We used this app at Quicksilver 50k. We used tablets at each aid station tracking runners through the event, instead of hand written tracking. It required about 45 seconds training for each aid station Captain. It provided greater accuracy of time tracking and ensuring we knew where all runners were on the trails. We'll use it at our other events through the year.
Second year RD here, and I have been experimenting with different timing systems with mixed results. Tried this app for my newest race and found it beyond simple and straight forward (the tutorial video helped) and use on race day seem less. What could be simpler than bib number tapping? Timing was always a question for my events, I think I've found my answer!
Mark and his crew have created an app that has simplified accurate time keeping of running events! I truly love this very intuitive app! Ultrasignup support is also second to none! Many thanks, guys! Keep up the great work! Dan Hernandez Rough Runners
We’ve used UltraSignup timing system and registration for 4 years now. From a 4 miler with 200 runners, to a 50 miler, to 400 person event with three race running simultaneously, we just have one finish line timer and we’ve never had an issue. We also have the choice to track runners at different checkpoints for tracking and runner safety simply with an iPhone or tablet. Affordable and functional.
An Afterthought Timing Application That’s Function is Extremely Limited
This app has a lot of promise, but unfortunately is currently woefully inadequate for timing a race with Live Updates. First off, turning on Automatic Live Updates causes the server to drop random bibs and not record them online. Furthermore, once that happens, the app thinks the bib has been submitted it so you cannot anything with that person anymore. We had a call with the app developer and he initially claimed it was internet connection (I was connected to a 50mbps Cable connection via Wifi) – however, noted after a few tests from various locations that it indeed was a bug and would fix it. We later received an email that the “fix” was that we should turn off automatic updates and just manually Publish Results. Now to actual race day. Things started relatively well, although because of a lack of two-way communication between the app and Ultra Signups servers, once someone DNSed or DNFed, that information was not populated to aid stations later in the race. This resulted in multiple calls with Aid Stations going over the runners they had remaining and cross referencing them with the list of DNFes and DNSes. If you re-loaded a location, it would actually have the data for DNF and DNS (making sure they weren’t required to be checked in) but it wouldn’t do the same thing for people who had already been checked into that aid station, so it made the exercise mostly useless. By the end, we figured out that using the Live Tracking site and ignoring the app would allow us to narrow down who was actually “missing” and just hadn’t DNFed earlier. Additionally, the UI is not well thought out. Things like “Publish Results” required 5 button presses going through 2 different Menus. Marking a Runner as DNF required 9 button presses (including typing the bib number). This was confusing for the timing team and extremely cumbersome. Overall, this feels like an afterthought product designed solely to add a “selling point” to UltraSignup’s race registration platform. It is not regularly maintained or improved upon. I hope they dedicate more time in the future to the app and its development.
The UltraSignup race timer is a mobile version of the popular windows laptop software built on top of ultrasignup’s com’s registration and results platform. Race directors hosting their registration with Ultrasignup have free access to all versions of the software. Making the decision to time your own event is one of the most cost saving steps you can take in organizing an event. In a few minutes you can have the tools necessary to produce quality results. In addition to results, the software is a valuable tool that can improve the safety of your participants and best of all does not require internet or cell reception during the event. Simply key in a special code that is available when you are logged into Ultrasignup and the app will seamlessly pull in all your participant information and setup your event for timing. In addition to simply recording finishers, you can record at multiple locations, record laps for loop courses, and broadcast your results live for participant tracking. Participants have come to expect their results listed and archived on Ultrasignup. Our goal is to make it easy for race directors to satisfy these expectations. Key Features • NO INTERNET REQUIRED (after you retrieve your data) • Very easy to use • No special equipment required • No uploading or moving of data files, all data pulled from your event online • Emergency Contact info for all of your participants • Publish results live on Ultrasignup.com • Synchronize data across multiple checkpoints • 24/7 Phone support • Loop course configurations • Multiple distance with independent clocks • Live website for friends and family to track their athlete