyone, and prevent sensory overload becoming a barrier for neurodivergent runners who want to take part?
VR, VR, VRoom
Often, anxiety around large events stems from not knowing what to expect on the day, which makes it difficult to plan and prepare ahead of time. To tackle this, CGI has partnered with Brighton Marathon and the National Autistic Society to create a virtual reality (VR) walkthrough of marathon day.
Using footage from the 2024 marathon, the walkthrough captures what it feels like to run the marathon from the first-person view. So runners can experience the marathon virtually before the race and know exactly what to expect at each stage of the route, including the busiest spots like the start and finish lines and water stations. We hope this will help runners to feel more confident and prepared before taking part in the 2025 Brighton Marathon so they can hit the ground running (pun intended!).
You can try out the VR experience on the mobile app, or visit our tent in the festival area on Brighton Marathon Weekend (on Saturday 6 and Sunday7 April 2025) to try it out on a VR headset.
More VR for good
This isn’t the first time CGI has harnessed the power of VR to improve accessibility and inclusion. In 2022 we partnered with a school for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) on a pro-bono project using VR to help children safely navigate new experiences. We created a VR version of a local supermarket that allows children to explore the realistic environment from the safety of their classroom.
The VR world acts as a safe space for children to gain confidence in new environments and experiences before progressing into the real-world equivalent. We’re able to adapt the application to accommodate students with different abilities to explore scenarios of varying complexities.
The headteacher of the school said “I’m blown away by the technology and knowing how it will build pupil’s confidence… The impact of this project has been far beyond what I imagined.”
Endless possibilities
We’ve explored the amazing potential of VR to improve accessibility and inclusion for the neurodivergent community and people with special educational needs, but we’re committed to using this technology in as many ways as possible. We believe the immersive and interactive nature of VR lends it to endless ‘Tech for Good’ opportunities across various industries and scenarios to improve user experiences and quality of life for many different groups of people.
Want to find out more?
Visit CGI at our tent in the festival area on Brighton Marathon Weekend to try the VR experience and we’re always happy to chat about the future of technology and VR for good.
