How races get organised

Sport and timing

Orienteering and SportIdent: how control-punching chips work

Orienteering has its own timing system, independent of RFID bib tags: SportIdent, where runners punch each control themselves using a chip. How did it originate, how do the contact and contactless versions work, and why is it so different from road race timing?

6 min read

Guide

Timing mats: how they work, how many you need and why they use multiple strips

A rubber mat containing antennas that an entire field can cross at once is the basis of professional timing at major running events. How does a timing mat work, why are several strips sometimes placed in succession, and what level of accuracy can you expect?

6 min read

Stories and curiosities

Why your GPS watch shows a different distance from the official course length

Did you run a marathon only for your watch to show 42.6 km instead of 42.195 km? That does not necessarily mean the course was measured incorrectly. We explain why official courses are measured along the shortest possible route using a bicycle fitted with a Jones counter—and why GPS measures something different.

6 min read

History

How running courses are measured: the Jones counter and certification, from calibrated bicycles to world records

Behind every certified marathon course is an ordinary bicycle fitted with a small revolution counter. This is the story of the Jones counter, invented by a father and son in the 1970s, and how it is now used to measure both Olympic and city race courses.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Rowing: why races are held over 2,000 metres and how a photo finish decided five thousandths of a second

The International Rowing Federation established 2,000 metres as the standard distance for its championship races in 1894—and it remains the standard distance for most elite flat-water rowing disciplines today. Here is how race timing works in rowing, why the sport needs a photo finish and the story of a race decided by just five thousandths of a second.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Speed skating: why automatic timing has been used since the last century

At high speed on the ice, the position of a skate blade decides the result. Here is how long-track speed skating is timed, why automatic timing is mandatory at the Winter Olympics and how a photo-finish system records the finish line rather than the skater.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Sailing: why the fastest boat across the finish line may not win under IRC and ORC

In sailing, the first boat across the finish line can ultimately finish last. We explain how the IRC and ORC handicap systems work, what corrected time means and how boats of different sizes and speeds can compete in the same race.

6 min read

Sport and timing

Ironman Hawaii: the history of the Kona World Championship and its time limits

From Oahu in 1978 to present-day Kona: the story of the world’s most famous triathlon. Here is how the 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride and marathon are timed, what the event’s time limits are and who holds the current course records.

5 min read

Stories and curiosities

The Hour Record: Cycling’s Simplest Discipline—and the Strict Rules It Inspired

Ride as far as possible on a track in exactly one hour—it sounds simple, yet the Hour Record sparked a battle over bicycle technology. The story stretches from Eddy Merckx through Graeme Obree to Bradley Wiggins and the unification of the rules in 2014.

6 min read

Sport and timing

Wheelchair Racing: How Athletes Are Classified and Their Times Recorded

In Paralympic wheelchair racing, success depends not only on speed but also on accurate classification by functional ability. We explain the T53 and T54 classes, how wheelchair races are timed and what their systems have in common with standard RFID race timing.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Relay Racing: Why the Exchange Zone Has Been a Single 30-Metre Zone Since 2017

The baton must be passed within a precisely marked zone or the team is disqualified. We explain the current exchange-zone rules for the 4x100 m and 4x200 m relays, the 2017 change that combined the two previous zones into a single 30-metre zone, and which decisions belong to the timing system and which to the officials.

5 min read

Stories and curiosities

Why Exceptional Pools Produce Exceptional Records: The Engineering Behind Fast Water

It is no coincidence that some pools produce record after record. We explain how depth, perimeter gutters and lane ropes absorb waves and reduce water resistance, which can account for up to 12% of the total drag slowing a swimmer.

5 min read

Guide

Photo-finish cameras: Omega Scan'O'Vision, FinishLynx and the difference between 2,000 and 40,000 frames per second

Not all photo-finish cameras are the same, and none of them takes conventional photographs — they all capture a narrow line at the finish at high frequency. We compare older and newer Omega Scan'O'Vision technology with FinishLynx systems, whose top model reaches up to 40,000 line-scan frames per second, and explain what these figures mean in practice.

6 min read

Sport and timing

Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc: 170 km around the Alps' highest mountain with a 46-hour, 45-minute cutoff

UTMB is one of the world's best-known ultra-trail races: 174 kilometres and almost 10,000 metres of elevation gain around Mont Blanc through three countries. We explain how checkpoint cutoffs work and why what matters is when a runner leaves the checkpoint, not when they arrive.

5 min read

Guide

Weather and race timing: protecting electronics from rain, frost and heat

Rain, frost, heat and mud are the biggest enemies of electronic equipment on a racecourse. This practical guide explains how to prepare phones, readers and RFID chips for bad weather so your timing system does not fail in the middle of a race.

6 min read

Guide

Bib numbers and timing chips: how to prepare them so readers and officials can see them

An incorrectly attached bib number or poorly positioned chip is among the most common causes of missing times. This practical guide explains how to design and position a bib with an RFID chip so it works reliably for both race timing and the photo finish.

5 min read

Sport and timing

How Formula 1 timing works: transponders, track loops and thousandths of a second

Every Formula 1 car carries a transponder with its own code, while timing equipment beneath the asphalt records its time to the nearest thousandth of a second. Here is how it works, what the backup system does and why, when times are identical, the driver who set the time first takes precedence.

5 min read

Guide

How to Choose a Race Timing System: 7 Questions to Ask Before You Buy

Stopwatches, mobile apps, QR codes, NFC or UHF RFID chips and readers? A practical guide to choosing a race timing system based on the number of competitors, required accuracy, environment and budget.

6 min read

Sport and timing

Enduro timing: why FIM special tests are measured to hundredths of a second

Enduro combines special tests decided by hundredths of a second with liaison sections where riders must arrive within their assigned minute. Here is how FIM rules cover motorcycle transponders, one-minute penalties and mandatory backup timing.

5 min read

Guide

TAQIO: mobile race timing for running, cycling and club event organizers

What TAQIO is, how its race timing app works, which methods it supports for recording crossings, how registration, public results and live streaming work, and who it is designed for.

5 min read

Records

Running and sports records: how they are timed, when they count and why Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon is not a record

Bannister, Bolt, Kiptum and Kipchoge: how running records are timed and ratified. Why fully automatic timing is required, how wind and course rules matter, and why Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon is not an official record.

7 min read

Guide

RFID, NFC, QR or Manual Timing: Which Race Timing Method Should You Choose?

A comparison of four ways to record competitors as they pass during a race: tapping in an app, QR codes, NFC chips and UHF RFID. Learn when each option makes sense, along with its benefits, limitations and costs.

6 min read

History

Breakthrough moments in timekeeping history: from the 1816 chronograph to chips and photo finishes

The chronographs of 1816 and 1821, Stockholm 1912, Omega 1932, the photocell and photo finish of 1948, Seiko 1964, swimming touchpads in 1968, transponders in 1982 and ChampionChip in 1993: a guide to the most important milestones in timekeeping history.

6 min read

Stories and curiosities

Timing curiosities and errors: disputed winners, ties and an extra lap

Rome 1960, Munich 1972, Los Angeles 1932, Boston 1980, Sochi 2014 and Beijing 2008: the best-known result disputes, ties and timing errors, some of which changed the rules of sport.

7 min read

Sport and timing

Timing standards around the world: seconds, hundredths or thousandths? Sports compared

Formula 1 and luge are timed to the thousandth, swimming and alpine skiing to the hundredth, cross-country skiing to the tenth, and road races to whole seconds. Here is an overview of timing standards across sports and why they differ.

7 min read

Guide

Race timing accuracy: RFID, photocells or manual timing and the errors to expect

Resolution is not the same as accuracy. We compare the accuracy and error rates of manual timing, RFID chips, photocells and photo finishes, including where whole seconds are sufficient and where hundredths or thousandths of a second are required.

6 min read

Guide

How Much Does Race Timing Cost? Hardware, Software and Hidden Event Expenses

A stopwatch, mobile app or professional system with timing mats and decoders? A breakdown of race timing costs, including hardware, software, chips, staff and backup systems—and when to buy your own equipment or hire an external timing company.

6 min read

Guide

The Most Common Race Timing Errors: Why Readings Go Missing and How to Prevent Them

Missing readings, duplicate records, incorrect bib numbers and unsynchronized clocks: an overview of the most common causes of race timing errors and a practical guide to preventing them with RFID, NFC, QR and manual timing.

6 min read

Guide

How to Choose an RFID Reader for Race Timing: Frequency Band, Antenna, Connectivity and What to Check Before Buying

A buyer’s guide to UHF RFID readers for race timing: the correct frequency band for your region, the EPC Gen2 standard, handheld versus fixed readers, antennas, connectivity, battery life and the questions worth asking the seller before you buy.

7 min read

Guide

Professional timing company or in-house race timing: which pays off for organizers?

When should you hire a professional timing company, and when can an organizer handle the event with an app and timing chips? A comparison of costs, risks, accuracy and flexibility for events of all sizes.

6 min read

Guide

How to organize a running race: timing, registration and results checklist

A practical checklist for organizing your first running race, from choosing the course and opening registration to bib numbers, race timing, testing and publishing results, with an emphasis on timekeeping and common mistakes.

7 min read

Guide

How to Promote a Running or Cycling Event and Attract Entries: Marketing for Organizers

How to fill your starting field: event calendars, online registration, a public results page, social media, partnerships with clubs and retailers, and using online results to bring participants back for the next edition.

7 min read

Education

How an RFID Chip Works in Running: Passive UHF Tags, Antennas, Read Zones and Placement

How an RFID chip on a bib number becomes a recorded time: passive battery-free UHF tags, readers, antennas, read zones, duplicate-read filtering and the most common chip-placement mistakes.

7 min read

Guide

Race start types: mass, wave and individual starts—and how timing works

Mass starts, wave starts and individual starts: how they differ, how times are calculated using gun time or chip time, when to choose each format for running, cycling and motorsport, and what they mean for race timing.

6 min read

Guide

Timing cycling and MTB races: where to place the chip and how to time enduro and marathons

Cycling marathons, gravel races, MTB marathons and MTB enduro: which start and timing formats they use, where to place an RFID chip on a bike or helmet, and how to avoid common problems caused by metal, mud and speed.

6 min read

Guide

Country cross, motocross and enduro: how to time motorcycle racing and what accuracy is enough

Country cross is often timed to whole seconds, while FIM enduro uses hundredths. Learn how the standards differ, where to place a chip or transponder on a motorcycle, how laps are counted and when a simple timing system is sufficient.

6 min read

Guide

Triathlon and Duathlon Timing: Ankle Chips, T1 and T2 Transition Zones, and Split Times

How triathlons and duathlons are timed: ankle chips, T1 and T2 transition zones, swimming, cycling and running splits, wave starts and time limits. A practical guide for multisport event organizers.

6 min read

Guide

Backup race timing: why you need it and how to set it up for a small event

Formula 1 runs a secondary loop alongside its primary loop, the FIM requires a reserve timing system, and the organiser of a small running race needs at least a second phone. Here is how to set up backup timing that can save your event.

5 min read

Guide

Clock synchronization in race timing: GPS, NTP and why a one-second difference ruins results

Even the best reader is useless if devices show different times. How does clock synchronization work at races, what is the difference between GPS, NTP and a phone’s clock, and how can split-time errors be avoided?

6 min read

Sport and timing

Race Cut-Off Times: Ironman, Comrades, Ultramarathons and Why You Cannot Finish After the Limit

The Ironman 17-hour limit, the Comrades Marathon’s 12 hours from the gun and bus for runners who miss the cut-off, cycling limits and ultramarathons. Why races impose time limits, how they are monitored and how to set them for your own event.

6 min read

Sport and timing

Tour de France: how the world’s most famous cycling race is timed

Transponders in bicycle frames, photocells at the stage start, cameras capturing 10,000 images per second and the Chronopole control centre. How Tissot times the world’s most famous cycling race.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Motorcycle racing: transponders in MotoGP, motocross and enduro—and where to mount them

A motorcycle combines metal, vibration, mud and speed, making it a demanding environment for race timing. How transponders work in MotoGP and enduro, why chip placement matters and what the FIM rules say.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Athletics: the 0.100-second false-start threshold and why a hand time is not a record

In sprinting, a reaction faster than 0.100 seconds is considered a false start. How sensor-equipped starting blocks work, why hand times are converted and what a photo-finish camera capturing 10,000 images per second can reveal.

5 min read

Stories and curiosities

Swimming: touchpads, the two-thousandth gap in Munich in 1972 and the Rome dispute of 1960

In 1972, Gunnar Larsson won Olympic gold by two thousandths of a second, prompting swimming’s governing body to change the rules. Here is how touchpads work and what happened twelve years earlier in Rome.

5 min read

Stories and curiosities

Luge, bobsleigh and the Jamaican bobsledders: why luge is timed to the thousandth of a second

After the tie at the 1972 Olympics, when the East German and Italian pairs stopped the clock at exactly the same time, luge began measuring to the thousandth of a second. How timekeeping works on an ice track and the true story of the Jamaican bobsleigh team at Calgary 1988.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Photo finishes in horse racing: how a winner is decided by a nose

Before finish-line photography, three judges voted on the winner and disputes were commonplace. Here is how a photo finish works, what a dead heat is and why the camera records time rather than a conventional picture.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Skiing and race timing: start wand, photocell, hundredths in alpine skiing and tenths in cross-country skiing

How timing works in alpine and cross-country skiing: the start gate, finish-line photocell, hundredths of a second, the Olympic tie at Sochi 2014, and why cross-country times are measured in tenths. Practical tips for winter events.

6 min read

Sport and timing

Diving Time Limits: Safe Bottom Time, Safety Stops and Freediving Rules

No-decompression limits, safety stops, preflight surface intervals and the 15-second surface protocol in freediving: an overview of diving time limits and why they can be a matter of life and death in this sport.

6 min read

Stories and curiosities

Chess Clocks: From Hourglasses to the Fischer Increment

From hourglasses and the first chess clocks used in London in 1883 to Bobby Fischer’s digital clock with time increments: how chess timekeeping evolved, what the Fischer increment and Bronstein delay are, and how the FIDE standard works.

6 min read

Stories and curiosities

Unusual sports and timing: Comrades in Africa, kambala and dragon boats in Asia, and Champs in Jamaica

How timing works in lesser-known sports: South Africa’s Comrades Marathon, India’s buffalo-powered kambala, dragon boat racing in China, and Jamaica’s Champs school championships. Tradition, rules, and modern race timing.

7 min read

Sport and timing

Parkrun and small events without chips: how community runs are timed

Parkrun began in London’s Bushy Park in 2004 with 13 runners. It uses stopwatches, barcodes, and finish tokens. Here is how community timing works without chips, when it is enough, and when switching to an app or RFID makes sense.

5 min read

Sport and timing

Official timekeepers: Omega, TAG Heuer, Rolex, Tissot and Seiko and the story of sports partnerships

Why is Omega at the Olympics, TAG Heuer in Formula 1, and Tissot in MotoGP and the Tour de France? The story of official sports timekeepers from Los Angeles 1932 to Formula 1 in 2025, and the difference between the brand and the technology.

6 min read

History

The timekeeper: how a stopwatch operator became a technician and programmer

Who is a timekeeper, how has the job evolved from handheld stopwatches through electronics to chips and software, and which inventors and companies advanced timekeeping? The story of Moinet, Rieussec, Heuer, Omega, AMB, ChampionChip and RACE RESULT.

7 min read

History

How races were timed 100 and 1,000 years ago: from the ancient Olympics to RFID chips

How was the winner determined in ancient Olympia? When did the first stopwatches appear? And how did sport progress from chronographs, photo finishes and transponders to chips capable of timing thousands of runners at once? The history of sports timekeeping.

7 min read

Education

Race timing glossary: essential terms from decoder to photo finish, explained simply

Gun time, chip time, transponder, decoder, timing mat, split time, DNF, photo finish, on-metal chip, and other race timing terms worth knowing before organizing or entering a race.

6 min read

Education

Which events are timed with RFID chips and where the chip goes

From a children's run to motocross: an overview of the events timed with RFID chips today, why the technology suits them, and how to place the chip in each sport so the reader reliably sees it.

10 min read

Compatibility

What phones and hardware the TAQIO app supports

TAQIO runs on any regular Android phone. Manual tap and QR code need no special hardware, NFC requires a phone with an NFC reader, and RFID works with any standard reader (125 kHz, 13.56 MHz and UHF) without complicated setup.

4 min read

Guide

How to time your first race with just a phone

Setting up an event, choosing a start type, and recording your first passings — the whole process from scratch, no prior timing experience needed.

8 min read

Comparison

NFC or RFID? When a reader pays off

Both methods record a passing automatically without manual tapping — the difference is how many participants need to cross the finish at once.

6 min read

From the course

Timing in the mountains with no signal: what to prepare

The app times without internet too, but a few things are worth thinking through in advance so your battery doesn't die before the last participant.

5 min read