| Who We Are |
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- Becky and Alan have scored over 700 events of all types by
computer since 1981 and have worked with a few hundred others, and we enjoy it.
Both held various positions in the Springfield Road Runners Club, with
Alan being President for 2 years.
- Alan's a self-employed (since 1989) computer consultant. So,
if you need computer advice or support, ask him!
- Alan also provides support and software updates to companies and
clubs that also do timing and race scoring in several different
countries and all over the United States.
- We play Duplicate Bridge at least once a week, and like to
fish, and like to help with races that coincide with either a local
Bridge tournament, or a nice place to fish (cast or fly), run, ride and relax
for a week.
- We like to run, bike and train with weights on a regular basis.
- We're fond of fresh cheese curds (not the fried ones).
- We've been to New Zealand twice to help score races with timers using
Alan's software (ElfScore).
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Want Chip Timing?
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We have a system for timing events using RFID (radio frequency
identification) based transponders (often referred to as 'chips' or 'tags')
that each athlete wears on either an ankle or attached to a shoe. When an
athlete's chip passes over (e.g., the athlete steps on) a special rectangular
mat with an embedded antenna, their transponder 'wakes up' and emits an
identification code that is passed to a collection device (called a reader)
that is attached to the mat by special wires.
With this system, each timing checkpoint will typically have a reader, one or
more mats, a small computer and, if the checkpoint needs power for more than
a few hours, an external battery to keep it going. If the timing checkpoint
will be somewhere out in the middle of a bike or run course (to capture a
turnaround, a split or some other specific data), we'll likely need you to
provide a reliable volunteer to baby-sit the equipment at that checkpoint
until we can come by to collect it.
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Chip Timing Advantages vs Pull-Tag Timing
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- Larger Races - Comfortably handles larger numbers of participants.
For example, we'll typically have 5,000 or so timing chips on hand.
- Faster Results - Results can typically be prepared faster, as we
are now able to identify each chip-wearing athlete as soon as their foot
touches the magnetic field generated by the first finish line mat.
- More Splits - Can provide splits for athletes in road races,
Cross-Country, etc., not just multisport events. For example, the 1 mile
mark, the 5K mark, the halfway mark, the 10K mark, etc.
- Fewer Timing Volunteers - Fewer timing volunteers required. Yes,
we also require some volunteers to collect the timing 'chips' from the
athletes and to arrange them by number. This also helps to determine which
athletes have not yet finished and may still be on the course.
- Less Congested Finish - More open finish line area (no long,
narrow chutes).
- Less Stressful Finish - No need to watch to make sure athletes
stay in order in the narrow chutes.
However, now you have to make sure the chips are collected from the athletes.
We've found that youngsters do a great job with this, and enjoy helping out,
but require an adult to help with supervision to make sure they get them all.
- Cheaper Bibs - Bib numbers do not require pull tags and bar codes
(saves about $30-$100 per 1000 bibs). You'll still want to put identifying
information (we use mailing labels to print this info) on each bib, so the
registration workers and athletes can verify that they are getting the
correct bib. Alan's software can generate these labels, of course.
- Customized Chips - You can purchase customized timing chips
specifically for your event, club, or organization! (We'll need you to send
us the timing chips well in advance of the race, so we can verify that each
one works, label each one with a corresponding bib number, and record the
pairing to a database file.)
- Athletes Anonymous - An athlete who wants to participate, but
does not want to appear in the results can simply not wear their timing chip.
- More Inclusive - Races that have fun walkers that were not
assigned a bib number and timing chip can walk in with their friends that
have an assigned bib number and timing chip without causing extra work or
problems for finish line personnel.
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Chip Timing Disadvantages vs Pull-Tag Timing
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- Higher Rate - We charge more for timing using chips than for using
pull tags. However, depending on whether you are paying people to assist
with timing, this may or may not save you money and/or hassle overall, so
it may very well be an advantage for you.
- More Registration Burden - A little more work is required of the
registration workers, as a timing chip will now have to be handed out to each
participant (each chip has a number on it that will usually match the bib
number assigned to the athlete).
For multisport races, each chip is secured to a neoprene strap by velcro,
and each strap is attached to a large foam board that holds 100 chips (5
rows, 20 chips per row). Board 1 holds chips numbered from 1-100. Board 2
holds chips numbered from 101-200, etc.
For running races, the chips look like miniaturized credit cards with 4 holes
drilled through them. They are packaged in trays of 150 each (1-150 in tray 1,
151-300 in tray 2, etc.), and are secured to the lace of a participant's
shoe by a pair of beaded nylon ties. If you think of them as a large flat
button, you'll have a good idea of how to secure them to a shoe.
The usual procedure on race day is: Athlete shows their bib number to the
chip distributors, who grab the corresponding timing chip from the board or
tray and hand it to them, possibly showing them how to wear it.
- Lost Chip Fee - Chips that belong to us that are not collected from
participants must be paid for by the race, at a cost of $20 per chip.
(this is more of an issue with races that hand out timing chips prior to race
day, as athletes can then fail to show up on race day.)
- Close Finish Problems - Close finishes may not reflect the actual
order of finish, and can involve careful review of video evidence and
adjustment. This can be significant in an event with many athletes of
similar abilities, such as walkers, cross-country or short distance races.
For example, at a state cross country meet, we saw 8 people finish side
by side!
We prefer to minimize the potential for problems in such races by having the
athletes wear 2 timing chips - one on each foot or ankle.
- Non Torso Timing - If each athlete wears exactly one timing chip,
they will get timed when the leg wearing that chip enters the 'detection cloud',
not when their torso actually crosses the finish line. This can be a problem
if two people run stride for stride to the finish, but are wearing their
respective chips on opposite legs. The person whose chip is first read is not
necessarily the one who finished first, and may require video review and
adjustment.
- Athlete Education - An athlete can neglect to wear their timing
chip, or to wear the chip properly during a race. Chip orientation and
placement is critical. If an athlete simply puts it into a pocket, it may not
be detected. For running races, we provide a shoe that has a timing chip
attached to it as an example. For multiport races, we prefer to have one or
two registration personnel actually wear a strap with a timing chip around
their left ankle as an example for the participants.
- Accidents Happen #1 - An athlete can lose their timing chip during a race.
- Accidents Happen #2 - A timing chip can break during a race.
- Accidents Happen #3 - Chip timing equipment can fail completely or intermittently during a
race (we require 2 volunteers at the finish to record bib numbers of finishers,
and possibly 1 or 2 to use camcorders to record the action).
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We Do Timing and Results For:
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- Multisport - Adult/child Triathlons (e.g., swim-bike-run, canoe-bike-run),
Duathlons (e.g., run-bike-run), and similar events
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Most races ask us to provide 5 splits, 3 splits or, occasionally, just
an overall time for each finisher (this is always the least expensive option,
and is often appropriate for casual races).
- Running/Walking - Small, medium and large races over common or
uncommon distances such as 1 mile, 2 mile, 3 mile, 5K, 4 mile, 8K, 5 mile,
10K, 12K, 15K, 10 mile, half-marathon, 25K, 30K, marathon, etc. Alan's
ElfScore software is very flexible, and can handle special categories, relay
teams, many varieties of team scoring, etc.
- Relays - Whether run separately, such as an Ekiden, or as part of
another event, such as a triathlon, duathlon, or half/full marathon.
- Cross Country - National, College, High School, Elementary School
races (sectionals, invitationals, conference, etc.).
We are usually able to provide the head coach of each team with a complete set
of results before they leave for home! (we travel with a couple of fast laser
printers)
- Canoe/Kayak - Canoe and kayak races, separately or in combination
with a multisport event.
- Miscellaneous - Stair climbs and other events.
- Fast/Accurate: We typically post tentative results during the
race, make corrections as needed and do a final list when everyone has
finished. We also provide custom lists of award winners for your award
ceremony, so your award announcers and workers know who gets what award.
- Price: We are easy to work with and very reasonably priced. We
typically charge a fixed price per entrant, plus mileage and lodging (if
needed), for all races except school cross-country meets. For these, we
almost always charge a flat rate for the entire meet, plus lodging (if
needed).
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Typically, We Need You to Provide:
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- Race Information - When/where is the race?
How many distances are there?
What award categories will you use?
Will the award categories be the same for each race?
How many awards will you offer in each category?
Your race entry form should collect all of the information needed for
determining awards, especially name, gender and birthdate, and it
should have a special location (for Office Use Only) where the bib
number assigned to a participant can be recorded by registration
workers with a pen or some sort of bar code label. Alan's software can
sort finishers based on birthdate, which makes it easy to show the
youngest and oldest finishers.
- Pre-Race Registration - The finish line begins at registration.
By that, we mean that accurate race results depend on accurate registration
data. To assist you in these efforts, we frequently provide a custom
version of ElfScore (Alan's highly regarded race program) for entering
participants prior to race day. It can produce many common reports (lists
of entrants in order by name/bib number/team name/state/etc., labels for
packet stuffing and pickup, counts of each TShirt size, etc.). It can
import data from CSV files downloaded from online race registration sites
such as Active.com, GetMeRegistered.com, MidwestEvents.com,
SignMeUpSports.com, CoolRunning.com, RunRace.net, etc. We customize the entry screen to closely match your printed
race registration form, so that data entry is faster and more accurate.
ElfScore can automatically proper case names (so you'll get 'Alan McDonald',
not 'alan mcdonald' or 'ALAN MCDONALD' or 'Alan Mcdonald') and other fields,
and it can be set up to restrict the values entered in fields such as Sex,
Team Category, Tshirt, Club Member, Race, Code, etc. If you need a custom
report that is not already available, or a change to the list of allowable
Tshirt sizes, Alan can usually prepare an update and email it to you
within a few hours. With some changes, Alan can quickly walk you through
a change in the Elfscore setup over the phone.
When you're done with pre-race registration, just email us the database, and
we'll take over registration duties from there.
- Lodging - A place to stay the night before. If the race is fairly
local to us (within 2 hours of central Illinois), and the race start time is
no earlier than 10am, we can drive over on race morning. We like to be there
at least 1.5 - 2 hours prior to the start of most races, so we can set up
our equipment, train the timing/finish line volunteers, enter race-day
registration, answer questions, and assist with any other parts of the race
that need our expertise. Many races are able to arrange for a donated room at
a local hotel/motel (we prefer a quiet, non-smoking room with a king or queen
bed).
- Shelter - A dry, warm, quiet place out of the weather, and as
near to the finish as possible. We do not have to be at the finish, as the
timing equipment we use is completely battery-powered, but it helps us get
results out faster if we can run cables from the primary finish line equipment
to the computer(s). (We've used buildings, pavilions, gazebos, enclosed tents,
vans, motor homes and pop-up campers.)
- Power - 110V nearby or a generator with a standard 3-prong outlet.
If possible, please test the electrical outlets prior to race day to be sure
they are working. Any sound system you employ should be on a separate circuit
(fast laser printers tend to use a fair amount of power when producing
reports).
- Tables/Chairs - Two sturdy tables (approx. 2' x 6') and two chairs.
- Transition (Multisport Events Only) - Equipment for setting up a
transition area - e.g., orange mesh or temporary wooden fencing.
- Finish Area - Equipment for setting up a finish area -
e.g., orange mesh or temporary wooden fencing. For chip timing, this would
be the area used to collect the timing chips from the athletes before they
go for food, drink, etc. Each volunteer will need a chair, and the
volunteers may need to be rotated in shifts for longer events.
- Finish Chutes (Pull Tag Timing Only) - Equipment for setting up
one or more finish chutes - e.g., orange mesh fencing, orange safety cones,
stanchions with ropes, barrels with caution tape or flagging, etc.
- Volunteers (Chip Timing Only) - Enough people to work the finish
area (2 to record bibs, 1 or 2 for camera duty, several to collect timing
chips from the athletes and arrange them by bib number). For an event with
one or more splits, possibly 1 person to baby sit each timing checkpoint.
- Volunteers (Pull Tag Timing Only) - We typically need 6-10 people
per finish line chute. For working a multisport event, we typically need
4-6 people per transition checkpoint as well. For non-pool swim triathlons,
it is common for the volunteers who work the swim portion to be through
with their duties before any athlete finishes the run portion (and many
volunteers like to help at more than one location - be sure to ask).
- Bar-coded numbers (Pull Tag Timing Only) - The bib numbers worn
by the athletes must have a tear-off portion at the bottom. To speed up
results processing, this tear-off 'tag' should have a '3 of 9' bar code on
it, as far away from the hole as possible. It's best to just order numbers
with these codes. We highly recommend
Rainbow Racing at 1-800-962-1011.
If you are using free numbers from
Runners World,
Road ID or another race
affiliate program, or if you already ordered race numbers without the bar
codes, please let us know. We can print bar code labels and mail them to you
to stick on the tear-off tag. We do not charge for these labels, and it will
greatly enhance the accuracy and speed with which we prepare your race
results.
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Typically, We Provide:
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- Registration Assistance -
If your group is handling pre-race registration, we usually provide a
customized version of ElfScore for you, help with questions you have
and problems you encounter, and either create custom reports you need
(and send via email), or assist your designated registration people
with changing existing reports so that they can provide you with the
data you want.
- Race Planning Assistance - Since we've worked with hundreds of
races over the years, and attended many local, regional and national
conferences on event planning conducted by experts, we've seen many examples
of effective ways to handle problems common to races, and to teams of people
working to put on an event. If you need help with your race, feel free to
ask. If we can't provide an answer, we most likely can find someone who will.
- Transition/Finish Area Training - We work with your people so
that they understand the timing process, and we train them where needed.
We usually assume that they're not experienced at timing, or that they haven't
worked at it in months. We like to train the workers at least one hour
prior to the start of the race. For large events, we like to train most of
the volunteers the day before the event, and we like to communicate with the
person in charge of the finish area so the process is smooth on race day.
- Volunteer Job Descriptions - Well before race day, we provide
detailed written descriptions for the different positions we need people for,
so each potential recruit will know when they should show up, what they can
expect to be doing at the race, and how much of their time it will take.
- Timing Equipment - We bring several fully charged, battery-
operated TimeMachine printing timers for recording times and bib numbers
electronically.
For chip timing, we bring readers, mats, computers and batteries to collect
timing data at the various checkpoints.
For pull-tag timing, we bring numbered stringers to collect the tear-off bib
tags, blank tags for finishers that are either not wearing a bib, or whose
bib tag is missing or otherwise unusable, clipboards and tape recorders to
record bib numbers manually at transition checkpoints.
We bring 2-way radios and cell phones for coordination and communication
between Becky and Alan.
- Computer Equipment - We usually bring 2 notebook computers (for
large races we may bring 3 or 4), several USB flash drives, 2 or more extra
keyboards, a laser printer, two or more barcode readers, and associated
cables and supplies for networking the computers, or to connect the timing
equipment to the computers for gathering race timing data.
- Reports - We like to post tentative results during the race,
which we typically separate by gender, by teams and by categories.
We are athletes also, so we know that athletes like to see how they did. We
also want athletes to tell us of any anomalies they find in these early
result postings (for example, spouses or friends wearing each other's bib
number, incorrect birthdates and/or ages, misassigned genders, people that
finished but are not in the results, Clydesdales/Athenas who forgot to check
the box, people who started in a later/earlier wave than the one they were
assigned to, etc., etc.). For USAT sanctioned triathlons, we also like
to post a set of results with all penalties included so that the
athletes can see their adjusted time and place as well and possibly
contest the penalty as well.
- Random Prize Drawings - Many races have a selection of prizes
that are handed out to race entrants prior to the awards ceremony. We can
quickly prepare a random list of entrants for you, so that you don't have to
buy tickets, and then spend time drawing them out of a box.
- Award Listings - To make handing out awards as simple as possible,
we prepare custom reports that show who the top people or teams are in each
award category. We have created reports for dozens of various types of award
categories, and advise other timing companies on how to prepare reports for
unusual situations. For example:
Overall awards, masters awards and awards for a number of different
combinations of gender and age group.
Marathons and multisport events typically have additional awards for
various categories of relay teams.
Many running races and multisport events also score teams where, for example,
the finish times of the fastest 3 of the 4 people on the team are added
together to make a total team time, and these total times are then compared,
with the teams having the lowest total time win each category.
Multisport events often have special awards for professional or elite
athletes, and Clydesdales/Athenas, and some break these into under-40 and
40+ subcategories as well.
Many races do not allow athletes who win an overall, an overall masters or a
special category award to also win a sex/age group award. We can handle it
either way; just let us know as early as possible - we want you to look good
during the presentation.
For cross-country races, we typically score 5 runners per team, with 7
displacing, but we can handle many other types of situations, such as showing
the top 20 individuals who were not a member of the first 5 teams at a
regional or sectional meet.
We can handle many other types of award reports; just tell us what you need
ahead of time, so we can prepare it and be ready.
- Web Results - Results will be uploaded to
www.timingiseverything.com
after the race, so that athletes with Internet access can get their official
time and place as soon as possible after the race. This also cuts down on the
number of people who call after the race to ask for their results. Please be
sure to mention this in the materials you give to the athletes. If we can have
Internet access after the race, we can most likely upload results before
we leave for home (it usually takes about 5 minutes).
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