31 replies to this topic

[JT12345]

Hello experienced runners,

In yesterday's marathon results, there is definitely an error in my time. I'm not just 'talking up my time'; as I know the woman who I sprinted past at the finish, and her time was 40 seconds FASTER than my time in the official results. I also timed myself as faster than the official results, and I looked at the time in the finish arch when I ran through it, which also confirms the faster time.

Does this happen often? AND ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE FOR HOW TO GET THIS CORRECTED?

It might seem like only 40s, but when you train for 18 months, to run sub 3hrs, you want an accurate record!

Thank you,

JT

[thomo]

Are you talking gun time or mat time?

Two different things.

Normally official time for placing purposes is gun time.

[JT12345]

thomo, on Oct 12 2009, 10:25 AM, said:

Are you talking gun time or mat time?

Two different things.

Normally official time for placing purposes is gun time.

BOTH! I know I ran gun time ~2:48:10, and net time ~2:48:05, but both are showing as 30-40s out of whack, and I'm showing as 5 places lower than I know I finished.

So it's definitely not a gun time vs net time issue - some other problem.

Any ideas?

[Ponyface]

ok, I think I'm being really dumb here, but where are the results? I've looked at the website and can't see any link? Can someone help me out, please?

[jasegroom]

Ponyface, on Oct 12 2009, 10:39 AM, said:

ok, I think I'm being really dumb here, but where are the results? I've looked at the website and can't see any link? Can someone help me out, please?

For some reason they have taken the link to results off the Melbourne Marathon web page. You can search for your result at http://multisportaus...om/default.aspx

[Ponyface]

Thanks so much. Glad to see it wasn't just 'me'.

[TechGirl]

No error in my times.

[pbig]

There should be a "Contact" link on the website, though if there's not separate contact points for different types of queries/complaints then a response could be a while given the "merge" issues!

Perhaps your timing band did not register at the finish line, but at another "backup" timer further into the chute if there was one(?). A finish photo when/if available may include the clock as evidence (though they may just superimpose the recorded time).

[runitloveit]

My gun time and net time are showing exactly the same, and according to my watch it took me 40 seconds from when the gun went off to cross the timing mats.  Maybe they are still finalising the times? I hope so and I hope this corrects the error in mine. I am waiting until they are 'final' ie official before making contact.

[HillsAths1]

As suggested in an earlier post, it would be a good idea to get a finish photo as this should strengthen your case.

I guess there can be issues with the timing, but I find it stagange that both the gum and chip time are both out by the same amount.

When you get the photo, check and see if you can see any other race numbers near by and check their times as it could help your case.

[Basalt]

JT12345, on Oct 12 2009, 10:28 AM, said:

BOTH! I know I ran gun time ~2:48:10, and net time ~2:48:05, but both are showing as 30-40s out of whack, and I'm showing as 5 places lower than I know I finished.

So it's definitely not a gun time vs net time issue - some other problem.

Any ideas?

Well, I must have run a very similar time to you (I was about 30s slower) and my gun and net times look to be pretty much spot on to the second (I stopped my watch after I crossed the finish and it showed 2.48.39, and the stats show 2.48.36 for gun and 2.48.33 for net, and I took about 3 sec to cross the start after the gun, so it all lines up perfectly).

[DiJ]

You all talk about Gun time and Net time and I don't know what they mean.  Does it mean that when the gun goes off they time you from then and then the net time is when you actually go under the Start gantry?  My gun time is 1:50:38 and my net time is 1:49.44 so does that mean it took me 54 seconds to cross the start line?

[allrounder]

yep!

[MoreCowBell]

JT12345, on Oct 12 2009, 10:23 AM, said:

Hello experienced runners,

In yesterday's marathon results, there is definitely an error in my time. I'm not just 'talking up my time'; as I know the woman who I sprinted past at the finish, and her time was 40 seconds FASTER than my time in the official results. I also timed myself as faster than the official results, and I looked at the time in the finish arch when I ran through it, which also confirms the faster time.

Does this happen often? AND ANY SUGGESTIONS PLEASE FOR HOW TO GET THIS CORRECTED?

It might seem like only 40s, but when you train for 18 months, to run sub 3hrs, you want an accurate record!

Thank you,

JT

Same thing has happened with me JT.  My gun time is listed as about 30 secs slower than what it said on the clock (& my watch) as I crossed the line.  Obviously my net time is out as well.

First thing this morning, I emailed Multisport Aust, who did the timing yesterday.  I got a response back from them a little while ago, saying they will look into it & make the appropriate corrections, but it probably won't be done in time for the results published in tomorrow's paper.  I'm not too concerned about that, as long as they sort it out eventually & my actual finish time is made official.

If you want to follow this up, I'd suggest sending an email to Multisport as well.  Their email address is info@multisportaustralia.com.au.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers.

[JT12345]

MoreCowBell, on Oct 12 2009, 12:52 PM, said:

Same thing has happened with me JT.  My gun time is listed as about 30 secs slower than what it said on the clock (& my watch) as I crossed the line.  Obviously my net time is out as well.

First thing this morning, I emailed Multisport Aust, who did the timing yesterday.  I got a response back from them a little while ago, saying they will look into it & make the appropriate corrections, but it probably won't be done in time for the results published in tomorrow's paper.  I'm not too concerned about that, as long as they sort it out eventually & my actual finish time is made official.

If you want to follow this up, I'd suggest sending an email to Multisport as well.  Their email address is info@multisportaustralia.com.au.

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers.

Thank you MoreCowBell - I have done the reverse (have emailed Multisport, but not yet called); do you have their number?

Seems funny that in the modern age something so simple can have errors like this! I'm not concerned about newspaper either (I live in Sydney) but would like the online time record and placing to be accurate!

JT

[MoreCowBell]

JT12345, on Oct 12 2009, 01:08 PM, said:

Thank you MoreCowBell - I have done the reverse (have emailed Multisport, but not yet called); do you have their number?

I actually emailed them JT, but I must say, I was pleasantly surprised with how quickly they responded.

I finished in a similar time to you yesterday, so I'm not sure if perhaps their system was playing up around that time??

[chiva]

runitloveit, on Oct 12 2009, 11:38 AM, said:

My gun time and net time are showing exactly the same, and according to my watch it took me 40 seconds from when the gun went off to cross the timing mats.  Maybe they are still finalising the times? I hope so and I hope this corrects the error in mine. I am waiting until they are 'final' ie official before making contact.

I also experienced this issue, which is a tad annoying as it took me over 1 min to reach the start line

I suspect our timing chips didnt register at the start line for some reason - thankfully they registered at the finish!  Hopefully Multisports can correct this somehow

[BIGKEV]

Hello,

My Garmin said 2:56:40 and I saw 2:56:38 (ish) when I crossed the line but my time has come back as gun time 2:57 dead and net time as 2:56:58.... My Garmin GPS has every 1k splits and has the right distance (+/- 1%) so I reckon the time given, in my case anyway, is 20 seconds slow.

This is the first timew this has ever happened at an event like this so I am confused but will email and see what happens...

keep running,bk

[TechGirl]

Does anyone know if having the timing chip on your race number is possibly a little less reliable than on your foot? I remember they had similar issues at the Twlight marathon in Brisbane which also used a chip on the race number.

Just a thought.

TechGirl

[BIGKEV]

Hello,

A certain way to check is to look at your video footage..For my time, as per multisport, the footage shows the runners finishing and no me ...what I need to try and do now is find the footage for someone with what I consider to be my true time and I should be there..the video does not lie ! I'm assuming multisport will do this themselves to confirm the time differences...keep running, bk

[BIGKEV]

All,

Mission accomplished. I found the race number of someone 1 second behind me, typed this into the section for photos and videos and there I am finishing 1 second ahead in 2:56:38.. So this proves 100% there are issues with some of the timings...I've emailed multisport and hopefully my time will be adjusted...

We all worked very hard for our times and we can't have computers adding seconds to our time....if they had gone the other way it is acceptable of course !!!



keep running, bk

[PonderStibbons]

BIGKEV, on Oct 14 2009, 04:18 PM, said:

All,

Mission accomplished. I found the race number of someone 1 second behind me, typed this into the section for photos and videos and there I am finishing 1 second ahead in 2:56:38.. So this proves 100% there are issues with some of the timings...I've emailed multisport and hopefully my time will be adjusted...

We all worked very hard for our times and we can't have computers adding seconds to our time....if they had gone the other way it is acceptable of course !!!



keep running, bk

I had to do the same.  My results are listed as Gun Time of 3:28:01 and Net time 3:27:54, but I found another bib number listed as 3:27:30 and can clearly see myself coming in under the clock saying 3:27:38.  I think my net time is therefore 3:27:32 which matches what I measured +/- a couple of seconds.  I will also email multisport to see if it gets changed.

Cheers,
Ponder

[JT12345]

PonderStibbons, on Oct 14 2009, 04:42 PM, said:

I had to do the same.  My results are listed as Gun Time of 3:28:01 and Net time 3:27:54, but I found another bib number listed as 3:27:30 and can clearly see myself coming in under the clock saying 3:27:38.  I think my net time is therefore 3:27:32 which matches what I measured +/- a couple of seconds.  I will also email multisport to see if it gets changed.

Cheers,
Ponder

I'm glad I initiated this thread - multisport have proved to be quite responsive (ie they actually do the updates to the times on the official website). Does seem funny that in the modern era that the timing has had so many problems though!

[PonderStibbons]

JT12345, on Oct 14 2009, 05:14 PM, said:

I'm glad I initiated this thread - multisport have proved to be quite responsive (ie they actually do the updates to the times on the official website). Does seem funny that in the modern era that the timing has had so many problems though!

I am glad too.  They must be working late on this as my time was corrected at 11pm  
As someone else said, I can only think the bib RFID did not register correctly so they relied on some secondary method.  I am glad it wasn't just me otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to follow up on it.

[jasegroom]

Dammit - I've slipped 5 places since they started correcting all these errors...

[runitloveit]

My time has now been corrected

[MoreCowBell]

My time has been corrected too.

Apparently the mat at the finish line didn't pick up my chip, so they went back over the video footage to check when I actually crossed the line & made the correction.

Edited by MoreCowBell, 15 October 2009 - 11:40 AM.

[BIGKEV]

All,


Email from multisport below..They have corrected my time.

Keep running, bk

Hi Kevin


We are yet to do a post mortem but at this stage the effect is less the 1% but that’s enough to cause me issues . I believe the disposable chip and the fact it was all incorporated on the chest plate was a great innovation.  

  
Greg D'Arcy
Multisport Australia

(: + 61 2 97742148
+: + 61 2 97741064
): + 61 411 029675
W : www.multisportaustralia.com.au

*: info@multisportaustralia.com.au
*: cc_nsw@hotmail.com
H: PO Box 4228 , Lugarno, NSW, 2210, Australia

[Dapama]

I'm sorry to say that I'm still waiting for a reply to my query.  My gun and net time are showing the same time yet I was a good three minutes behind the gun crossing the mat.  For me it makes the difference between 2:01 and a sub 2 hour half.

I've resent my email this morning to multisport and cc'd IMG in the hope that it will bump someone along to reply.

[Bev]

Dapama, on Oct 20 2009, 12:22 PM, said:

I'm sorry to say that I'm still waiting for a reply to my query.  My gun and net time are showing the same time yet I was a good three minutes behind the gun crossing the mat.  For me it makes the difference between 2:01 and a sub 2 hour half.

I've resent my email this morning to multisport and cc'd IMG in the hope that it will bump someone along to reply.

Wow I wish I'd looked at this site earlier.  I didn't even get a Net time recorded and have emailed IMG twice and not had a response.  Even my Gun time is incorrect to that showing on the clock when I actually finished.  I have nothing recorded other than my 10km split.  I didn't want it to be a big deal, but it is quite frustrating when you train so hard and then get a certificate with the the wrong time on it.  I guess it's a bit late for me to do anything now, but will remember for next time!

[Jogger]

if gun and net time are the same it means they got your chip at the end but not at the start so there is nothing they can do. Even a failure rate of 0.1% is still 10 people in 10,000.

[Bev]

JoggerK, on Jan 11 2010, 02:13 PM, said:

if gun and net time are the same it means they got your chip at the end but not at the start so there is nothing they can do. Even a failure rate of 0.1% is still 10 people in 10,000.

but they have my 10k time so wouldn't that mean they got my chip at the start?  Agree there is nothing that can be done now and there has to be a certain failure rate.  Oh well - next time..........

Edited by Bev, 11 January 2010 - 02:00 PM.