18 replies to this topic

[Patrick55]

I am so angry I am about to explode. I ran 115m 45 s for yesterday's SMH half marathon, yet today's SMH has me at 119m 43s. This was the time when I crossed the finish line. It took 4 minutes to get acrosss the start line. We were constsantly being told not to worry, the timing chip will note when you cross the start and the finish. What rubbish. How do I get a refund for the part of the entry fee for the so-called timing chip? Who do I complain to - on the website there is no information on race organizers or how to contact them. How many other runners thought they had done a sub 2 hours time only to misss out by less than 4 minutes?

[undercover brother]

my advice?
buy a stress ball.
no seriously.

u know why time u did.
and thats what maters.
from what i have heard about smh HM they wont give a sht if u did contact them.

[Action]

Patrick55, on May 19 2008, 09:13 AM, said:

I am so angry I am about to explode. I ran 115m 45 s for yesterday's SMH half marathon, yet today's SMH has me at 119m 43s. This was the time when I crossed the finish line. It took 4 minutes to get acrosss the start line. We were constsantly being told not to worry, the timing chip will note when you cross the start and the finish. What rubbish. How do I get a refund for the part of the entry fee for the so-called timing chip? Who do I complain to - on the website there is no information on race organizers or how to contact them. How many other runners thought they had done a sub 2 hours time only to misss out by less than 4 minutes?

Read the paper again.  Every single person has the gun time first  (your official finish time) and then, unbolded, your chip time, which in your case is 115:40.        

If you check out the thread "gun vs chip time" you will understand.  

Pat Carroll (the announcer) was explaining chip vs gun time before the start.  The race is a race, not a time trial, so results are recorded in gun time order.  If you are going to win, then get up the front.  If you are racing against yourself, then take the chip time which is reported in the results.  

Buy that stress ball.

[Fossil]

It's not life-or-death but it is annoying when you expect the system to be sophisticated and fool-proof.

I am more interested in finding out HOW this could happen - how could 99+% of times apparently be spot-on and yet a few be out?

this from Race Reports Thread - we finished together and GUN TIMES were 4 seconds apart - HOW? ACTION - any ideas?

QUOTE (heartnsoul @ May 18 2008, 08:39 PM) *
it was 1:14.33 in the end. great run by you Keith. almost had me at the end smile.gif


Interesting what the results say in the SMH today - no way they can be correct as we crossed the line together or with me perhaps 1/100th second behind you - either way I shouldn't be in front of you and, even allowing for accuracy within a second (or even two) I couldn't be 4 seconds in front.

It's not a big issue really but I would like to know how that could happen. Perhaps it's not totally automatic as you would expect and there is some human intervention. Hmmm ....

Edited by Fossil, 19 May 2008 - 09:33 AM.

[Colin]

Patrick,

I haven't seen the paper, but it looks like they got your correct 'gun time' which will be the time allocated to you for the purpose of positioning, i.e. you cannot be moved to a lower position than you actually crossed the finish line at.

The chip will also determine your 'net' time which is the time you actualloy ran from mat to mat. This will most likely be in the web results tomorrow, and this time will be the same as what your watch recorded.

cheers

[thomo]

Patrick55, on May 19 2008, 09:13 AM, said:

I am so angry I am about to explode. I ran 115m 45 s for yesterday's SMH half marathon, yet today's SMH has me at 119m 43s. This was the time when I crossed the finish line. It took 4 minutes to get acrosss the start line. We were constsantly being told not to worry, the timing chip will note when you cross the start and the finish. What rubbish. How do I get a refund for the part of the entry fee for the so-called timing chip? Who do I complain to - on the website there is no information on race organizers or how to contact them. How many other runners thought they had done a sub 2 hours time only to misss out by less than 4 minutes?

Firstly, welcome to CoolRunning.

Action has covered the relevant points re net and gun times. Always read info sent by race organisers. This covered your gripe.

undercover brother, on May 19 2008, 09:21 AM, said:

my advice?
buy a stress ball.
no seriously.

u know why time u did.
and thats what maters.
from what i have heard about smh HM they wont give a sht if u did contact them.

SMH HM, it wasn't their oversight of not reading the mailout sent to all competitors.

Action, on May 19 2008, 09:29 AM, said:

Read the paper again.  Every single person has the gun time first  (your official finish time) and then, unbolded, your chip time, which in your case is 115:40.        

If you check out the thread "gun vs chip time" you will understand.  

Pat Carroll (the announcer) was explaining chip vs gun time before the start.  The race is a race, not a time trial, so results are recorded in gun time order.  If you are going to win, then get up the front.  If you are racing against yourself, then take the chip time which is reported in the results.  

Buy that stress ball.

[rachinaus]

Patrick55, on May 19 2008, 09:13 AM, said:

I am so angry I am about to explode. I ran 115m 45 s for yesterday's SMH half marathon, yet today's SMH has me at 119m 43s. This was the time when I crossed the finish line. It took 4 minutes to get acrosss the start line. We were constsantly being told not to worry, the timing chip will note when you cross the start and the finish. What rubbish. How do I get a refund for the part of the entry fee for the so-called timing chip? Who do I complain to - on the website there is no information on race organizers or how to contact them. How many other runners thought they had done a sub 2 hours time only to misss out by less than 4 minutes?

Hi Patrick - I just looked at the paer - there are two times next to each name  - the 'gun time' and the chip or 'net time'. Have another look - there should be 4 mins between yours.

The website results should have your 'net time' and that is your real time.

cheers

Rachinaus

[undercover brother]

oops sorry i didnt read the initial post correctly.
thought it was a failed finish timing mat problem not a getting to the initial mat at the start issue.
buy the ball anyway.
...and 'watch time' rules!

Edited by undercover brother, 19 May 2008 - 09:56 AM.

[Tom31]

Fossil, on May 19 2008, 09:29 AM, said:

I am more interested in finding out HOW this could happen - how could 99+% of times apparently be spot-on and yet a few be out?

this from Race Reports Thread - we finished together and GUN TIMES were 4 seconds apart - HOW? ACTION - any ideas?

Keith - you were basing your race with Heart n Soul off the second set of timing mats weren't you?  Those are the ones which record your time.  BTW - does anyone know what the first set of timing mats are for?

[Fossil]

Tom31, on May 19 2008, 10:42 AM, said:

Keith - you were basing your race with Heart n Soul off the second set of timing mats weren't you?  Those are the ones which record your time.  BTW - does anyone know what the first set of timing mats are for?

Yes I was a second or so behind him going over the first set of mats  and level going over the second set of mats - his watch said 74:33 - my Gun Time was 74:32 and his Gun Time was 74:36

Great Run BTW Tom

Perhaps the first set of mats also take the time as a back up and the second mat didn't pick up James' time, and it was estimated somehow.

Edited by Fossil, 19 May 2008 - 11:14 AM.

[Sobella]

Hi, my chip and gun time were recorded as the same.. I was right at the back of the pack so not sure what happened there.

It woud have been nice to know what my real time was, but in reality it was so slow those few extra minutes wouldnt have made me any happier anyway!

[Benj]

Sobella, on May 19 2008, 11:12 AM, said:

Hi, my chip and gun time were recorded as the same.. I was right at the back of the pack so not sure what happened there.

It woud have been nice to know what my real time was, but in reality it was so slow those few extra minutes wouldnt have made me any happier anyway!

The time mat might have not picked up your chip.
remember you must make sure you step on it at the start line.
my time in the paper and my Garmin time (NET time) where 1 sec apart, remarkable timing.
So I can’t complain

[Jogger]

sobella - gun/chip times the same is the default for "chip not recorded going over start mat".

[Action]

Tom31, on May 19 2008, 10:42 AM, said:

Keith - you were basing your race with Heart n Soul off the second set of timing mats weren't you?  Those are the ones which record your time.  BTW - does anyone know what the first set of timing mats are for?

The two sets of mats at the start are there because the mats have a limit to the number of readings they can make at any one time.  Therefore the absolute crush of runners crossing as the gun goes off - remember how packed in we are - means that some chips just don't get a look in on the first set of mats.  Cross matching the two mats gives far better coverage, but a time lag and not perfect.  

The two sets of mats at the finish have different purposes.  The first is so that the announcer can call out names the second, under the clock, record the times.  The theory is that there won't be a crush at the end like the start.

[Ewoksta]

Hi Patrick,

Looking at the paper, Patrick Moore - Gun time 119:43 Net Time 115:40. Stop stressing!!! You got your sub 2 hr either way. Well Run

Unless of course there was another Patrick who happened to finish in 119:43.  

Cheers
Andrew

[Patrick55]

Apologies +++ from me to SMH Half Marathon organizers re my complaint this morning. I saw one time in the SMH this morning and didn't notice there was a second (corrected) time - which was absolutely accurate. No excuse from me except old and short-sighted. So thanks to all - it was a great race and a perfect day.

[Fossil]

Action, on May 19 2008, 01:34 PM, said:

The two sets of mats at the start are there because the mats have a limit to the number of readings they can make at any one time.  Therefore the absolute crush of runners crossing as the gun goes off - remember how packed in we are - means that some chips just don't get a look in on the first set of mats.  Cross matching the two mats gives far better coverage, but a time lag and not perfect.  

The two sets of mats at the finish have different purposes.  The first is so that the announcer can call out names the second, under the clock, record the times.  The theory is that there won't be a crush at the end like the start.

Nope - still confused!   Are you saying the Gun time is not absolute? That is, not the same for all? That would explain why we crossed the line together with different Gun times but ?????

[Jimboy]

Welcome.How nice to see the pleasantries of life observed.

[Huff]

How novel,
Someone online who has the courage to 1. admit making a mistake & 2.  Apologise for it.