Harwich Runners now have a chip timing system and results service that can be hired for your own event in the Essex / Suffolk area.
The system we have built uses the same hardware as other chip timing companies around the world so it's tried and tested technology. In addition to the chip system we have 2 finish line cameras to check positions if needed.
We mainly use a disposible type, chip or tag, attached to a regular running number. At our own events we normally hand these out on the day, but it's possible these could be provided in advance for you to post out.
So far our system has been used at the following events
- Harwich 5k series - 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Wix 5 mile - 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Witham Boxing Day 5 - 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Bury Friday 5 - 2014, 2015
- Langham 10k - 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
- Tarpley 10 & 20 - 2015 *see note below
- Stowmarket Half Marathon - 2015, 2016, 2017
- Essex Road Relay Championships - 2015, 2016, 2017
- Sudbury 5 - 2015, 2016, 2017
- Stowmarket Friday 5 - 2015, 2016
- Stowmarket Scenic 7 - 2015, 2016, 2017
- Hadleigh 5 & 10 - 2015, 2016, 2017
- Little Bromley 10k - 2016, 2017
- Witham May Day 5 - 2016, 2017
- Framlingham Friday 5 - 2016
- Framlingham 10k - 2016
- Newmarket 10k - 2016, 2017
- HR24 - 2017
- Colchester 10k - 2017
- Ely Festive 5k - 2017
- Farmhouse 5 - 2016, 2017
- Halstead Marathon - 2017
- Braintree 5 - 2017
At Tarpley 10 & 20 2015 radio interference caused around 10% of the field to be 'missed' by the readers. Further investigation is ongoing into the source of the interference. The backup camera was used and I'm pleased to say that a full set of results produced after the event. If you have any questions or concerns please get in touch and I'm happy to talk you through the detail and how we are preventing this occuring again
In addition to the above we have also used it to time our own triathlon events. We haven't perfected this yet so wouldn't be prepared to time your triathlon event just yet. However we can time non running events, please get in contact and tell us about your event.
The clubs chip timing results system is run by its members so a few of them would arrive at your event process on the day entries, setup the equipment and produce the results to any file format you request or uploaded directly to a website. Times are formated to tenths or hundredths of a second.
Whats even better is all monies raised by you hiring our service get reinvested in the club, so by using our chip timing at your event your helping the future of running.
For further infomation please contact us
Why (do we) Chip Time?
For 15 or more years the club had been using a stopwatch (Seiko S129 or S149) and a clipboard for timing its own events. The stopwatch & clipboard was used at the first 5k handicap series back in the 1990's when we had less than 40 entrants most of them being our own club members. Laptops were used with excel to remove some of the human error in calculating times over the next couple of years eventually being replaced with an Access database.
During this time a piece of software was written to use a laptop as a timing device so times didn't need to be input after the race. This didn't ever get perfected so an interface for the stopwatch was sought. The seiko S129 and S149 have a data port on them but Seiko never developed an interface. After getting some information from Seiko on the interface requirements it was found a small number had been built in Australia. The club purchased one along with an antilog data recorder and many more years of 5k series passed by with the time keepers job on the finish line becoming increasingly dificult...
How many times per second can you press the lap botton on a stopwatch? At the end of a handicap race with 100 or so finishers you need to be able to press it 3 or 4 times per second! So when the 5k series grew to fields of 170 or 180 it was too much. The finishline couldn't cope.
A solution was sought in chip timing & various companies were approached to quote on the supply of a system. The costs too high, so research started into what it would take to make our own. A reader was purchased and antenna made but the read range was too short. Some advice from the other side of the atlantic put us on the correct path with our current system. It took 3 years but we can now time the finish of our 5k series with tenths or even hundredths of a second splitting runners crossing the finish.
Chip timing allows very accurate results to be published with a few clicks. It doesn't always go to plan so we have camera backup - I'm pleased to say this has never been used other than to double check desputed sprint finishes or the occasional missed finisher. In 2013 the 5k series had 649 finishers in total over 5 races - only one was missed by the chip reader!