Forums >Racing>Chip time vs. Gun Time - Place
So I recently ran a race that used chip timing. So I figured it didnt matter where I lined up at the starting line. When I looked up the results of the race on the web page I noticed a handful of runners who placed ahead of me despite having a slower chip time - their gun time was faster - my guess is they were up front closer to the starting line.
Is this normal ? Are places determined by gun time and not chip time in most road races ?
an amazing likeness
To my limited knowledge of the details, US Track & Field rules are that Gun times are the official results. Races can provide net (chip) time as a convenience, but gun time is to be used for placement in the results.
Rule 245.1: "The order in which the athletes cross the finish line will be the official finish position."Rule 245.3: "The actual time elapsed between an athlete reaching the starting line and finish line (in other words, chip time) can be made known to the athlete, but will not be considered as official time."
At large races with their wave starts, corals, etc, it isn't reasonably possible to have everyone place on gun time -- so they post results by chip time.
Like you, I've been caught off-guard by this in the past (not that it matters for a mid-pack jogger like me...), so it becomes another detail to learn about a race before hand.
Acceptable at a dance, invaluable in a shipwreck.
MilkTruck seems to have the definitive answer, but here's an article I read recently on a local running news site that's on-topic.
http://clinesrunningcorner.com/archives2011/clinescolumn_chiptimingneedstweaking_2011.PDF
Don't feel bad about lining up closer to the front if your finish times warrant it. Sometimes you have to be a little pushy.
Many races report on both. Official positions for the race are always gun times. Unless you're actually going to finish in the prizes your position makes no real difference - the chip time gives you accurate timing for completing the course.
I ran. I ran until my muscles burned and my veins pumped battery acid. Then I ran some more.
Future Goals: 5:30 mile • 19:30 5k • 33:30 8k • 42:00 10k • 1:15:00 10-mile • 1:40:00 half-marathon • 1000 miles
So I recently ran a race that used chip timing. So I figured it didnt matter where I lined up at the starting line. When I looked up the results of the race on the web page I noticed a handful of runners who placed ahead of me despite having a slower chip time - their gun time was faster - my guess is they were up front closer to the starting line. Is this normal ? Are places determined by gun time and not chip time in most road races ?
I don't really know anything about rules but it would seem to me that awarding all AG awards by gun time could encourage some runners to improperly seed themselves at the start. Of course that often happens anyway...
Good Bad & The Monkey
...awarding all AG awards by gun time could encourage some runners to improperly seed themselves at the start.
I don't understand this.
I'm running somewhere tomorrow. It's going to be beautiful. I can't wait.
Poor baby
If you get something by gun time then you have an incentive to be close to the front of the field. The problem would be that you have all the vets looking for high rankings in age group; who are quite slow compared with the youngsters crowding for a spot near the front and getting in the way of faster people.
Two evenly matched masters age grouper women in a 3-5000 person race... One stands in the first few rows and the other stands with her expected pace a couple hundred people back. The one in the first few rows has a "shorter" gun race and crosses the finish ahead of the one who seeded herself properly and had a faster chip time race. The faster but loosing woman is pissed and starts at the front of the pack next time rather than with her expected pace group.
I think Trent meant that he doesn't understand the concept of winning an AG award.
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this
It's a 5k. It hurt like hell...then I tried to pick it up. The end.
(not that it matters for a mid-pack jogger like me...), so it becomes another detail to learn about a race before hand.
Not that it matters for me either - was just curious..I am not winning any medals!.....I went back on the website today and it had been completely updared - to reflect placement by chip time and NOT gun time - including age group rewards. For a basic road race this seems like the way to go.
ouch
Which did they use at the Trials?
Little popsicle sticks.
(they did indeed have chips, which caught mile splits for them.)