Chip time or gun time?

[Thesingingrunner]

I've just done my first ever timed 5K race this morning. I'm a bit mystified why the race positions are done on 'gun time' rather than 'chip time'. I started almost at the back and I have almost 2 minutes difference between my chip time and my gun time. Can anyone enlighten me on why the positions are done like this?

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10]

I would go by your chip time, the gun time is the time you see on the big digital timer above the finishing line, at large events such as the London Marathon or the Great North Run the difference between the two can be as much as 50 minutes.

[Sandraj39 Graduate10]

As AlMorr says, the chip time is the one that means the most,as this is your actual race time - from crossing the start line to finish line. Chip time is the one we share - don't think I ever think about "position" as such! 😀

[Madge50 Graduate10]

In actual races that are approved by the the uk athletics association, gun time is the time that is taken to identify the ‘winner’ in any specific category, e.g first across the line - think Mo Farah etc., and club races etc., usually if prizes are available, (cups, money) this is how they are awarded.

For mass participation events chip time is used so you get ‘your time’ as if you actually started at the front. But you wouldn’t be ‘in the running’ for a prize unless you crossed the line within the first 3 in a particular category....

Does that help? So gun position is where you finished in the field, e.g I might have finished 200th out of 250 people, but my chip time is the time it actually took me to complete the distance and may be faster than the person who finished in 199th place.....

Mx

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Madge50]

That's interesting regarding the 199 and 200dth place, I sometimes study the lower placed competitor's in a event race and sometimes the chip time is higher than someone who is lower ranked, say the person who is 230th has a quicker chip time than a person who is 227th.🙄

[Thesingingrunner in reply to AlMorr]

Yes my gun time position was 383 and my chip time position 335- all competitors

[AlMorr Ambassador Graduate10 in reply to Thesingingrunner]

Yes, a big difference of 48 places.

[Thesingingrunner]

Thanks everyone for the info - I understand what’s going on now and I’m very happy with my ‘chip time’! Thanks again x

[Irishprincess Graduate10]

Always, always take the lower time 😂😂

[Langley-Loper Graduate10]

It does seem rather unfair to use the gun time for placings/prizes though, as not everyone can be at the start of the pack when the gun is fired. There are always a few optimistic slow coahes near the front who hold people up at the start when they clearly have no chance of finishing in the top 10!

[Thesingingrunner in reply to Langley-Loper]

My husband- who was spectating at the 5K, noticed that there were people right at the front of the pack who started off walking!