Forums >Racing>gun versus chip
an amazing likeness
My point: Slower ones in the back still would like to compete for awards in their group, so chip, not gun, would make sense for them.
In the races which use full chip timing, it's very common for AG awards to be chip time-based. If it is a USATF sanctioned event, gun time is required for the race place awards, but the RD can use gun or chip for AG per their decision.
Most races are clear on which they'll use for awards -- was this a case where the RD didn't make it clear that the AG awards would be gun time based?
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
The race was not clear. In answer to my emailed question they said full chip. In the racemine results it said awards done by gun.
Though runner B missed his chance at 10 seconds of half hearted applause by 14 or so lookers on at the awards, and though today mat not be memorialized by a plastic golden running figure, no doubt his fire is now fueled for the next event, and his due recognition will surely come. He can train with the knowledge that he was faster than A and make clear to his followers on the multiple social media outlets that Justice is coming.
Come all you no-hopers, you jokers and roguesWe're on the road to nowhere, let's find out where it goes
I'll take that as a halfhearted preference of full chip over gun.
Bacon Party!
Well that's just a shame.
Unfortunately, it seems it's not uncommon for races to not spell this out in advance.
It's also not uncommon for timing companies to display results in a manner not in accordance with the race's published rules. (And, seemingly, for race directors to not bother to check or correct the results.)
Those who care, will check these things in advance (or learn to) and pay attention to the reputations of the people responsible for these events..
Those who don't, won't.
Liz
pace sera, sera
LO-f'ing-L!!
Pace Prophet
As an old person who frequently places in her age group (for which gun time is used), it's all part of the strategy. You have to suss out those around you, and choose your starting position based both on pace and competition. Though it's often tough to guess if they're in your age group, when passing someone (or being passed by someone, horrors!), knowing that they might be adds a little extra zing to your step, does it not?
(And then you can clasp your trophy at the finish line and think smugly to yourself, "I can't believe she's only 44, with those wrinkles and gray hair!", or console yourself that even if she was 50-54 she looked so much older!)
As an old person who frequently places in her age group (for which gun time is used), it's all part of the strategy. You have to suss out those around you, and choose your starting position based both on pace and competition. Though it's often tough to guess if they're in your age group, when passing someone (or being passed by someone, horrors!), knowing that they might be adds a little extra zing to your step, does it not? (And then you can clasp your trophy at the finish line and think smugly to yourself, "I can't believe she's only 44, with those wrinkles and gray hair!", or console yourself that even if she was 50-54 she looked so much older!)
Yes Yes. Strag - e - dy! All so important while racing.
3rd place probably seeded himself back so as to not start too fast or get trampled or because of lack of confidence or possibly even because HE DID NOT CARE ABOUT HIS TIME, but this cost him a couple of seconds. What did Strava say??? Isn't that the new benchmark for everything age-groupish nowadays.
That being said, most big races use gun time for the first three and then chip-it for the rest of field.
"Shut up Legs!" Jens Voigt
if you start back from the line a little bit you get a rolling start so it can be viewed as unfair advantage versus a runner at the front line whose time starts right away. the gun time should be the time that is used. lining up is a part of the race usually.
Are we there, yet?
If the race is USATF sanctioned or indicates it follows USATF rules, then overall swards must be by gun time. AG awards at the the discretion of the RD. Most small local races in my area also use gun time for AG awards. A few of the very large races, i.e. 2000+ runners use chip time for AG awards. That makes a little more sense because the differences between gun time and chip time can be a lot greater and where one lines up at the start can make a difference.
In the situation you outlined, those couple seconds are unlikely to have made any difference in any case. It probably came down to a last 100m sprint and the 2 second difference was irrelevant.
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K 05/25 - What the Duck 12-Hour
06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
Even when chip time is used older AG competitors may still line up toward the front to avoid congestion at the start.
I like gun time because I hate the idea of out kicking someone to the finish and then losing on chip time. Folks need to know their position in real time.