The (chip) timers, they are a-changing

It's crazy for me to think about, but I've been a regular runner for four years now. July will mark the 4th anniversary of my first race, a 5K. I remember how it was important to me to get up near the front of the pack because even though I was in no way going to contend for victory I didn't want to lose valuable seconds in the time between the gun going off and my crossing the start line from wherever I might be behind the faster runners. I heard of chips that recorded a "net" time so you could get an accurate time for a run even if you weren't the first one to cross the start line when the gun went off, but none of the races I ran that year, about a half dozen or so, used chip timing. Nowadays, it seems that pretty much every race except for the smallest, newest 5Ks use chip timing and when a race doesn't you wonder why not. Unfortunately, I am WAY too lazy to research the evolution of timing chips for running races to really get to the bottom of it, but you know what I'm saying.

Since that first year without getting to use any chips I've dealt with chips that were attached to velcro straps and then fastened to your ankle that were kind of bulky. I've also used chips that fasten through your shoe laces and then have to be removed and returned after you finish the race, unless you feel like paying about $30 to keep it. That wasn't fun after running 13.1 miles or whatever. I've also used a chip that goes through laces but is disposable. And then I've used the "D-Tag" timing chip, which is also disposable. It comes attached to your bib number and you peel it off, then slip it through your shoes laces and take it off whenever after the race at your convenience.

So while timing chips have gotten progressively smaller, lighter and easier to get an accurate "net" time for a run even with thousands of people ahead of you, it looks like the Frederick half marathon I'm running this weekend is taking it one step further. Their "B-Tag" timing chips come adhered to the back of your bib number, but you just leave it there and pin the bib on as usual. It does not need to be removed and placed on or near your shoes. Take a look:



And here's a close-up view:


Again, I don't know how long it's really taken to get from no timing chips to timing chips you don't even have to think about, but I'm pretty amazed that it's gotten from nothing to this for me in under four years.

I just wonder whether I'll have to run over timing mats anymore or will they put up something along the sides of the road that you run through like how stores have those things you walk through that set off an alarm to keep you from shoplifting if you don't get that thing removed from it.

Guess I can think about that while I'm run/walking miles 10-13 this weekend. Sigh.