Splits from Club XC Championshipsw

Was the length of the course USATF certified. Seems like the times were pretty quick for some.

Although XC courses cannot be certified like road courses

it was as close to 10,000m and 6000m as an xc course can be.

Conditions were great that day and aside from a couple of mud spots, the footing was good.

Quality athletes ran quality times.

I actually thought about that possibility about 20 meters before the finish line (funny how much can go through your mind in so short a span of time).

But the possibility flashed through my head, "What if Scott's timing chip is on his lead foot and mine is on my trailing foot when we hit the line?"

I determined that I would run hard all the way through the finish (you'll see in photos that I have a good stride on him only five yards past the finish) - so that if the finish camera failed for any reason, the visual memory of me getting to the tape first would be strong in the finish line officials' minds (in case the chip scenario came true ... which it did).

While it was easy to determine finish place in my case, I wonder if athletes who finished in bunches further back in the pack were separated with as much diligence. Since it's torso and not foot-with-timing-chip that determines place, were all close finish places evaluated by photo finish? ... Harrier?

so SoCalPete's real name is Pete Megill.

Yes, the camera, actually 2 cameras plus video tapes were used to separate many close finishes. All? I don't know.

You new to these boards, huh? Tell us something new.

So in theory if someone got off to a slow start from the starting line (say a few seconds) and his chip reflected that he actually covered the distance faster than the winner would he be declared the winner?

That would only be the case if there was mat at the starting line. Then you would get into the whole "net time" vs "Gun time" issue that are prevalent in chip-timed road races.

It is not an issue in XC where only place counts.

rainbow wrote:

So in theory if someone got off to a slow start from the starting line (say a few seconds) and his chip reflected that he actually covered the distance faster than the winner would he be declared the winner?

Since Scott Bagley had a faster chip time in the masters race than me, yet I was declared the winner - I'd say the answer to your question is, "No."

In the absense of cameras, though, I've run races where faster chip times have moved runners ahead of competitors who crossed the finish line first. It happened with a buddy of mine at Carlsbad two years ago (he was the beneficiary, finishing "ahead" of a runner who clearly beat him to the line).

Harrier, once again let me say: you guys put on a great meet! Thanks!!