A question re. timing mats

[linda9389]

In my last event - HM - there appeared to be three timing mats in the finish funnel: one at the start then two at the end of the funnel close together. Prior to that - a 5 mile event - there were two timing mats at the end of the run. Prior to that I'm not sure I noticed. Anyone else noticed more than one mat? Is it normal? If so why?

But my real question is - how do I know I've finished? Do I keep going to the last mat? Or can I slow down at the first one? 😂😂😂

[roseabi Ultramarathon]

Good question, and I had to look it up. Apparently at large events one chip-reading mat is for information to go to the announcer who may call out your name as you finish. Then there will be one or more mat to provide a fail-safe system to ensure all times are recorded. So I think it's best if you can keep sprinting over all the mats! 😄

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

I thought about looking it up but thought it was too random a question. Thank you for looking for me! I'll keep running then and will no longer imagine people are laughing at me for not stopping at the first mat 😂😂😂

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

I'd always just assumed it was a fail-safe, but I must admit that I don't necessarily keep running over all the mats! Must try harder 🤣

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to roseabi]

A new PB right there 😀

[roseabi Ultramarathon in reply to linda9389]

I do have a fear of tripping over the mats and face-planting at the finish line!!

[Madge50 Marathon in reply to roseabi]

Me too, I try to keep going, but have to look where I’m going......just in case....🏃‍♀️....plus I’ve got a thing about treading on them to make sure it registers me....😂

Mx

[C3PO Marathon]

At last weekend's event, there were two extra chip readers (not mats). One was to make sure that people didn't cheat and not run the extra 1-2 km they've set up around a little peninsula towards the end of the race (they don't have many marshals there). The other one was shortly before the finish line, and was clearly so that the announcer could call out our names as we finished.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to C3PO]

I always assumed the announcer was reading bibs to get names ... but that makes lots more sense. There was a 20k mat in the LLHM - that was on the turn of a loop too so now you say that - I guess that one was to detect any shortcutters too 😀

[Hidden]

We had about six timing mats on the marathon I did. Each time I heard a beep as I went over it. At the penultimate mat it didn't beep for me so then I wondered if I should go back over it again. When I finished all times were there so it must have recorded my chip.

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon in reply to Hidden]

I remember some some reassuring beeps during the GSR too now you mention it 😀

[Lordi Marathon]

I didn't know that about the mats etc! In my last HM event they also used a non-mat system around the course for 5, 10, 15, 20k split times that was like two phone transmitters each side of the road (giving of a high pitched audio signal too) but they had the normal mats at the finish. In longer events I find I can't stop running anyway because it always takes a few seconds for the "Stop!" command to gain control of a pair of Robolegs.