RaceClocker supports various race start formats that are common across many sports. Our start options are:

• Individual starts (Time trial). Each race participant or team starts one after the other. The interval between starts can be either ad hoc or pre-set, with a count down timer.
• Mass start where all race participants start at the same time.
• Wave starts in which race participants starts in waves, sometimes referred to as flights, heats or groups.

The race start type can be changed at any time.

RaceClocker supports a broad range sports. Setting the sport type is used to adjust sport specific labeling, data settings and visualization. The list below shows the current available sport types.

Race distance is set per race (in either meters, kilometers or miles). Race distance is used to calculate speed. For large events with multiple distances we recommend to set up seperate races per distance.

Each race can include up to 4 split points. Split points provide great data and feedback to both participants as well as to live spectators. Race participants can review their efforts in more detail and the race audience can see how a race unfolds in real time. Split points can be custom named.

Split point settings can be changed at any time via editing race details.

Race details and start list can be duplicated to create a copy of that race. This is useful for example when setting up multiple legs for an endurance race. Results and timing history will not be copied, all time stamps in the copy will be reset.

RaceClocker start lists can include categories, bib numbers, a team or club name, and a handicap factor in addition to the participant's name. All fields other than 'Name' are optional. If your race has wave starts then the start list will be grouped by wave. Turning on/off these properties has an effect on other aspect of the experience:

• Category represents the level, gender or age group each participant is competing in (e.g. 'Junior men' or 'Masters 40'). Results can be grouped by category when this feature is turned on.
• Bib number is the race number that uniquely identifies an individual participant in the race. When bib numbers are included it makes alternative timer modes possible (Grid, Two step and Keypad mode).
• Name represents the individual participant or team (this is the only mandatory field).
• Club name is the group or association the participant is member of or representing.
• Handicap factor is a number that results are multiplied with. Standard this is set to 1.000. Handicap factors range from 0.005 to 9.995.

The startlist order, in some sports called seeding, can be reordered via drag/drop. It's easiest to manage this on a laptop computer with a mouse. The order can also be sorted via the column headers, for example alphabetically by name or by bib number from low to high.

At any time the start list can be edited directly in the editor. Just click on a field and start typing. Fields can be navigated quickly using the keyboard. 'Enter' and 'Shift + Enter' move the focus up and down the grid. 'Tab' and 'Shift + Tab' move the focus right and left. Participants can be removed from the start list by clicking on the delete icon. The entire list can be cleared by clicking on the orange delete icon at the top of the list (you'll be asked for confirmation).

The start list can be edited at any time, even after a race has finished.

The quick and easy way to get your race list in RaceClocker is via copy/paste of a data table or via drag/drop of a file (either Excel or CSV). CSV stands for Comma Seperated Values. You can do this from the start list editor by choosing the 'Import file' button from the tool bar or from the bottom of the list.

A CSV file is simply a data table in text format where each line represents a race participant and each column an attribute of your race participants. Most race management software supports the export of such a file, and it's also easy to create one from Excel.

Your upload data may include a lot of data and many columns, but only some of those are needed within RaceClocker. RaceClocker can import for each participant their name, a bib number, a club or team name, a category, the wave to start in, and a handicap factor. All these data fields are optional except for the participants name.

To upload your data you can either copy/paste a table or drag/drop your file onto this drop box in RaceClocker. You can also browse to and select a file from any folder on your computer by clicking on the 'Select file' button.

In order to connect your data with matching RaceClocker fields, a column mapper appears after your data has been uploaded. Just select the corresponding attribute from the dropdown menu. You only need to do this once and then the mapping settings for that race will be remembered. This minimizes the effort when updating last minute race list changes.

In case your data includes a column header row, you can hide it to avoid the header data being included in the race list.

The seed order of your startlist will follow the order of the CSV file (not relevant for when your race has a mass start). If needed you can still add or remove participants or a wave of participants manually via the built-in startlist editor ('Participants') where you may change details or change the order of your race list at the last minute.

File import has a few more options. First, you can map either a single name field to the Raceclocker 'Name' field or you can choose to pick first name and last name separately. In the second case, RaceClocker will merge the two fields to a full name. Secondly, you can choose your imported file to replace the entire startlist (the default setting) or to append it to an already present race list. In that case it will be added to the list, below the existing entries.

The total amount of participants in the startlist (either 100 or max. 500) is limited by your plan.

In many small races, people from various age, level and categories compete with each other. In order to make results comparable, handicap factors can be applied. In the startlist editor or via CSV file upload, a handicap factor can be included for each race participant.

Results are multiplied with these individual factors and displayed in separate column next to actual results. Clicking the column header will sort by handicap results. Speed is not affected by the handicap factor and therefore based on the non-adjusted result.

Many races include various categories of participants in one and the same race. It's easy to include categories in your startlist. Race results can be grouped by category when categories are switched 'on' in the startlist editor. If a participant is not assigned to a specific category then they will be included in the standard 'All' category - this is the only category that can't be removed from the category list. If you don't need categories at all, you can simply turn them off in the show/hide options.

Category names can be edited 'inline' and are saved instantly. Note that the order of categories can be changed via drag/drop. The order of categories is relevant when viewing results grouped by category - as they will have the same order as set here in the category editor.

The 'Timers' page is the interface from where the race manager or timing director can open or share timer links with the timekeepers, the people on race locations that do the actual timing. For each timing point the first button opens a timer app window on the current device, the second button will send a timer link via mail and the third copies or shares a link to the timer to the clipboard (so it can be shared via chat for example).

The timer app links include an encrypted key so your timekeepers don't need to log in or have an account. Timekeepers can use their own device and don't need to download an app. Be careful, and make sure to not publish links but only share them with your timekeepers.

The race manager can lock and unlock all timers from the dashboard. When a race is locked this way, the timekeepers can not access the timer app on their device and therefore timekeepers can not make, undo or redo any timing actions. It's good practice to lock timers after a race is over, as this ensures that outdated timer links can not be accessed anymore and are safely locked out from making accidental changes. The race manager can still access all timing history via the menu in the dashboard, in order to make jury calls or corrections.

When a timekeeper tries to load the timer from a RaceClocker link, they will see a dialog that can't be closed. Only when the race manager unlocks the race, the timing buttons in the various modes are available again.

The Timer Dashboard provides a real time view of every time stamp that your timekeepers (the people timing in the field) are making. Whenever a time stamp is registerd via one of the timers, the result is instantly visible on the dashboard. For each race participant a live stopwatch is running in the 'Result' column until finished.

For the race manager the Timer Dashboard provides the option to manually override any registered time, for example to add missed timings or to replace erroneous ones. Next to each participant the edit icon provides access to an inline editor where any of the registered times of a participant can be changed and saved. This mode can also be used to enter or correct a time from a backup system.

To further support back-up corrections or recovery from accidental undo or a timing overwrite, a full history of all timing actions at a race location can be viewed from the menu "Timing history". This pops-up a small window with a view of the timekeepers real-time history.

Any timing action can be monitored live through this history viewer. As soon as a timer button is pressed in the timekeeper app, the result will appear in the history (as well as in the dashboard itself). History includes each and every timing action that a timekeeper makes, like non-assigned 2-step timings, laps in a lap race, undone timings, reassigns etc. etc. The History view is also included in the actual timekeeping app on a separate tab.

In some race types penalties can be assigned to crews or participants based on a jury or referee decision. The edit mode in the Timer Dashboard enables the race manager to add a time penalty to any of the participants. The penalty in seconds will be added to the overall time and indicated in an additional column, both in the dashboard as well as in the ranked results. Additionally the race manager can set a participant manually to DNS (did not start), DNF (did not finish) or DQ (Disqualified).

An applied penalty does affect the result and ranking. It does not change the speed or pace.

Central to cloud timing is the race clock that is running on our race server. This clock is based on a connected atomic clock and ensures that all timing devices involved in a single race are all synchronized. As soon as the timer app is launched on the timekeepers device, the clock running in the app (which is initially based on the device internal clock) is slightly adjusted, or shifted to the clock time running on our race server. This results in an accurate 'local' time and makes precise manual timing from multiple devices possible, regardless of location or internet speed.

We use the common clock time to base our timing on and all registered time stamps are real world clock times. In the Timer dashboard and on the results page, we calculate intervals and total race duration from these time stamps. Using real world clock times in the interface makes it easier to compare the RaceClocker results with other sources, like sports app registrations or a backup camera with a clock time overlay. This makes corrections from a backup timing method a lot easier and faster to include.

We capture time with a maximum accuracy of one tenth of second. Because timing is manual and both human observation as well as reaction time play a role, any higher accuracy is not reasonable. We recommend a margin of error of at least .3 of a second to call one participant faster than the other.

When a race participant crosses the start, split or finish line, the timekeeper presses the corresponding button to register the actual passing time. Usually a start or finish referee marks the moment line passing and the timekeeper captures that moment by pressing a timer button. Instantly, or in technical terms 'on mousedown' or 'tap down' the time is registered, minimizing any interface dependent delay or latency.

The 'pin' icon in the timekeeper app enables fixing the clock on screen when scrolling the list, so timekeepers can easily keep track of the clock time.

The timer can be accessed from any internet connected device. RaceClocker is browser based and runs on any device with an up-to-date browser. There is no need for timekeepers to download an app or to log in, just opening the link sent from the race manager is all there's to it.

Timing from a smartphone is most popular but somewhat error prone especially in wet and cold outdoor conditions. Most reliable results are achieved when timing on a laptop or tablet device, and where the timekeeper is seated in a dry and comfortable location with a clear line of sight on the split point passing or finish line.

The start timer for a time trial enables each race participant to be timed individually. The start timer supports a couple of different timing modes which the timekeeper can choose between. All modes are kept in synch, so switching between timing modes during a race is fully supported.

• List mode is a linear list and provides most information about each participant. In this mode the timing buttons are large and easy to tap, but on a small device only a few are in view. The list mode provides correction options for 'Undo' and 'Reassign'. More about those options further below.
  
• Grid mode is a great option for when you have many participants in your race and participants can be identified easily and quickly by their bib number. Many buttons are in view and available without scrolling.
  
• Key pad mode works well for large races with many participants, or for when your start order is different from the seating order by the race manager. In this mode the bib number can be entered ahead of the participants start and the timer button is pressed when the particpants passes the start line. This mode can also be used with a hardware keyboard instead (number keys for entering the bib number and 'Enter' or 'Space Bar' for registering the time).
  
• The CountDown timer is a mode to support time trial races where participants start at a fixed interval. The interval can be set between 5 seconds to 3 minutes. When started, the timer counts down and beeps at the 10 second and then at the 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 second point to inform the athlete. As soon as the participant has departed from the start line the next name appears and countdown restarts. The Countdown timer includes an 'Autostart' option that can be set to have the first participant take off at an exact pre-set clock time.
  

  For the CountDown timer to work well we recommend the following:

  • Run the timer on a powered laptop, phone or tablet or connect your device to a large display so the starting rider can see and hear the countdown beeps well.
  • Disable power saving features like 'device going to sleep after...' as well as any screensaver as this may cause the countdown timer to move to the background or stop.

For a mass start race or a wave start race, the start timer is quite straightforward and has limited mode availability.

• Mass start timer is just a single button that starts all participants in the race with the same time. It includes an undo option so the timekeeper can test a start before race start or correct if needed. When the race has started the timekeeper can switch to the 'List' view to double check the entered time for all participants.
  
• Wave start timer has a single button per wave. It also includes an undo option so the timekeeper can test and or correct. When a wave has started the timekeeper can switch to the 'List' view to double check the entered time for all participants.
  

The finish or split point timer includes various timing modes, to best support different race types and circumstances. All timing modes are in sync with each other. If needed the timekeeper can switch between modes at any time.

• List mode is a linear list and provides most information about each participant. In this mode the timing buttons are large and easy to tap, but on a small device only a few are in view. The list mode provides correction options for 'Undo' and 'Reassign'. More about those options further below.
  
• Grid mode is a great option for when you have many participants in your race and participants can be identified easily and quickly by their bib number. Many buttons are accessible without scrolling, even on a small screen device like a smartphone.
  
• The Two Step timer enables the timekeeper to separate the actual timing action from identifying and associating that time with a race participant. This mode is also most useful when more than one race participant pass a split or finish line together or shortly after another. The Two Step timer can also be used by two timekeepers where the first just adds a time stamp for each finisher and the second timekeeper adds the corresponding bib number or name later.
  
• Key pad mode is useful for large races with many participants where you easily identify the bib number of the approaching participant. In this mode the bib number is entered when a participant is approaching the timing point and timed as soon as he or she passes. This mode can also be used with a hardware keyboard instead (number keys for entering the bib number and 'Enter' or 'Space Bar' for registering the time).
  

RaceClocker is a cloud application and requires a stable internet connection to function error-free. Because RaceClocker is connected the race manager can follow and control the race timing from a central point and your audience can see live results as the event unfolds.

Cellular or wifi network coverage is a requirement at the timing location. Make sure though that the connection is reliable and stable, although drops and outages should not be a problem.

A drop in internet connection whilst timing doesn't affect the running clock or the timing action and won't result in any loss of data. RaceClocker buffers all timing results on the timekeepers device and synchs the data with the RaceClocker server as soon as connectivity is restored again. During a dropout it's important to NOT close the timer as in that case a registered time may get lost. When connectivity drops the timekeeper will see a warning in the timer.

The message will disappear as soon as connectivity is available again, the timer will then reconnect to the race server and synch all buffered timing data. As long as connectivity has not been restored, make sure to keep the window open.

Additionally, next to times that have not been synched with the RaceClocker server due to loss of connectivity a yellow warning triangle will appear instead of green check. As soon as connectivity is restored all yellow triangles will get replaced with green checks, indicating that all time stamps have been received on the server and visible in the Timer Dashboard.

All timing actions by the timekeeper are logged and stored on the RaceClocker server until the race manager 'resets' the race. The history is ordered by startlist or seeding order. Multiple registered times can be linked to a single participant, including 'undone' times. At the top of the list time stamps are included that are not linked to a race participant - these are the raw timings from the 'Two step' timer.

When a time stamp gets 'undone' by the timekeeper or by the race manager this is also indicated in the history. Any undone time can also be 'redone' in case of accidental removal or overwriting.

As an experimental feature we've added a simple interface to the timekeeper app to support external hardware buttons for race timing. The first 30 participants of any timer can be timed instantly by sending a HID (hardware input device) key code to the computer or device running the RaceClocker app. The supported key codes for this mode are 150 till 180 - these are unused key codes (seethe key code table).

This makes it easy to hook up your own buttons of choice to RaceClocker. For example a short pad of USB keys for timing a lane based rowing regatta, or a set of wireless 'Flic' buttons to time each lane in a swimming pool. We welcome 'hobbyist' to build solutions and share.

Results can be sorted by column to see the ranked result at each point in the race. A blue highlight indicates the column that results are ranked by. A second click restores sort order to the default ranking (by result).

When 2 or more split points are set, the results can be toggled between 'Intervals' or 'Splits'. The first ('Intervals') displays the time between the actual and the previous split point and the second ('Splits') displays the time between the actual point and the start. Split points can also be hidden altogether, in order to provide a more readable view of the results on smartphones.

Results can be viewed in groups, depending on race settings. When a race is started in waves and includes several categories accross those waves, the results can be displayed both by wave, or be category, or as a flat list - with the overall fastest participant at the top.

The 'Scroll' feature makes sure the results keep scrolling from top to bottom - which makes it easier to publish live results on a TV or projector for spectators at your event. Results are automatically update instantly when a new time stamp is made by any of the timekeepers.

RaceClocker results can be shared publicly via the 'Share Link' button that copies a short and public URL to the clipboard. Additionally, all results can be downloaded for further processing or archiving as Excel file (.xlsx), including results as well as all raw timing data.

RaceClocker results can also be retrieved as JSON data. Simply append the variable &JSON=1 to the Results URL. Make sure to use the full URL format and not the short version, for example https://www.raceclocker.com/Event_Result.php?EIDK=e73d5ce6&JSON=1

The time format in the data is the same as what Excel is using for internal time calculation. It's a decimal number representing time. Multiply the number by 86400 to get time in seconds and deciseconds.

The user account information is available from the user name in the to right of the screen. User name and the email address on the account can be updated via self-service. Changing the email adress requires verification of the new address.

RaceClocker is free to use for all basic features. For coaches or clubs running small events we have our 'Free' plan. For large club events we offer an 'Essentials' plan with up to 100 participants per race and more features. Commercial events and professional timing companies or race organisers we support with our 'Premium' plan. More detail can be found here. In the user profile you can find, change or extend your current subscription at any time.

You can delete your account and all associated data via the user profile. Before you do so make sure to archive your races via the Excel download options. We will delete all data when you remove your account and won't have an option to recover it later.