About ICA International Marathon

The ICA International Half-Marathon is not just a race—it is Sri Lanka's largest running event. The 2025 edition, endorsed by the Indian High Commission, Ministry of Tourism, Sri Lanka and the Ministry of Sports, Sri Lanka, saw over 2,500 participants taking over the streets of Colombo, passing iconic landmarks like Galle Face Green and Marine Drive.

With runners joining from 36 different countries and competing for a prize pool of Rs. 5.7 Million, the ICA International Marathon has established itself as a premier running event in South Asia. The event attracts elite athletes and recreational runners alike, making it a cornerstone of the Sri Lankan running community.

The Challenge: Managing Memories at Scale

Running an international marathon in Colombo comes with unique challenges when it comes to event photography and photo distribution. The organizers faced a critical logistical hurdle: How to deliver over 12,000 action photos to thousands of individual runners instantly, without manual sorting?

They needed a solution that was:

Fast: Participants wanted their photos immediately after crossing the finish line in Colombo
Accurate: With crowded starting lines at Galle Face Green, bib numbers are often obscured
Branded: As a high-profile Sri Lanka running event, generic third-party galleries were not an option
International: Runners from 36 countries needed instant access without downloading apps

The 9Pic AI Solution

ICA chose 9Pic AI to deploy a comprehensive, white-labeled digital media experience. By integrating 9Pic's AI-driven suite, the Colombo marathon transformed a logistical nightmare into a seamless participant journey.

Hybrid Identification with 9pic FaceFind + BibTrack

In a race of this magnitude, relying solely on bib numbers leads to lost memories. Runners often cover their bibs while checking watches or carrying hydration packs along Colombo's scenic route.

The Fix: 9Pic AI deployed hybrid tagging. Participants could find their Sri Lanka marathon photos by typing their bib number or simply uploading a selfie.

The Result: 9Pic's facial recognition engine (9pic FaceFind) scanned 12,173 photos in seconds, achieving 99.5% accuracy even for runners whose bibs were not visible.

Personalized AI Race Videos with 9pic Flow

Static photos are great, but video drives social media engagement—especially for international runners wanting to share their Colombo marathon experience.

The Fix: Using 9pic Flow, the system automatically stitched together raw race footage into personalized highlight reels for every single runner.

The Result: Participants received a ready-to-share video ("My Race Story") optimized for Instagram Reels and TikTok, massively amplifying the event's digital reach across all 36 participating countries.

Instant Digital Certificates with 9pic Certify

Traditionally, runners wait days for official certificates. For international participants flying back home from Sri Lanka, this meant missing out on their official achievement documentation.

The Fix: 9Pic integrated race timing data directly with the media gallery.

The Result: As soon as results were finalized, runners could download their official, branded completion certificate directly from their photo dashboard—right at the finish line in Colombo.

Privacy-First Approach

One of the key differentiators of 9Pic AI is its privacy-first design. Unlike traditional photo sharing platforms that require personal data collection, 9Pic AI takes a fundamentally different approach:

No Email Required: Runners don't need to provide their email address to access their photos
No Phone Number Collection: No personal contact information is harvested from participants
No App Download: Everything works instantly in the mobile browser—no app store visits, no permissions, no storage space needed
Selfie-Based Search: Face matching happens in real-time without storing biometric data

This privacy-conscious approach was especially important for the ICA International Marathon, where runners from 36 different countries with varying data privacy expectations participated. By eliminating barriers and respecting user privacy, the platform achieved maximum engagement with zero friction.

The Runner Experience

The true measure of success was the participant experience. Runners didn't need to download an app, create an account, or share any personal information to find their Colombo marathon photos.

Tharindu Wickramasekera, a core team member, highlighted the efficiency of the system:

It was really easy to find our photos through the AI technology used. It worked well both with the bib number and the uploaded selfie and it was a seamless experience.

How It Worked for Runners

Visit: Runner scans a QR code or visits results.icainternationalmarathon.com
Selfie: They upload a quick selfie (no account creation needed)
Instant Gallery: Within seconds, they see a personalized dashboard containing:
- All their running photos from Galle Face Green to Marine Drive
- Their personalized race video
- Their official finisher certificate

Key Results

100% Coverage: Every participant at Sri Lanka's largest running event, regardless of bib visibility, could be found via facial recognition
Global Accessibility: With no app required, international runners from 36 countries accessed their media instantly on the mobile web
Zero Data Collection: No email addresses, phone numbers, or account creation required—participants accessed photos with complete privacy
Massive Processing: 12,173 photos processed and made searchable in real-time
Custom Experience: Tailored interface optimized for the event experience
Brand Amplification: A premium digital experience reinforced the professional status of the ICA International Marathon as a world-class sporting event in Colombo
Social Reach: Personalized videos drove organic sharing across Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok worldwide

9Pic AI Products Used

The ICA International Marathon leveraged the complete 9Pic AI suite:

9pic FaceFind: AI-powered facial recognition for instant photo discovery
9pic BibTrack: Automatic bib number detection and tagging
9pic Flow: Personalized AI video highlight reels
9pic Certify: Instant digital finisher certificates

Conclusion

The 2025 ICA International Marathon proved that large-scale running events in Sri Lanka don't require large-scale manual labor to deliver personalized memories. By leveraging 9Pic AI, the organizers successfully automated the entire media workflow—from tagging to video creation—ensuring that every runner went home with a lasting memory of their achievement at Colombo's premier running event.

Whether you're organizing a marathon in Colombo, a road race in Kandy, or any running event across Sri Lanka and South Asia, 9Pic AI provides the technology to match your event's scale and ambition.

ICA International Marathon: Powering the Digital Experience for Sri Lanka's Largest Running Event