Newport, RI Half Marathon - Winner declared with Chip time

Usually the top 10 or whoever gets the "Overall Prize" be it money or just a trophy, is decided by the first person to cross the finish line regardless of start. I'm pretty sure that's the standard USATF rule.

I'd be really pissed if I came in 2nd because some guy started at the back .... that's a crumby way to lose the overall win. If someone starts late because they miss the start - that's on them and they shouldn't be allowed to claim overall victory.

Kind of reminds me of the Chicago 2008 finish where (was it Evans Cheriyot??) started with the main pack, 5 minutes behind the "Elites" and still came in 5th overall or something crazy like that. Only there, the guy was forced to start in the main field by directors. Even so, in Chicago Pinkowski wouldn't give him the overall "prize" but did give him the money that would have been associated with the victory.

Leslie is the winner! The purpose of competing in a race is to "run fast" and "post" the BEST TIME! The time is even displayed at the finish line and listed with results. Isn't that the reason for the chip in the first place? If cReilly claims he could have run 1 minute faster, then he should have run it 1 minute faster.

Were the rules posted before the race? I know many, many races I've done have posted something along the lines of "gun time will be used for determining overall placing and awards."

If the race didn't have a policy on this before, they should now!

It has always been my opinion that ALL places should be determined by GUN time. Otherwise, what's the point of trying to beat someone in the finishing sprint? Chances are they started quite a bit before or after you.

However, I understand this has become a problem in races with many many participants - talking about > 1,000 or so.

I'd suggest every placing overall and AG 1-3 or even 1-5 should be based on GUN.

The event was sanctioned by USATF.

As such the following rules need to be followed:

Rule 165.4 - The time shall be taken from the flash/smoke of the pistol or approved apparatus to the moment at which any part of the competitor's body (i.e., the "torso," as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, hands, legs, or feet) reaches the perpendicular plane of the nearer edge of the finish line.

Rule 165.16 - Transponder Timing

The use of transponder timing systems in race walking events not held entirely within a stadium, road, and cross country races is permitted provided that:

(g) the determination of the official winning time is in accordance with

As such, Scott Leslie should be declared the winner.

This race now is on my schedule for 2012!

Nutella1 wrote:

It has always been my opinion that ALL places should be determined by GUN time. Otherwise, what's the point of trying to beat someone in the finishing sprint? Chances are they started quite a bit before or after you.

However, I understand this has become a problem in races with many many participants - talking about > 1,000 or so.

I'd suggest every placing overall and AG 1-3 or even 1-5 should be based on GUN.

I agree. Why not have everyone just time trial the course at their leisure and send in their chip? You should have to actually race the person you are competing against.

Wesley Korir started with the regular folk and should have won prize money at Chicago. But the issue was not chip v. gun time. The issue was that he wasn't invited. Of course there has been a very happy ending to that story as Korir is now a two time LA winner and crushed it in Chicago this year.

Gun time is always determinative of overall placement. Chip time is for the age groupers. It is a race, not a massive organized time trial.

umm, just me or does that 2nd rule speak SPECIFICALLY about RACE WALKING. pretty sure this was NOT a race walk. maybe that's why ive never heard of these two guys? ok, maybe slightly ambiguous on second parts, but someone needs to read the fine print on the website to make sure the actual winner wasn't screwed over. the "winner" should have lined up in front, plain and simple. and don't even try and say that he oculdn't, anyone can get within a few rows of the front. no reason at all to be a whole min back, that's thousands of pelople behind the front, that's starting to sound intentional or fishy or something.

NJ XC guy wrote:

The event was sanctioned by USATF.

As such the following rules need to be followed:

Rule 165.4 - The time shall be taken from the flash/smoke of the pistol or approved apparatus to the moment at which any part of the competitor's body (i.e., the "torso," as distinguished from the head, neck, arms, hands, legs, or feet) reaches the perpendicular plane of the nearer edge of the finish line.

Rule 165.16 - Transponder Timing

The use of transponder timing systems in race walking events not held entirely within a stadium, road, and cross country races is permitted provided that:

(g) the determination of the official winning time is in accordance with

As such, Scott Leslie should be declared the winner.

Seinfeld wrote:

Leslie is the winner! The purpose of competing in a race is to "run fast" and "post" the BEST TIME! The time is even displayed at the finish line and listed with results. Isn't that the reason for the chip in the first place? If cReilly claims he could have run 1 minute faster, then he should have run it 1 minute faster.

HAHAHAHAHA.

Why bother running 1 minute faster if you're winning? It's not necessarily about running a PR every time you race, a big part of racing is going as fast as you need to go to win.

FFS

THE USATF RULE IS GUN TIME THE GUY WHO BROKE THE TAPE IS THE WINNER

THE CHIP TIME IS IRRELEVANT

THE GUY IN THE ABOVE POST MISINTERPRETS THE RULE