Chiptime vs Guntime - can you explain?
Options
skippygirlsmom
Posts: 4,433 Member
Obviously I understand the difference in the two, but here's my question. Today we ran in a race that was chipped timed at start and finish. But the finishing results were based on gun time. So if someone asks my time I tell them my chip time, but I notice on the finish it makes a difference in my finish. People who had a shorter gun time but longer chip time finished in front of me. So what is the benefit of starting back in the pack a bit so you are not in the way of the faster runners and taking 20 seconds or longer to get the start if people in front of you get a better gun time but worse chip time and finish ahead of you? Am I explaining what I want to know so it makes sense.
0
Replies
-
are you racing to win? if not does it really matter if you finish 150th or 180th or 1800th?0
-
I've had that happen in smaller races and it's annoying. I agree that it doesn't really matter, but when you put in a good effort or perhaps score a PR and it doesn't show up in your time because it took you 10-15 seconds to cross the start, it's annoying!! I usually start in the back of the pack too.0
-
sinister2014 wrote: »are you racing to win? if not does it really matter if you finish 150th or 180th or 1800th?
@sinister2014 In my daughter's case, yes she races to win and places probably 98% of the time. In a race with 2,000 people it can make a pretty big difference if she doesn't start up front.
@equus5374 I take my tag time for my official finishing time, but it was the finish of the race (and awards) going by gun time that confused me.
0 -
When you race, you have to start in the front. You can't hide on the back because other racers would not have the chance to pass you. For example, I won a 10k and was 3 minutes ahead of second place with 1 mile to go. It was 90 degrees; I chose not to sprint. Had there been competition, my race plan would have been different. This is why they require gun time for prizes /top finish places.0
-
skippygirlsmom wrote: »sinister2014 wrote: »are you racing to win? if not does it really matter if you finish 150th or 180th or 1800th?
@sinister2014 In my daughter's case, yes she races to win and places probably 98% of the time. In a race with 2,000 people it can make a pretty big difference if she doesn't start up front.
@equus5374 I take my tag time for my official finishing time, but it was the finish of the race (and awards) going by gun time that confused me.
If your daughter races to win/place, she should be lining up up front anyway.
I didn't realize the chip time/gun time thing was an issue until the 10k I ran last week when the announcer asked people not to line up at the front unless they are racing to win and explained that the competitive people rely on gun time, not chip time. Then again, most of the races I run aren't big enough that this is a concern. (I was well aware of lining up according to how you will finish, just not the gun time thing)0 -
Also, if anyone has slower chip time than gun time, something has gone wrong.0
-
Also- in my experience, gun time race results get released first and then a revised, chip time result list gets posted later (with awards still by gun time). I use chip time when I talk about my PRs, but I get up front and race gun time when I think I have a chance to be in running for an award.0
-
Carrieendar wrote: »Also- in my experience, gun time race results get released first and then a revised, chip time result list gets posted later (with awards still by gun time). I use chip time when I talk about my PRs, but I get up front and race gun time when I think I have a chance to be in running for an award.
I was thinking this too. She's 15 and does start up front the best she can usually on the front row or close to it. She said the first mile was dodging around people.
I'm not complaining about anything, just wondering.
0 -
skippygirlsmom wrote: »sinister2014 wrote: »are you racing to win? if not does it really matter if you finish 150th or 180th or 1800th?
@sinister2014 In my daughter's case, yes she races to win and places probably 98% of the time. In a race with 2,000 people it can make a pretty big difference if she doesn't start up front.
@equus5374 I take my tag time for my official finishing time, but it was the finish of the race (and awards) going by gun time that confused me.
she should definitely be up front then. at some of the bigger races i've run it says in the rules that the placings and prizes would be awarded based on the actual order of finish and if you think you will be in the running for placing then you should line yourself up accordingly.0 -
sinister2014 wrote: »skippygirlsmom wrote: »sinister2014 wrote: »are you racing to win? if not does it really matter if you finish 150th or 180th or 1800th?
@sinister2014 In my daughter's case, yes she races to win and places probably 98% of the time. In a race with 2,000 people it can make a pretty big difference if she doesn't start up front.
@equus5374 I take my tag time for my official finishing time, but it was the finish of the race (and awards) going by gun time that confused me.
she should definitely be up front then. at some of the bigger races i've run it says in the rules that the placings and prizes would be awarded based on the actual order of finish and if you think you will be in the running for placing then you should line yourself up accordingly.
Yup. It is really the only way to make it a fair race for the handful of people competing for awards. Your race strategy might be entirely different if you had reason to believe, for example, that the guy running just ahead of you is actually "behind" you based on chip time. This way, everyone knows that if there is someone ahead of them then that person really *is* ahead of them.0 -
skippygirlsmom wrote: »Carrieendar wrote: »Also- in my experience, gun time race results get released first and then a revised, chip time result list gets posted later (with awards still by gun time). I use chip time when I talk about my PRs, but I get up front and race gun time when I think I have a chance to be in running for an award.
I was thinking this too. She's 15 and does start up front the best she can usually on the front row or close to it. She said the first mile was dodging around people.
I'm not complaining about anything, just wondering.
I learned my lesson last year at CRR when I lined up too far back. I also had to zig zag and it messed up my time. I had a gun time and chip time difference of 30 seconds (49:55 vs 50:23) and add the zig zagging and forced to start a slower pace for the first mile probably added maybe another minute to my final time.
This year, Randall and I lined up right on the front row far right side next to the curb. Perfect place to run the tangents, yet the elites lined up closer to center and up front.
0 -
We had an interesting situation last month at one of the larger Half Marathons in our area. A runner from out of town got lost near the race due to the roads closed and had a hard time getting parked. She started something like 6 or 7 minutes late but ran the faster net time by nearly 4 minutes. She still had to take 2nd overall because her gun time was 2 minutes slower than the winner. Cost her some prize money but she was still a good sport about it. I remember about mile 3 when she came around us like a freight train thinking someone overslept.
**************** HALF MARATHON FEMALE OVERALL WINNERS ***************
Place Bib Name Age Town St Time
===== ===== ========================== === =============== == =======
1 770 KIM TUHRO 33 WICHITA, KS 1:26:21
2 1054 SUSAN TANUI 28 JUNCTION CITY KS 1:28:42
3 374 SARA IBBETSON 34 OZARK MO 1:30:15
Net Time
5 1054 SUSAN TANUI 28 F JUNCTION CIT KS 1:22:28 6:18
6 770 KIM TUHRO 33 F WICHITA, KS 1:26:21 6:360 -
Yeah, if you are a woman and you are racing for a place, you have to get yourself right near the front, even if you end up lining up in front of men who will run faster than you. I usually keep to one side so I'm not in anyone's way. It wouldn't be fair to base prizes on chip time for the reason already mentioned; if it's a race you need to be able to see who the competition is. If I outsprint someone on the finish line* but she still 'wins' that's not a very exciting race.
*I wouldn't outsprint anyone on the finish line really. My 'sprint' finish is awful.0
