KitST Organiser Information

Thank you for considering KitST for your event timing. Whether you are a new or experienced organiser, you should find all the information you need to make timing your event as straightforward as possible.

We specialise in timing events, based around running and OCR but can probably time most moving people! We are a small family run business that mainly provide timing services and race coordination and can offer services to events with small numbers of participants to those with 100s or more. As individuals we have experience as competitors and officials in running, orienteering, triathlon and OCR.

We only time one event at a time, so if we are chosen to time your event you can be sure of our full attention.

As you can tell by our name we aim to keep the timing of a race Simple for you and your team, we can be fully self-contained and can provide our own power, gazebo and equipment, which means less stress for you, the organiser.

We offer services ranging from simple timing for running races to our pioneering system for recording Obstacle Completion for Obstacle Course Races. (See separate page for details on this)

With our partner company we can also provide live GPS tracking for your event that can be displayed on a big screen in the arena and/or on a dedicated website for people to follow the race in the comfort of their home. (See separate page for details on this)

Whether you require a Chip Timing Solution for your sporting event or something more complex we will aim to provide you with as simple a solution as possible. You can see results and pictures from events we have timed on our web site.

The timing equipment

We have chosen timing equipment carefully to ensure it is robust and reliable. The tags we use are from HUTAG and can cope with even the roughest obstacle race. We use software from AGEE timing solutions as this gives us the flexibility we need to manage any race. We use antennas at the side of the track rather than ground mats.

All of the timing information is feed back to the timing computer where the results program logs times and produces the results.

As standard we would time the finish but if split points are required we can accommodate up to 3 other separate locations. For typical triathlon setups we would place a timing point at each end of the transition zone and one at the finish line.

We ask organisers to provide a site plan showing expected split or transition points and the start and finish positions, a marked google satellite map is ideal for this.  We can then identify any potential issues and devise a plan to overcome these. We are happy to visit your site and discuss arrangements with you.

We normally calculate all times from the gun however if a chip start is required this can also be provided.  We can display results on a screen next to the finish so people can immediately see how they have performed.

As participants come over the line, we ask for you to allocate a member of your team to collect the timing chips from competitors.  We will be busy checking results but will try to help if we can. Unfortunately the chips are quite expensive and therefore we will charge £10 per unreturned chip. If any are missing at the end, we will provide a list of the ones missing so you can recover them and post them back to us.

As a backup we will aim to photograph each finisher and/or video the finish. We can set up a further manual back up timing system but would ask your volunteers to help with that.

Before the race

Before the race we require your competitor information. It is best to get a version to us few days or so before the event so we can ensure the format and details are going to work. The final version can be delivered the day before so it is as close to complete as possible as when we add it to our timing system. We will provide a spreadsheet template for you.

Please let us know if you are doing entry on the day so we can ensure there are spaces in the database and timing chips available.

We can add competitors, change information and swap categories right up to the results but we don’t make these changes during the race as this takes our focus away from ensuring everything is running smoothly and can cause a large number of competitor enquiries.

Information we need from you

• Race start time
• Registration open time
• Number of waves and wave start times
• Any split points
• Site plan
• Mobile contact for the day

Regarding competitor information, please could you send us the following information within an excel file:

On the day

On the day we normally arrive on site 2 hours before the start of the race or 30 minutes before registration opens (whichever is the earliest). Where possible we will do a site visit before the race to run through the set-up.

Our first task is to deliver the chips and straps to your registration team for distribution to the competitors along with their race numbers.

If you want us to provide help with registration please let us know in advance and we will include this in the cost.

The chips are organised on racks with Velcro bands attached. All chips are numbered and will need to be handed out to the correct competitor according to their race number, it is essential that each competitor is given the correct chip and are told to wear it visibly on their ankle, it is also worth mentioning this in your race pack, race briefing and at any warm up or pre start announcements.

We then set up the finish; cables need to be run between the timing desks and finish line.  We have our own generator and can be self-sufficient power wise, however if we can get access to a mains supply this is preferable.

The results

We can provide full printed list of results on the day or display them on a screen but please tell us what categories you expect in advance so we can ensure we have everything set up.

Think about whether you need any categories e.g.

• Juniors
• Senior
• Veteran
• Team

The results will be loaded automatically to our website as soon as the event is finished (once we have access to the internet) and we can provide you with the link before the event. We will also post the link on our Facebook page to make it easy to share on social media. If you have an internet link on site we can access that will help!

Payment

Our quote to you will be based on the number of competitors with additional charges for extra timing points or services. If your event will be operating for more than 6 hours there may be addition charges.

We don’t ask for a deposit as we know the cash flow before an event can be hard to manage but we appreciate a prompt payment after the event.

All this information is designed as an overview of how things are done for the majority of our events, please do not worry if some aspects are not relevant for your event or if you are planning to do anything different, please let us know what you are planning and we can adapt to / accommodate most requests.

Summary

We like to ‘Keep it Simple’:

• You provide us with information.
• We do the timing.
• You collect the timing chips and help with a manual backup timing.
• We publish results.
• Everyone is happy.