Chip Time vs. Gun Time: Why Your Race Has Two Times

You crossed the finish line, checked your results, and saw two different times. Which one is "real"? Both are — they just measure different things.

Gun time

Gun time starts when the race starts — the horn, the gun, the "go" — and stops when you cross the finish line. Every runner shares the same starting instant, no matter where they were standing in the corral.

Chip time (net time)

Chip time starts when you cross the starting mat and stops when you cross the finish mat. If you lined up near the back and took 40 seconds to reach the start line, your chip time is about 40 seconds faster than your gun time.

Chip time is possible because every runner wears a timing chip. We use disposable UHF RFID chips built into the race bib: an antenna system at the start and finish reads each bib as it passes, and the difference between the two reads is your net time.

Which one decides who wins?

Under USA Track & Field rules, gun time is the official time for placing, which is why overall winners are always decided by gun time — the first person across the line wins. Many races use chip time for age-group awards and personal records, and the race director decides that in advance. Your results page shows both, so there's never a mystery.

Why the gap can be big

• Large fields: in a 1,000-runner turkey trot, the back of the pack may cross the start line a minute or more after the gun.
• Narrow starts: park paths and residential streets funnel runners, stretching out the start.
• Waves: wave starts can add minutes to gun time for later waves, which is why wave races usually score by chip time.

Quick reference

Planning a race? Tell us about your event and we'll set up start and finish mats so every runner gets both times — plus live results with text and email alerts at every timing point.