The Technological Race to Improve Race Management

It was not that long ago that to get the results from a local cross country race – like most school athletic events – you had to be there. That was about the only way to know who won and who came in second. You had to be at the finish line as the competitors crossed or you had to wait for the printed results.

Those printed results would come in various forms, from the listing in the local paper to a listing provided by the coaches to their athletes. The data was collected manually and distributed in the same manner. Often the competitors did not know where they finished or how well they did until seeing the results in print.

Like other activities dealing with data, the use of software to plan, organize and operate such meets started slowly with the use of common programs like Excel, Access and FileMaker. The ability to collect and track that information relied on how tech-savvy the event organizer was and how well that individual could design documents and eventually webpages for that purpose.

Shared with the other coaches, the data produced registration information as well as race specifics. However, it did not allow for each manipulation of that data as the event unfolded and required manual entry of any new data such as race results, etc.

As technology improved and more of our activity moved online, several vertical market platforms became available to capture, organize and share the race information. Depending upon how you wanted to store your data and what devices your participants would use to access, programs like MileSplit, RunSignup and Hy-Tek Meet Manager could be used.

Those programs handle information needed to organize the event and collect the data needed from the participants. Online registration, fees, team roster, race organization, heats, cancellations, etc. are all handled by this type of software. While printouts are still available, most coaches access their data and the race organization information online through a laptop, tablet or phone. The portability of the device and easy access to all that information provides coaches with the ability to support their time in real time.

In parallel, there have also been improvements in tracking the results. For years, race results were tracked using a two-part system where someone tracked the time as each runner crossed the finish line and then matched that up to the appropriate runner. The timer used early software to simply log each time they pushed the button on the stopwatch, and the racers had to stay in order in a chute to then have their bib number recorded or a pull-tag on it removed and placed in that same order. The timing log and the pull-tag order were matched, and the results were entered to produce timings and team results to share.

With the technological advancements made in wireless communication in the last several decades, other platforms became available to track the timing of all athletes involved in those running events. Those programs continued to evolve as technology improved, and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), the same technology in the “chip” in your credit cards, is now used to track competitors.

Racers have a chip in their bib or attached to their shoes. Tracking pads made of rubber are placed at the start, finish and any splittime checkpoint needed. As each racer crosses those pads, their time and number are recorded (like using EZPass to pay tolls on the thruway). That data is then available instantly through online access to the appropriate software.

Additionally, high-speed digital cameras taking thousands of frames per second can be used at the finish line to provide verification or clarification of race results.

There are several software programs that will support both the registration and results side of such events. Those programs, such as RunScore and Race Day Scoring, use the bib chips to match results to the event’s registration data and provide team and individual results. They match up with most of the hardware (chips, pads, display boards) on the market today. Most of the platforms have the capability to share data easily so that the right software for the participants needs can be met without having to purchase unneeded or unwanted features.

One of the interesting aspects of such software is the lack of opportunity or use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While AI seems to be everywhere of late providing information before we know we need it, the algorithms in these platforms handle the creation of results without that support. The RFID technology, with years of use by the general public, is nearly foolproof and error-free, and the software to manage the hardware needed continues to improve and become easier to manage and less expensive to purchase. Finding out how your runner did the instant he or she crosses the finish line is a long way from waiting for tomorrow’s newspaper.

Steffen Parker is a retired music educator, event organizer, maple sugar maker, and Information Technology specialist from Vermont who serves as the Performing Arts/Technology representative on the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee. He received the NFHS Citation Award in 2017 and the Ellen McCulloch- Lovell Award in Arts Education in 2021. He can be reached at steffenparker@ gmail.com.