Vanname wrote:
I'm trying to figure out the reason why results would have a DNS listed. Is there some time frame when someone pulls out or doesn't show up where they would receive a DNS?
The race start would constitute one end of the time frame, but when does this begin? If someone initially signs up for a race weeks ahead of time and then a day later alerts the director that she/he wants to drop the race, does that count as a DNS?
Probably depends on the race.
I know that in collegiate meets, the coaches are often the ones who enter their athletes in races. If, for whatever reason, an athlete decides not to run (injury, fatigue, etc), if they simply don't show up for the event, the computer already has them in, and will just give them a DNS in the results. It really depends on the way their system is set up. If they do the entries by hand, on paper, they could simply report to the clerking table and scratch themselves before the final heat sheet is drawn up.
So, it really does depend on the format of the race/meet, among other things.