I always sprint to the finish and wonder where exactly the finish line is. Is it the first or second timing mat? Is the second one a backup or does it have a separate purpose from the first one?
it is for the special highest top speed prize
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Funny! Well, I’ll never have to worry about that second mat then. My sprint is most people’s average pace.
The first mat records your time. The second mat has a metal detector and scans for weapons. If you listen carefully, you can hear the beeping when people cross who are packing. Stay away from those people.
First is the finish, second is a back up system just in case primary systems misses read or malfunctions
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I always thought the first mat was used so the announcer knew who will be the next person coming across the real (second) finish line. I may well be wrong but it’s just a theory
You actually cross three mats. The first mat is there to bring up your name and info for the announcer and is usually 50 yds or so from the finish. The finish line will then have at least two mats, one right after the other. The first one is the primary reader and the second one is there in case the first one misses.
This is correct if the race has an announcer line set up. Very few local races do this, most major events do.
I’m sorry, I assumed he was talking about mats that were spaced out by quite a distance, such as at an IM event.
Don’t listen to Boots or ackvor. They’re just stirring stuff up. jackmott and Tri-Banter are both correct.
So just because my timing company isn’t the size of Sportstats doesnt mean a person shouldn’t listen to me. Especially when what I wrote is correct. Mats at the finish are primary and secondary systems. Few races have announcer lines 50 - 100 meters before the finish
Guess you just helped me decide on if I want to sign that contract with Fleck for services
Just joking, my friend - I thought saying that the mats were for measuring fastest speed and detecting weapons would make that semi-clear at least.
He was just joking =)
So just because my timing company isn’t the size of Sportstats doesnt mean a person shouldn’t listen to me. Especially when what I wrote is correct. Mats at the finish are primary and secondary systems. Few races have announcer lines 50 - 100 meters before the finish
Guess you just helped me decide on if I want to sign that contract with Fleck for services
Just joking, my friend - I thought saying that the mats were for measuring fastest speed and detecting weapons would make that semi-clear at least.
So the special highest top speed prize is true? No wonder I never win that award…I always slow down after the first mat.
Sorry, no humor on a Sunday night after a long weekend
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First is the finish, second is a back up system just in case primary systems misses read or malfunctions
At a running race with two mats at the start, which one is the official line?
At a running race with two mats at the start, which one is the official line?
No more trying to joke. The backup/secondary should be some ways before the certified start line and the primary/official should be immediately before/touching the start line, but not past it. You can’t have timing mats past the start line or you end up timing a short course. You can bring the runners onto the timing mats, right up to the line, a short time before the start. Anybody who detects before the gun and doesn’t detect again after the gun gets the gun time.
It would depend on the system being used. For most If you are standing at the start facing the way you will run the front line of runners should be standing on the exact start line on top of a mat. The secondary mat would be behind these runners.
Sorry, no humor on a Sunday night after a long weekendNo worries. Sorry, I was just trying to distract myself after 6 hours at the loudest finish line I’ve heard. Four more hours to go…
As stated previously, it will be the front edge of the furthest one forward (unless of course the timing company is using the forward mat for some unrelated purpose). The reason behind this is that most if not all chip timing software bases your start time on the “last time seen”. The system is recording all chips in the timing “field” multiple times per second, in the start situation, it will be the last time recorded before the chip leaves the timing “field” that will be the official start time. The only caveat to that may be where some athletes (pro/elite) will be timed from the gun while the remainder of the athletes will be timed based on when they cross (and leave) the start mat.
Then, to complete the picture, the finish line uses the “first time seen” for determining when the athlete has finished the race.