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Tips and Tricks for Successful Timing

Timing data accuracy
Relay Teams in Multi-Component Races

Timing data accuracy

Since everything that Race Timer (or any other timing software!) does depends on a race number, it's very important to have processes in place which ensure that the right participant gets the right race number at the right point in time, from initial assignment during pre-registration, to day-of-race registrations and changes, to bib tag synchronization.

Pre-Registration

It is best to assign race numbers to all of the pre-registered participants before race day.  This list can then be printed out and used by event staff to hand out bibs on race day. Use of Race Registrar is recommended since the file can be efficiently managed prior to race day. In addition, data is checked for accuracy and missing information during real time addition. Race Registrar is included with your purchased license and can be downloaded from the software page. Use the same license number for both Race Timer and Race Registrar.

Registration on Race Day

On race day, it works well to have separate lines for pre-registered and day-of-race participants.  All of the pre-assigned bibs are made available to the staff handling pre-registered participants.  Unless there are changes, such as a lost bib tag and reassignment of number or updated personal information, there doesn't need to be any contact between these folks and the timing team.

The additional bib tags are made available for the day-of-race entries.  The assigned race number must be marked on the entry form and the form passed to the person entering this data into the timing database.

Collecting Bib Tags from Finishers

It's often not possible to type into Race Timer the participant's race number as every time point is taken.  This is why Race Timer allows you to take a time point and then sync these time points later with a list of race numbers, or, more commonly, a string of bib tags.

Whether you're timing a single race, multiple single-component races or a multi-component race, Race Timer will eventually need all the race numbers in sequence that cross the "line," whether that's the finish line or a transition line.  The most common scenario is a single-component race where bib tags are collected just after the participants cross the finish line.  It's best to design a chute after the finish line and have volunteers keep the finishers in the order that they finished until another volunteer can collect the tags from the bibs and put them on a string.

For a multi-component race, each number that crosses the line must be recorded in sequence.  This includes the possibility that different participants are crossing different transition lines, e.g., one participant is taking off for their run immediately followed by one participant taking off for their bike.  To minimize confusion for the timer, it would be best to have only one transition/finish line, which all participants must pass through single-file.  Also, there must be a single, sequential list of all the numbers in the order that they passed this line.  (Race Timer will figure out which leg they are on based on how often their number has appeared.  The number recorder's job is to mindlessly record each number that passes as it passes.)

No matter what type of race, a single list of numbers, sequential in time, must be kept for synchronization.

Relay Teams in Multi-Component Races

Relay teams, where a different team member runs each component, are a special case in Race Timer.  Do not use the Teams option when setting up the race.  Those teams are only for teams of people running concurrently.

Instead, however many components there are, have that many duplicate race number bibs and give those to the relay team members.  Make sure that no member runs a component concurrently with another member.

Each team's race number gets only one entry on the Participant Data sheet.  The associated name can be one of the members or a team name.  The gender and age values should probably be left blank, since they don't make sense for a team.  (Race Timer will give you a warning that data is missing, but that's OK.)  Essentially, Race Timer thinks that only one person is running all of the components.