I received this email from the New York Road Runners Club today concerning their listed results:
For the 2006 ING New York City Marathon, all times and the order of
finish are based on net time scoring. This means that all of
the times listed represent the time it took each runner to go from the
start line to the finish line. The official time is the net time.
These times do not mark the start of the race from the sound of the
starter\'s gun.
Is there something I\'m just not getting, here? How can the order of finish be based on chip time?
From their website, for all other races it\'s like this:
Finish Time: Participant\'s official time, from the starting horn to the finish line, regardless of when the participant crosses the starting line. This official time is used to establish the order of finish and to determine award winners. This assures that the runner who crosses the finish line first is the winner and is in accordance with rules set by USA Track and Field, the national governing body for long-distance running, which state, \"Official timing begins with the start signal.\"