Pre-chip, post-chip, etc., have you ever been in a race where for whatever reason, the timing messed up?
Pre-chip, post-chip, etc., have you ever been in a race where for whatever reason, the timing messed up?
quite a few times; last November at Phialdelphia Marathon is the most recent, so it's not limited to small races (I was credited by them with running alot faster than I actually did. Took several tries to get them to correct it)
It was some Valentines day 5K run in Portland back in 02/03. The race was chip timed. at about the 3K point the race crossed a train track, and as the leaders approached the crossing so did a train, the train closed the crossing for about three minutes. I started the race late, actually the last runner across the start pad. I approached the crossing just as the barriers lifted, so my time was not affected.
The race organizer did some sliding scale adjustment for the results. I seem to remember the results being very questionable.
It looks like the Masters Indoor National Track and Field Championships this past weekend, per the reports coming in.
Pete Gaudet wrote:
Pre-chip, post-chip, etc., have you ever been in a race where for whatever reason, the timing messed up?
Sorry to hijack, but the Chicago Distance Classic this past summer (2008) was too long and all the Penguin could do is give us our times for a race longer than 13.1 miles.
So in essence, the timing was messed up.
No, not "in essence". Not at all. The timing was fine. The course was messed up.
A timing mess up is when they record a different length of time than it to you to complete the course. Or they do not have your results at all. Or they have a different athlete listed under your time. Etc.
Shirley, you jest wrote:
No, not "in essence". Not at all. The timing was fine. The course was messed up.
You can look at it both ways.
Distance:
Official results list times attached to the words "Half Marathon". The distance should be changed to 13.2668-mile race (or whatever the longer distance was).
Timing:
If official results are going to say "Half Marathon", then give us our half marathon times. But, the half marathon times were never recorded due to absence of a chip sensor. Thus, the half marathon times are messed up (actually, they are non-existant).
Boilermaker 08. They only had gun times.
9 marathons, never a problem.
Local races:
Pre-chip: never a problem.
Chip timing: had a time lost once. Reported to timer and he found my time and corrected the result.
Dtag: have been recorded as passing the start after 1:30 when I was actually standing 3 feet from the start. Twice have been in Dtag races where everyone was recorded as starting later than they really did. Have also had Dtag races where everything worked great. Don't know whether it is the technology or the operator or both.
Dtag also had a collossal failure at the Honolulu marathon. A sudden downpour caused the system to fail. Thousands did not have their times recorded. But they claim that they have properly weather proofed their system.
southerner wrote:
It was some Valentines day 5K run in Portland back in 02/03. The race was chip timed. at about the 3K point the race crossed a train track, and as the leaders approached the crossing so did a train, the train closed the crossing for about three minutes. I started the race late, actually the last runner across the start pad. I approached the crossing just as the barriers lifted, so my time was not affected.
The same thing happened to me in April of 1907. I was leading a footrace up near Boston and I and about 9 others crossed in front of the train. I threw in a surge and won.
I've used dtags twice. Failed once, worked once. 50% success rate on my sample.
Is there another thread on this? What sort of errors are being reported?
Laverne wrote:
You can look at it both ways.
If you are trying to kid yourself you can. Otherwise, not so much. You are still talking about a COURSE mistake.
The timer does not sign on to measure the course or verify it is the proper distance. It is up to the race director. The timer times the people. Period. They either give their correct time or they do not. If the race director says those times are for a half marathon and they are not, then it is the race director's mistake about the half marathon.
Mother Goose wrote:
Is there another thread on this? What sort of errors are being reported?
Read the blog entries and comments at masterstrack.com
It sounds like a real fustercluck.
PLU messed up a 5k FAT time of mine. Me and this other guy ran a 15:04 5k by numerous witnesses and stop watches. I clearly won the race by half a step.. However, when they posted results it said I lost by a second and that we ran 15:17. I was pissed but let it go because I knew I would run a lot faster later on in the year.
ANother race I ran said I won the race in 14:16. I really ran like 14:26 and was like 4th. I don't know how you can mess up FAT times on a track but it has happened to me twice.
Thanks for the link. Very interesting and disappointing for the athletes.