RunningAHEAD - Topic: Question about racing chips

theyapper

On the road again...

posted: 10/20/2008 at 1:57 PM

Do chips that you are given at HM and Marathons give split information or do they simply give a final time?

I write. I read. I run. One time, I ran a lot on my 50th birthday.

Paul

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

posted: 10/20/2008 at 2:01 PM

Depends upon where the race is locating their timing pads. A big 25k here does a pad at the halfway mark and the finish, so you'll get an overall time and a midpoint split. Milwaukee Marathon does a pad at the half and at 20, so there's 3 splits to look at. I don't know of any races that do a split at each mile, though I'm sure it could be done, it would just be pretty pricey to set that up.

Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.

~ Sarah Kay

xor

posted: 10/20/2008 at 2:02 PM

It depends. Not on the chip. They put timing mats (technically, wires under the mat) to collect a time as your chip passes over it. In a chip-timed race, there's always a mat at the end... and usually one at the start (though not always... and without one, gun time = chip time and they just used chips to make time collection at the end easier and more accurate). To get splits, they have to have mats out on the course at the appropriate spot(s). Some races will, some will not. Some races also put mats in unexpected places if they are worried about course cutters.

norrin_radd

posted: 10/20/2008 at 2:34 PM
modified: 10/20/2008 at 2:51 PM

Chip timing is expensive. The cost for the organizer, and ultimately for you, depends on how many mat sets they need so only expect splits in the bigger races. In smaller races the most common use of a third set of mats is just before the finish so someone can announce your name. I suppose they could use this to give you your time over the last 100m as well but I've never heard of this being done... John

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jeffdonahue

posted: 10/20/2008 at 2:42 PM

Like everyone said, it really depends on the race. The marathon I did this weekend had a mat at the start and the finish, but the HM that was going on at exactly the same time only had a finish mat. Boston marathon has several mats out there to give splits at different distances, and I think I remember a timing mat out there in the middle during Disney because they have one section that has a U-turn and they are probably afraid people will just jump to the otehr side of the street instead of running that 2 mile stretch.

theyapper

On the road again...

posted: 10/20/2008 at 3:32 PM

Thanks, everyone.

I write. I read. I run. One time, I ran a lot on my 50th birthday.

Paul

Question about racing chips (Read 430 times)