The running chip
Stuck to the back of the bib, no battery. Runners keep it, there is nothing to return.
Chip race timing
What happens between the line and the results
The idea comes down to three parts, a chip, a timing mat and software, on professional RACE RESULT equipment. Here is how they work together.
Where the gear ships The listed price covers France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Germany. For a race anywhere else, write to us and we will price the shipping.
Race timing runs on professional RACE RESULT equipment, the same gear used at major races, rented at a price small and mid-sized races can afford. For running, the chip is a passive sticker on the back of the bib. It has no battery. When it passes over the timing mat on the line, the mat powers it by radio frequency for a fraction of a second, reads its unique ID and time stamps it. For hybrid races, the chip is an active transponder worn on the ankle, which reads even when the athlete is on the floor or carrying a load. Either way, every crossing goes straight to the results.
What you get
The hybrid race chip
An ankle transponder, reused from one wave to the next. It reads even on the floor, loaded or wet.
The timing mat
A professional RACE RESULT timing mat laid on the ground at the line, the same as at major races. It reads dozens of chips per second.
Chip time
Counted from the runner crossing the start line to their finish. It needs a read at the start and at the finish.
Gun time
Counted from the start signal to the runner's finish. It is the time the French athletics federation uses for its rankings.
Publishing
Every crossing goes to the results, which update on the big screen and on every runner's phone.
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Gun time runs from the start signal to your finish, even if it took you two minutes to reach the line. Chip time runs from your crossing of the start line to your finish. When the start and the finish are on the same line, one timing mat measures both, otherwise a second system goes down at the start.
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It is very rare with a properly laid timing mat. A second system as a backup catches a missing read and validates the course.
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No. The setup goes down in minutes and runs from a web browser. We stay reachable for the whole race.
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Yes, they stay online and can be exported. The results page keeps being found under your race name.
- How to time a running race or trail, step by stepFrom registration to published results, the steps of chip timing for a road race or a trail. The chip, the antenna, the start, the finish and the results.
- FFA license and PPS, what a race director checks and keeps in FranceA race on the French athletics federation (FFA) calendar requires each runner to show a license or a Pass Prévention Santé. What the 2026-27 running rules say, article by article, and what to keep.
- How much does chip timing cost for a running raceThe price of chip timing depends on the equipment on the line, the number of runners and shipping. How it adds up, with the public Chrono Corner rates and worked examples.
Timed race formats
- Road race timing, from the 5K to the half marathon 5K and 10K, half marathons, corporate and charity runs. Gun time and chip time, results as runners finish and a page that stays online.
- Trail race timing, from the mass start to the checkpoints A mass start, several distances, an aid station to check. The system does the work, you run the race.
- Canicross, bikejoring, run and bike One by one starts every thirty seconds, classes to keep apart. Every competitor is timed from their own start.
- The backyard ultra, one loop an hour until the last one standing One loop every hour, for hours and sometimes days. Lap counting takes care of itself.
- How much does chip race timing cost Professional RACE RESULT equipment at an affordable price, by the weekend, with no subscription and bookable online. You know what you pay before you book.
A question about the setup
We walk you through what your exact format needs.
RACE RESULT is a trademark of its owner. Chrono Corner is not affiliated with this organization and runs no official event.
