How to time a race with the start and finish at the same location

When the start and finish of a race are at the same location, the same timing devices read both the runners who are starting and the runners who are finishing. This article explains the common solutions, when they stop working and which Copernico features let you assign times correctly.

1. Situation and common solutions

When the start and finish are at the same location, there may be difficulties with timing. There are two common solutions:

1. Device location change
   You can move timing devices from one location to another manually or schedule the change for a specific time. With Cloud, when you assign a device to a location you can choose Custom and set the time range during which it reads for that location. See How to configure devices in Copernico using Cloud 2.
2. Maximum start time
   If you set a maximum time on the Start timing point (timing point pencil → Advanced editor → Overall time → Max. time), for example 00:10:00, later readings are assigned to the next timing point at that location, usually Finish. More information in Advanced options in timing points.

2. The problem

In some events, the first runners reach the finish while others are still starting. This creates two challenges:

• Device location change: it is not possible to reconfigure timing devices from Start to Finish because both timing points are active at the same time.
• Maximum start time: if applied, the readings of runners still starting after the configured time are assigned to Finish instead of Start.

Keep in mind that, by default, start timing points use the last reading and finish timing points use the first one.

If these solutions cannot be used, other options are needed to assign times correctly.

3. Solutions in Copernico

Copernico offers two key features:

1. Assign the first reading
   On any timing point, including start timing points, you can make the first reading the valid one: timing point pencil → Advanced editor → Detection mode → First reading. This way, the first reading is assigned to Start and the next reading at that location to Finish.
2. Time assignment to previous timing points
   Copernico does not assign times to previous timing points if there is already a time at a later timing point. For example, you can add an intermediate timing point (such as km 5) to assist timing:
   • If the runner crosses the intermediate timing point, the finish time is assigned correctly, as it is a later time.
   • If the runner does not pass (or has no time) at the intermediate timing point, the first reading must be configured at the start timing point.

Additionally, once no runners are still starting, you can set the maximum time (Overall time → Max. time) on the Start timing point so that later readings are assigned to Finish.

4. Practical example: 10K race with start and finish at the same location

Runner with times at all timing points

Starts → time assigned to Start.
Passes km 5 → having a time at this timing point means no time can be assigned to Start. It does not matter whether the first or last reading is configured.
Finishes → time assigned normally.

Runner without time at start

No start time, but passes km 5 → consolidates start. Having a time at this timing point means no time can be assigned to Start.
Finishes → time assigned normally.
The Start timing point remains with time 0.

Runner without time at the intermediate timing point

Has a start time, but has no time at km 5 → start is not consolidated.
The first reading must be configured at the start to assign the finish correctly.

Runner without time at start or at the intermediate timing point

This is an unclear case that must be checked manually: it is impossible to determine whether the runner was starting or finishing.
It can be estimated from the finish time, but this is not reliable.