Saturday, October 4, 2008

Chip Finished Race?

What is going on anymore? Why do races do chip finishes, but not chip starts? What that means is that I start about half way back the pack (like a good mid-pack runner should) and I get penalized whatever time it takes me to get to the starting line. I think it's ridiculous and I don't get it.

So... I get that they chip finish as a convenience to collect results. That makes sense to me. I get that it is a better experience for the racers to get their times on the spot very quickly. But... are the companies that are renting the mats raping the race organizers so badly that they can't pay for two mats? What's at the heart of this? I'm seeing this more and more and it really frustrates me. So much so that I have half a mind to just start at the front with the "real runners".

I think it is a totally fair request to have accurate results. After all, it's why I enter races and seconds (or 10-15) could be the difference between my PR and no PR.