On a cold dark night in the middle of February, nearly 4,000 participants set out on a unique journey across a large bay of Lake Superior. What began as an event for the local neighborhood to break through the unbearable winter months, has now become a region wide tradition! The annual event known as the Book Across the Bay, continues to grow in popularity with participants throughout the Midwest. Kicking off with a bonfire on the ice of Lake Superior, the largest winter season event for snowshoe and skiing enthusiast features a groomed 10 kilometer race course, lit by over 1,000 candle luminaries. Starting in Ashland, Wisconsin and ending in Washburn, Wisconsin the entire race is held on the ice!

The 2011 version of the Book introduced ChronoTrack Systems as the timing solution. In its debut at the event the B-Tag received rave reviews from all involved. “As timers we felt this is the best overall timing system we have used at the Book Across the Bay. More importantly, the event staff and racers have high praise for the big tag timing system. In the end the racers thanked the event for being able to pick up their packets and timing tags early and with one pass through the registration” added Chuck Olson of White River Sports.

The addition of events like the Book Across the Bay are welcomed by ChronoTrack Systems and their certified timing partners. “We are excited to put our technology to the test in a unique and exciting environment such as the Book Across the Bay. It is our goal that endurance events around the world are able to experience the features and benefits of ChronoTrack” added Dan Howell ChronoTrack CEO and President.

Not only does the Book offer a unique race course, it also has become known for the exciting features the race committee strives to bring forward for their competitors. Race entrants are treated to a fireworks display while racing and an after party that includes great food and beverages. “Adding ChronoTrack to the event this year allowed competitors to avoid chip collection at the finish line and allowed us to make better use of the limited area surrounding the finish. Racers were able to cross the line and reunite with their families to enjoy the after party” stated Olson.

If you are interested in an all around great racing experience, mark your calendars for the 2012 Book Around the Bay in Northern Wisconsin! More information about this unique race can be found at www.batb.org.

In the winter of 2009, ChronoTrack Systems held their inaugural User’s Conference in St. Petersburg, Florida. As part of the conference, ChronoTrack had a desire to create an annual award to honor the efforts of their hard working certified timers. The “Pioneer Award” is awarded to an individual or company who helped raise the bar and create new opportunities for the timing community in that particular calendar year. The 2011 winner of this prestigious award was Alan Jones of RunScore.

Known as the father of scoring software Alan Jones made his mark on the sport of long distance running decades ago with the release of his initial scoring software in 1983. Since 1983, Jones has worked to refine his scoring solution for timers throughout the world. In February of 2007, the running community honored Alan, when they inducted him into the Running USA Hall of Champions. Jones’ accomplishments don’t just revolve around race scoring as Alan is also credited with the development of the Jones Counter, a device used to measure racing courses for accuracy.

Over the last several years as running has experienced its second boom and events continue to grow, so to do the demands on the timers and scoring software. “From the very beginning Alan was there as a support system. When the timers said it needed to be done he found a way to do it. His passion for timing and love of the sport make him so valuable to all of us” stated Anne Gault former Pioneer Award Winner and current RunScore user.

After his college career at Penn State ended, Alan went to work for IBM as a programmer. His experience working for IBM came in very handy when he timed his first race in 1970 for SUNY Binghamton. “Alan started all of this voluntarily, working to time a meet in New York. From that point he has been working hard to increase the opportunities for the timers in the sport. He listened to what we needed in the beginning and is still doing so today. It is remarkable just how valuable this man is to our sport and its success” added Neil MacDonald Event Technical Services. (The second longest RunScore User in the states)

Jones joins previous Pioneer award winners; John and Anne Gault (Gault Race Management), The New York Road Runners, Steve “KEI” Keith (Results Event Timing), Dennis and Judy Ikenberry (Race Central) and Jeff Castro (Accu-Split Timing).

About ChronoTrack Systems, LLC
ChronoTrack is the market leader in timing systems technology. In 2008 ChronoTrack redefined the industry standard with their single use D-Tag® timing tag, UHF RFID timing controller and comprehensive scalable timing system. In 2010 ChronoTrack again raised the bar with the release of the B-Tag and MiniTrack controller. Currently, ChronoTrack Systems is proudly timing 21 of the top 25 races in North America, including world majors the ING New York Marathon and Bank of America Chicago Marathon. ChronoTrack is now reaching out to the European market with the same attention to detail and industry leading technology that has become expected here in North America.

Last week the River Walk of San Antonio, Texas belonged to the industry leader in timing for long distance running events, ChronoTrack Systems. The renowned River Walk played host to the 2011 ChronoTrack Systems User’s Conference, a four day education and networking session for prospective and current certified timers. “The 2011 conference was the best yet. ChronoTrack proved again that it is the industry leader in event timing. Showcasing it’s new software updates, gadget add-ons and a willingness to listen to it’s clients is why ChronoTrack will remain on top for years to come” added Chris Giles ChronoTrack Certified Timer for Race Place Events.

ChronoTrack Staff Members and third party vendors were on hand to lead informative sessions daily to expand each attendee’s knowledge of the hardware and software. Additionally General Training sessions were also hosted to educate and certify newly registered ChronoTrack timing partners. More than 160 timers were presented 26 unique sessions to allow them to choose which topics would best impact their business. “It is our goal to make sure our timers have a voice and an opportunity to grow multiple facets of their business. The conference gives ChronoTrack a chance to listen closely to the demands of our timers, while sharing the innovations they have helped to develop” stated Dan Howell President and CEO of ChronoTrack Systems.

ChronoTrack was excited to present new features that are now available to ChronoTrack Timers. The new features were Select Timing, ChronoSync, GPS, Medical Tracking, and the ChronoTrack iPhone application. Select Timing, is a wireless keypad option that will interface directly with the controller and give the timers an option of manually entering bib numbers for backup purposes. ChronoSync, is a new USB device that allows timers to sync their controllers with highly accurate time keeping hardware. GPS is a great feature that will allow timers to develop a strong awareness as to where their controllers are located on the course. The Medical Tracking application expands the ChronoTrack presence to the medical tent to save precious time in processing competitors. Timers from around the world will be able to utilize the iPhone application as an announcer device to better highlight each of their competitor’s achievements on race day. With the announcement of each of these new features, ChronoTrack continues to prove they are working hard to bring race timing to the forefront of each event.

The 2011 Users Conference also saw ChronoTrack establishing lasting relationships with strategic partners from the industry. “It is our goal to provide our timers with opportunities to make their business unique and lasting. The companies we have partnered with provide additional services for our timers to offer their events while bringing additional value to their business” stated Howell. Attendees had an opportunity to speak closely with representatives from; Electric City Printing, Active, Raceit, Run Score, Race Director, Wear Your Number, MPI, RunPix, The Water Monster, RaceTrak, Milestone Maps and Green Layer Sports.

A new option for attendees this year was a morning a group run, which gave everyone an opportunity to kick off their day on the River Walk from the host hotel the Omni La Mansion. The city of San Antonio provided a great landscape for all who were in attendance. With over ten million participants timed to date and a strong core of certified timers, ChronoTrack is excited for 2011 and what it holds.

About ChronoTrack Systems, LLC
ChronoTrack is the market leader in timing systems technology. In 2008 ChronoTrack redefined the industry standard with their single use D-Tag® timing tag, UHF RFID timing controller and comprehensive scalable timing system. In 2010 ChronoTrack again raised the bar with the release of the B-Tag and MiniTrack controller. Currently, ChronoTrack Systems is proudly timing 21 of the top 25 races in North America, including world majors the ING New York Marathon and Bank of America Chicago Marathon. ChronoTrack is now reaching out to the European market with the same attention to detail and industry leading technology that has become expected here in North America.

The atmosphere in New York City was electric as marathoners from around the world made the trip to the Big Apple to trek through the five boroughs. Throughout the week, media and fans of long distance running were captivated by the presence of the King, Haile Gebrselassie, who once again set foot on the hallowed roads of NYC in pursuit of writing his name into the history books. Sunday did belong to a “Geb” but it was not the one fans world-wide initially had their eye on, as Haile was unable to finish the race due to a knee injury. In his place came a new “Geb”,Gebre Gebremariam, running his debut at the grueling marathon distance.

After starting at a very controlled pace, a fifteen man pack, including Gebrselassie, cruised through the halfway point at a time of 1:05:20. Just as fellow competitors expected him to make his move, Haile stepped off the course on the Queensboro Bridge at mile sixteen. Later that day he would announce his retirement from running. The absence of Gebrselassie changed the complexity of the lead pack, as many had planned to set their pace off Haile. Later miles on the course would reveal who the real players were as the elite field was whittled down to a few.

Gebremariam, an Ethiopian standout on the track and cross country course, eased away from Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai after entering the famed Central Park. Gebremariam roared to a winning margin of more than a minute and finished strong with a time of 2:08:14. The 2009 champion, Meb Keflezighi, lead the American men finishing 6th in his return to New York after last year’s story book run through the boroughs.

The Women’s field started on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge thirty minutes before the men, blazing a trail through the city for the men to follow. Leading the way was Edna Kiplagat, racing in her New York debut after winning at the Honda Los Angeles Marathon this past spring. Kiplagat used a late push in the park to distance herself from American Shalane Flanagan, who also executed her race plan beautifully to ensure her strong finish. Flanagan also captured the Race within the Race, as the Women’s U.S. Marathon Championships were held in coordination with the ING New York City Marathon. Several American ladies used the early pedestrian pace to grasp hold of the lead pack which paid dividends as five of them finished in the top twenty.

Further back were the masses of people, each running for a different purpose and goal. Buried in the pack was Dr. Andy Baldwin, former star of ABC’s The Bachelor and an avid runner ran a solid 3:31:48. After the race Dr. Baldwin stated, “ChronoTrack seems to be the standard for marathons, it is very simple to use and has incredible technology. Other chips have a tendency to constrict your metatarsals but not the D-Tag.”

The energy was high on Sunday in New York, as the annual world-leading event offered its 41st marathon to runners and fans from around the globe. The day belonged to rookies as a first time marathoner took the gold in the men’s race and silver in the women’s, while the women’s gold medalist made her debut in New York. History has shown that experience and knowledge of the challenging course in the New York has lead to wins in the past, but in 2010 youth and inexperience on the course flexed its muscles!

ChronoTrack Systems, the industry leader in timing for long distance running events, continues to raise the bar with the introduction of MedTrack, a comprehensive medical tracking application. ChronoTrack, an Indiana based company known for it’s industry leading D-Tag and B-Tag, is currently used to provide timing for 21 of the 25 largest running events in the United States, including the ING New York City Marathon and Bank of America Chicago Marathon. MedTrack was instituted at the ING New York City Marathon, where over 2100 race participants were treated for some form of medical attention. The application is just another example of ChronoTrack’s commitment to excellence and attention to the demands of their race events and their timers.

The dynamic of the New York City Marathon inspires competitors to reach beyond their limits and to push the threshold of their bodies. Knowing this, the medical staff of the New York Road Runners approached ChronoTrack for assistance in developing a more proficient means of tracking the medical treatments for each individual competitor. The application was developed by ChronoTrack in cooperation with the New York Road Runners. “One of the major concerns at any race is medical support, this application provides the staff an easy approach to tracking injuries and competitors” added Kelsey.

When a race competitor entered any of the post-finish medical tents for treatment, a staff member would use a handheld barcode scanner to scan the competitors barcode located on their bib number. The Medical staff member would then determine the severity of each individual competitor’s injury. After scanning the barcode, a series of medical options is displayed on the scanner screen for the medical staff to choose from and classify the injury. The options available to help process the athlete within the MedTrack software include; ICU, Major, Minor, Ice Only, BandAid, Lube, Salt Only and Research. By scanning the bib number and choosing the level of injury, the medical staff was easily able to perform triage and focus more resources toward the severely injured competitors. “It was our goal to scan competitors efficiently, to ensure the most effective service from the resources available” added John Kelsey.

In addition to the handheld scanners, MedTrack, included a new initiative for tracking competitors using the scanners data, called Interactive Voice Response or IVR. IVR provided family members of competitors an opportunity to dial a toll free number to check the medical status of their marathoner. “By integrating the scanners into our medical treatment we could provide real time tracking in all of our medical tents for all patients being seen. Family members and friends could then dial a toll free number for an update on where their marathon competitor was in the medical process” stated Dr. Stuart Weiss Medical Director for the ING New York City Marathon and the New York Road Runners.

MedTrack was fully integrated with ChronoTrack’s existing data collecting infrastructure through internet connections on the handheld barcode scanners. This integration allowed ChronoTrack to monitor the connectivity of the scanners on one of the same desktop applications utilized by ChronoTrack event timing technology. Hidden behind the scenes of the MedTrack is Purvis Systems, a communications technology company known for providing public safety departments with services and communications. Purvis processed the collected data sent from ChronoTrack and presented the information to the medical administration staff for resource allocation and personnel management.

Medical Services coordination is not an easy task with nearly 45,000 competitors taking to the streets of the Big Apple, however embedded in the heart of it all is the medical command center. The medical command center not only monitored competitors on the course through Ham Radio operators, but also provided an exact count of how many competitors were in the medical tents and their condition at all times. The use of a large projector screen with live counts and updates made tracking significantly easier for medical staff members. In total, forty-two people of varying medical backgrounds carried the responsibility of monitoring all eight finish line medical tents from the medical command center. EMT’s and Doctor’s from around the city were contracted out to work with Dr. Weiss and the N.Y.R.R.

Racers often take into consideration the field size, finisher’s gifts, cost, history of the event, the race course the list goes on and on, but until an injury occurs rarely is medical considered. The New York Road Runners and ChronoTrack Systems have helped to demonstrate their stance as an industry leader in their respective fields and their priority on medical services by making it easier to monitor the health of each individual competitor. In serious medical scenarios, minutes make all of the difference between saving someone’s life or not, MedTrack is helping to ensure those precious minutes don’t get wasted..

Soest, The Netherlands (October 11 2010) The Biegnij Warszawo run (Warsaw Poland) used the ChronoTrack B-Tag as their timing solution. With over 7,000 people in this 10km race, this was the first sizable event where the B-Tag was chosen as the primary timing technology in Europe.

ChronoTrack timer Grzegorz Lipiński, from DomTel Sport Timing www.domtel.pl, used a 10 meter wide start line, 7.3 meter split and a 7.3 meter finish line. Participants and their relatives were able to instantly look up the times online and could receive this via a SMS. Grzegorz was very pleased with the results, all of the timing points showed the same statistics. Grzegorz explained: “The outcome was better than I ever could have imagined.”

Also the event director, Bogusław Mamiński, was thrilled with the results. “Not only did ChronoTrack and DomTel Sports provide a flawless timing experience, but the pre and post race logistics were drastically minimized by utilizing the B-Tag.

ChronoTrack is now ready to roll out the B-Tag to races across Europe. Regardless of size the B-Tag is the right solution for your event!

ChronoTrack Systems, the industry leader in timing solutions technology, is pleased to announce the 2nd Annual European Timers Conference, to be held November 16th -18th in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The conference is open to ChronoTrack certified timers as well as prospective users who have a desire to learn more about ChronoTrack and the world’s most advanced timing system.

With the introduction of the European office in the Netherlands, ChronoTrack Systems is poised to expand their timing body with certified timers across Europe. The European Conference will be highlighted by the introduction of the B-Tag, the highly functioning on the Bib Tag and the game changing MiniTrack System.

More details regarding the European Timers Conference can be found by clicking here.