Finish line considerations
The finish line is where all the problems occur as the race finishes. If
all of the runners happen to run at the same speed you will have people
crossing the line at perhaps .1 second intervals. This requires you to
have a video camera to settle disputes. It requires a trained operator
on the computer clock system so that all 500 competitors have a time
registered for each of them (easier said than done!). The tough part is
keeping the runners in the same order after they cross the finish line as
they were in when they actually crossed the finish line. This process
is the tough one! You need a long cattle chute with a lot of helpers
in it to keep them in line. Why you ask? Well competitor 123 stopped to barf!
Competitor 7 stopped to talk to a friend! Competitor 19 just flat out ran
by 7 people after crossing the finish line. It is the chute and the bib
number recorders who decide the results. How do you record bib numbers.
Well we've tried several methods bar code scanners, magnetic card
scanners and the good old write them on a piece of paper trick. The
latter method is still the best. Just remember that the list must be
correct because it is going to be put into the computer and matched up
with the list of times that the timer previously entered.
Return to running graphic
