New feature on Google Street View?

[20160805]

I was playing around in GSV two days ago, and after having traveled 10 km (6 mi), it congratulated me on having run a 10K.  Then at 42.2 km (26.2 mi), I had run a marathon, and at 100 km (62 mi) I had left the atmosphere.

Is this a new feature? Could someone enlighten me as to what the purpose of this GSV odometer is? Any and all information is much appreciated.

This is on an Android tablet, by the way.

[hotdogPi]

It's probably for the Olympics.

However, maximum speed on Google Street View seems to be about 45 mph from personal experience, so it's much faster than actually running a 10K or a marathon.

[20160805]

It's probably for the Olympics.

However, maximum speed on Google Street View seems to be about 45 mph from personal experience, so it's much faster than actually running a 10K or a marathon.

Oh.  That explains it.

Although as for maximum speed, that seems about right on mobile or a slower computer, but once I was able to get the whole way down County CB in Neenah and Greenville, WI, in just five minutes - the road is 8.2 miles long. 

[CNGL-Leudimin]

It's probably for the Olympics.

However, maximum speed on Google Street View seems to be about 45 mph from personal experience, so it's much faster than actually running a 10K or a marathon.

Are you sure? I've done Madrid to Zaragoza (almost 200 miles) in under a hour. I routinely do in excess of 220 mph in a freeway (on Street View, of course), topping at about 250 mph.

[20160805]

I don't think it's just for the Olympics - as of 6:30 this morning (CDT), I've traveled 1243 km on Google Street View since 9 August.  It must be some new feature to get people to go crazy and do entire road trips on GSV or something.

(Am I the only person who's done that?)

[vdeane]

Aren't the Paralympics still going on?

[english si]

Aren't the Paralympics still going on?

'still' going on? The 5 component flames of the paralympic flame had only just been lit this time last week (OK, the heritage one had been lit for 260 minutes, though the others had to wait) let alone come together for the torch relay proper. The opening ceremony was on Wednesday night and it's merely day 2 of actual events!

Of course, there's been enough time for Team GB to get to double figures when it comes to gold medals, but then again, we got 3 (the sum total of Team USA's gold so far) in 9 minutes tonight, so our 12 golds in two days isn't that surprising.

[pumpkineater2]

How on Earth does anyone go at anywhere close to actual speeds in GSV?!? Clicking really fast doesn't do it, and neither does clicking further in the distance. WTH?

[20160805]

How on Earth does anyone go at anywhere close to actual speeds in GSV?!? Clicking really fast doesn't do it, and neither does clicking further in the distance. WTH?

If I click quickly and far in the distance, on a Chromebook I can get from one end of County CB in Wisconsin (8 mi) to the other in five minutes.

[vdeane]

Aren't the Paralympics still going on?

'still' going on? The 5 component flames of the paralympic flame had only just been lit this time last week (OK, the heritage one had been lit for 260 minutes, though the others had to wait) let alone come together for the torch relay proper. The opening ceremony was on Wednesday night and it's merely day 2 of actual events!

Of course, there's been enough time for Team GB to get to double figures when it comes to gold medals, but then again, we got 3 (the sum total of Team USA's gold so far) in 9 minutes tonight, so our 12 golds in two days isn't that surprising.

Considering that RandomDude was evaluating the street view feature from the end of the regular Olympics, likely not factoring in the Paralympics at all (which, in all honesty, many Americans have only heard of because Russia got banned), "still" would appear to be an appropriate word relative to all Olympics-type events going on in Rio.

[Brian556]

It's gotta be for those who use Google Maps on exercise equipment to simulate running on a road. I've seen a commercial for this, but I forget which equipment does this.

[20160805]

Aren't the Paralympics still going on?

'still' going on? The 5 component flames of the paralympic flame had only just been lit this time last week (OK, the heritage one had been lit for 260 minutes, though the others had to wait) let alone come together for the torch relay proper. The opening ceremony was on Wednesday night and it's merely day 2 of actual events!

Of course, there's been enough time for Team GB to get to double figures when it comes to gold medals, but then again, we got 3 (the sum total of Team USA's gold so far) in 9 minutes tonight, so our 12 golds in two days isn't that surprising.

Considering that RandomDude was evaluating the street view feature from the end of the regular Olympics, likely not factoring in the Paralympics at all (which, in all honesty, many Americans have only heard of because Russia got banned), "still" would appear to be an appropriate word relative to all Olympics-type events going on in Rio.

Oh - that makes sense.  The Paralympics have been mentioned only in passing once or twice around here - I often forget they exist.

It's gotta be for those who use Google Maps on exercise equipment to simulate running on a road. I've seen a commercial for this, but I forget which equipment does this.

There's something like that?  Oh my.

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Edit as of 23 September: The Paralympics have ended and the odometer is still there - I'm at 1700 km and counting.

[20160805]

I don't think it's just for the Olympics - as of 6:30 this morning (CDT), I've traveled 1243 km on Google Street View since 9 August.  It must be some new feature to get people to go crazy and do entire road trips on GSV or something.

(Am I the only person who's done that?)

Sorry to grave-dig and double post, but my mileage as of this morning is over 2800 km.  The Paralympics have been done for over a month now and they still haven't taken the odometer thing down.  It's not that I don't like it - it's provided me an incentive to drive around more on there, but I wonder what the exact purpose of it is.

[20160805]

I don't think it's just for the Olympics - as of 6:30 this morning (CDT), I've traveled 1243 km on Google Street View since 9 August.  It must be some new feature to get people to go crazy and do entire road trips on GSV or something.

(Am I the only person who's done that?)

Sorry to grave-dig and double post, but my mileage as of this morning is over 2800 km.  The Paralympics have been done for over a month now and they still haven't taken the odometer thing down.  It's not that I don't like it - it's provided me an incentive to drive around more on there, but I wonder what the exact purpose of it is.

Over 4000 km as of this morning - I think the feature's a permanent thing now.