TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Changhua County Government has implemented a program using RFID sensors at six elementary school tracks and the county stadium to allow students to track their exercise mileage online.

The Ministry of Education provided NT$8 million (US$244,000) in funding for the initiative, which enables students to log their running distance and time spent exercising. The data is displayed in an online leaderboard, creating a competitive environment, per CNA.

According to a press release from the Changhua County Department of Education, RFID sensing equipment has been installed at all seven sites, allowing students to track their exercise by wearing sensor chips. So far, over 9,000 students have joined the program, collectively running approximately 26,000 kilometers.

The program runs until June 30, and students can sign up online.

The initiative addresses the issue that elementary and junior high school students were previously unable to participate in public sports venue tracking programs due to campus mobile phone restrictions. To resolve this, RFID tracking devices were installed on athletic tracks.

Participants can view their accumulated mileage on a public database, and each month, the top three boys and girls in each class will receive awards based on their total distance.

Changhua County noted that a similar cloud-based tracking program for public sports venues launched in August last year saw over 20,000 participants, with a cumulative exercise mileage exceeding 42,434 kilometers. Participants ranged in age from 6 to 84.