TAQIO is an app for race timing, registration and results. Recommended chips and readers are listed in the Equipment section on taqio.app.

Comparison

NFC or RFID? When a reader pays off

8 September 2026 · 6 min read

Manual tap and QR codes share a common ceiling: when dozens of participants finish in a mass rush, the operator simply can't keep watching the screen while also identifying who just passed. That's when it's worth switching to automatic recording — NFC or RFID.

An NFC chip works by the participant holding their bib (or wristband) directly against the operator's phone. It's cheap (a chip costs a few cents), needs no extra hardware beyond the phone you already have, and is plenty for small and medium events — tens up to low hundreds of participants with a reasonably spread-out finish.

An RFID reader solves exactly the case where NFC hits its limit: capturing a passing without the participant touching anything or slowing down for it. A UHF reader picks up a chip from several metres away, so it handles even a dense finish where NFC participants would have to queue up to tap their phone.

Rule of thumb: if you don't know how many participants will finish in the same minute, start with NFC — it's low-risk, you can always add a reader later, and the vast majority of hobby events never hit that limit at all. A reader is only worth considering once you actually run into mass finishes at larger races.

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?
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?
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.
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.

Time your event with TAQIO

Record passages by tap, QR code, NFC chip or RFID reader. Timing works offline and results are online the same second. The app is free for up to 5 participants per event, no payment card needed.

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