Timing at FLM - Spring Marathon

Weep Iglet

16/11/2002 at 08:08

Hello,

Just reading through the Paris Marathon thread in this forum I saw it stated that the timing at the FLM is not accurate because it "starts from the gun". I took that to mean that everyone's time starts when the gun goes off, and the chip simply records the finish time. Can that really be right? I thought the point of the chip was to record both the true start and finish time (i.e. over the relevant mats), as in the Venice run I recently did. Can anyone shed any light on this?
Thanks :)

XFR Bear

16/11/2002 at 08:53

I'm 99% certain they've got out of date information. This year was the first year that timing wasn't from the gun, then they suddenly discovered how to do individual times (not sure why - other big marathons have managed it for years!). I seem to remember quite a bit in the FLM mag about individual times, and the website times were pretty much the times on people's watches, etc

Weep Iglet

16/11/2002 at 09:54

Thanks Iain :)

Dustin

16/11/2002 at 10:26

The 'official' clock obviously starts with the gun.
They've used championchip timing for a few years (which started with the gun) so you get splits at 10k,20k and so on but didn't take account of the time taken to cross the start.2002 was the first year they put a mat at the start,thus recording your true time.I think the reason cited last year ( I did ask) was that it would cause too much disruption to lay down the mats (and check them) over Blackheath on a Saturday night.

So after that waffle, you do get a 'proper' time.

donutto

16/11/2002 at 11:42

Yes, FLM has now adopted the standard practice of giving you both a net 'chip' time and the gross 'gun' time. I believe for official purposes (records, etc) the gun time is used, but obviously for most runners the chip time is a more relevant measure of performance.

Barkles

16/11/2002 at 12:58

Piglet, sadly their timing seems to be right......it was my legs that were the problem! The chip system was good.. apart from the fact that I was too knackered to walk up the ramp to have it cut off, and they had to come to me!!!!

Minnie the Minx

16/11/2002 at 14:04

Actually, the chip time, i.e. the "net" time, is used as the official time.

cougie

pirate

17/11/2002 at 12:11

By the time I'd got to the start - I think it was about 9 minutes this year I'd forgotten about the mats. I instinctivelyy jumped over them - not wanting to trip then realised what it was ! I spend the rest of the race wondering if I'd cocked up my time. Luckily I hadn't !

arvinder khaihra

30/11/2002 at 17:14

yes you are right, it could take up to 10 mins to cross the start line. Most people start there watch as they cross the line,so you will have the offical time and your own time, the difference being the time its takes you to reach the start line. Prehaps one day they will use the chip to its full potentail, not just to record your finish...

Graham Bond

30/11/2002 at 20:29

Arvinder - this is what they do as of last year, so they do use it to its full potential. The chip time is the time from you crossing the line, and this is also your official time. And when you get the pictures, this is the time that is show on those as well. (They cover up the clock in the pictures so the "actual" time isn't shown at all.)

Also on the website you can see your own splits at 10km, 20km, half and 30 km.

Hilly

30/11/2002 at 20:36

Nothing more to add, apart from it was good to get photos with My proper time on, as really couldn't see the point in buying photos with a false time.

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