Posted by Monetta Roberts on March 28, 2010 at 10:28:07:
In Reply to: Re: azalea trail 2010 posted by John Kavanagh on March 27, 2010 at 20:34:10:
re: the idea of using chip times for results --- I've never heard of any race doing such, which is not the same as saying no race ever has. Without knowing for a fact, I imagine there is a prohibition of same in USATF rules.
Generally, it just isn't done, and one really big reason holds true for the overall winner of the race down through the winner of every sub-category (master's & grandmasters and legends male and female, wheelchair male and female, racewalker male and female, and every age group award place): For this example, let's say you are racing for the overall
win (or substitute any spot that wins an award) and you are neck and neck with a competitor who just won't give up. The finish line is coming fast and you kick just enough to cross first by a stride. But you don't win, because her chip time is faster by whatever, a second. It isn't quite fair, because had she physically been one second ahead of you heading to the finish, you could have made yourself kick that much harder, but you didn't think you had to. With chip results, you don't know what it takes to prevail, ergo (look it up, Victor) it takes something fundamental out of the race.
Make sense? It will in a hurry if you ever beat someone to the finish line only to have him or her take home the hardware....in official race lingo, that is "not cool." 8 )
mo