This user guide describes how you can use the seamless integration between the Roster Athletics platform and RACE RESULT timing system.


The guide is divided into the following sections:





What do you need to get started?

  • A meet/meeting that you created on the Roster Athletics platform, from which start lists will be generated and athlete results displayed.
  • RACE RESULT hardware, including a decoder box and an antenna (for passive or active transponders).
  • Passive transponders (BIB numbers) or active transponders.
  • RACE RESULT software
    • You will need to download the latest version of RACE RESULT from their website (as of May 2024, the latest version is RACE RESULT 12). You should keep the software updated regularly, as updates will provide new features, enhancements and fixes.



Setup in RACE RESULT


For more details, please see RACE RESULT's full quick start guide.


First, you need to set up an event in RACE RESULT. Open RACE RESULT → File → New event. 

Note: add a name for your event.



Save the file to a folder, then double-click it to open the event in a browser tab once the event is created.



Please note that Roster Athletics will handle start lists and results display, much like existing users are used to today:

  • Start lists: You DO NOT need to add a start list in RACE RESULT with participant names, since all results will be shown in Roster Athletics without a start list uploaded to RACE RESULT. If you choose to run a result service in RACE RESULT as a backup, you can download the compatible start list from Roster Athletics to import into RACE RESULT. To do this in Roster Athletics, go to Details → Import/Export CSV → Export Race Result start lists. This file can then be uploaded into RACE RESULT (see how to do that).
  • You do not need to change settings for contests, participants, etc., except as listed below.


Once you are ready with your Event in RACE RESULT, you must configure the following three items: 

  1. Timing point setup
  2. Connection to hardware (decoder box)
  3. Exporters



Timing point setup


You can find the Timing Points on the left side of the Timing tab heading.



A timing point in RACE RESULT is a unique location where times are recorded (e.g. "START", "FINISH", "SPLIT_5", etc.). Each timing system can send data to only one timing point at any given time. Since the exporter forwards data from specific timing points, you must set a timing point for each unique location. For example, two timing points require two timing systems (boxes + antennas). 


You can name the timing points whatever you like, but note that the default exporters will send the data with the same timing point name as set in RACE RESULT. 


If you used RACE RESULT's standard template, it has a single timing point setup called "START+FINISH". You can rename this and add as many timing points as required and provisioned for.


In the following example, there are three timing points. The start line and the finish line use the same timing point, i.e. the same place.




Connecting to hardware


Data is pulled from the timing systems and sent to the exporters through the Systems/Chip Timing page of the Timing tab.


For more information on how to connect hardware, please see RACE RESULT's quick start guide.




Exporters


Raw Data Exporters are set up in the Timing tab, which is found in the top navigation menu. Select Exporters+Tracking from the left side menu. You can set up one single exporter for all of your data. The function of the Data Exporter is to send raw readings of chip times to Roster Athletics automatically. 


You will need to add the Timing system integration URL from your Roster Athletics meet/meeting (see further down in the Setup in Roster Athletics section of this guide on how to get this URL) in the Exporter configuration in RACE RESULT. To do so, go to Timing → Exporters + Tracking and add a new exporter, including the following information:

  • Name: you must provide a name, but it can be any name you prefer
  • Timing Point/split: select <all>
  • Filter: leave empty
  • Destination: choose HTTP(S) Post and paste the Integration URL from Roster Athletics
  • Export Data: Raw Data Record JSON
  • LineEnd: CRLF



Please note: Remember to save the changes in RACE RESULT by clicking the blue disk icon on the upper left hand side of the page.


Once you have configured the timing points, hardware and exporters, you will need to enable receiving/sending data. Go to Timing → Systems.


Next to the relevant device, first select which specific timing point this device should be assigned to, and then press the green play button to connect to the system. Repeat for every active device in your configuration. See the screenshot below.



The system will now send any data it records to the software. If you need the data recorded before the connection was made, the blue button will replay all of the data from that file. 


Data Exporters are connected and replayed in the same way using the green play button and blue rewind button. Once connected, all of the data which meets the criteria of your exporter will be sent immediately. 


Whenever data is being received or sent, there is a count of the data next to the relevant device or exporter, which you should see increment.


If you wish to close a connection, click the red stop button. 


IMPORTANT: Remember to start the exporter before the race starts using the green play button. In case you forget to start the exporter, the times will not be lost, but they will not be live. You can “resend” all the chip times by pressing the blue replay button. 



Setup in Roster Athletics



To integrate the Roster Athletics platform with the RACE RESULT timing system, in Roster Athletics go to the meet/meeting Details → Systems Timing system integration section and click Enable Race Result integration. This action will generate a Timing system integration URL. This is the Integration URL, which you must copy and paste into the Exporters + Tracking section in RACE RESULT, as mentioned earlier in the guide.



Timing points


The next step is to configure timing points in Roster Athletics. 


In Roster Athletics, go to the Schedule page. Click the three-dot icon next to the event, and select Chip timing and then Enable splits & chip timing (you can also access this from the event options in the start list and results views). Here, you can define all of the timing points you want to use for the event.



You MUST add at least one timing point for Finish by adding the timing point name in the Timing Point field. This timing point name has to be EXACTLY the same one as in RACE RESULT. The timing point name(s) must exactly match between Roster Athletics and RACE RESULTS.


If you wish to register net times, add the timing point name for the start. Note that this can be the same timing point as the finish, if the race is using it as such.




Splits


If your race has splits, add them to the Chip timing & splits view. Click the Add a split button and add all of the following information:

  • Type - select if it is Start, Finish or Split point,
  • Distance - split distance,
  • Units - distance unit. Available options are kilometers, meters, miles and feet,
  • Timing Points - the exact name of the timing point used in RACE RESULT,
  • Active type - choose the type of the range when the point is active. Available options: Duration, Pace (min/km) and Speed (km/h),
  • Active from (optional) - the start value (HH:MM:SS) for the selected type,
  • Active to (optional) - the end value (HH:MM:SS) for the selected type.


Please note that in the RACE RESULT system, you are able to set multiple timing points per split. This may be desired in cases such as having a double wide finish line where 2 mats are used for an extended finish line, or when a backup timing point is needed for a particular split, e.g. the finish line, in case the primary timing point doesn't register a time.


To add more splits, click the Add a split button once again.



Start time


In the upper right corner of the Chip timing & splits view, you will see the race's Scheduled start time. It will be used as the start time if no other parameter is provided. You can also add the Start time marker name (typically MARKER) if enabled in RACE RESULTS, or manually add the Actual start time.



The example below illustrates a 10km race with the same timing point (name = START+LAP+FINISH) for the start, split at 5km and the finish line (= a 5km loop which runners run twice). The start is open from 13:59:45 (actual start time, which is manually added) to 2:00 minutes after the start time. The 5km split is open from 18:00 minutes to 30:00 minutes and the finish is open from 40:00 minutes to 2:00:00 hours after the actual start time. 




Ranking and displaying results


You can decide what parameter should be used to rank athletes:

  • Gun time - sort by gun time,
  • Net time - sort by net time,
  • Mixed (X first by gun time) - sort X first athletes by gun time and the rest by net time.


You can also decide which results should be visible in public views (website with results, consumer app, scoreboards, and PDF files) on Roster Athletics:

  • Gun time - available when Gun time or Mixed is selected to rank athletes,
  • Net time - available when Net time or Mixed is selected to rank athletes,
  • Gun time & net time - available for all options.


Please note: If net times exist, they will be used to calculate records. Additionally, all split times will be displayed as net times.



Chip readings


Once both systems have been properly set up and integrated, and the race has started, all chip readings will be sent from RACE RESULT to the Roster Athletics platform automatically. You can see them by clicking the Chip readings link on the left-hand side menu.


You can sort the list by BIB or duration, and filter by BIB and timing point.


If a chip reading is missing, you can manually add it by clicking the Add point button and adding a BIB, Timing point and Duration. You can also add multiple chip readings by importing a CSV file. To do so, click the Load from CSV button. The file should contain BIB, Timing point and Duration, for example:

33,START,10:00:05.00

32,START,10:00:10.00

16,START,10:00:09.00


By clicking the Show Unallocated BIBs button, you can view a list of all BIBs with readings that have not been assigned to any athlete on the start list. This may occur, for example, when the start lists between RACE RESULT and Roster are not synchronized.


If you wish, you can add similar readings manually and exclude or remove the readings by clicking the icons.




Important note: Remember that all participants in the relevant event in Roster Athletics must be assigned BIB numbers. The transponder times transferred to Roster Athletics will be associated with a BIB number. If you are using active transponders (not BIBs), you must upload a chip file to RACE RESULT.


Each active transponder has a unique identifier, which is a combination of letters and numbers. This identifier needs to be mapped with the correct bib number in RACE RESULT. To assign all chips to a bib number, import your chip file in the Timing tab under Settings → Chip File.


See the attached example of a Chip file.