Timekeeping - secondary duties

The primary duty of a timekeeper is to record the time it takes for an athlete to complete a race.  However, the Chief Timekeeper will allocate other (secondary) duties to timekeepers.  Hand timing is a perfectly acceptable technique for registering a National record for races exceeding 400m. Secondary duties form part of the data supporting a claim for a National or indeed World record.

Calling intermediate times: telling the competitors in a race the actual time the race has been running for in seconds or minutes and seconds. It usually takes place as the finish line is crossed during a lap. 

Recording lap splits and leader: Mainly for record purposes, it is important to record the number of the leading athlete in races exceeding 400 metres in length and relevant split / lap times.

Lap chart: Typically for races such as 3000m and above, the number of competitors and their ‘spread’ of ability inevitably leads to lapping i.e. where runners overtake other competitors and finish more than one lap in front . It is vital to keep track of each athlete to ensure each runner completes the exact distance, and receives the correct finishing time.

Relay ‘splits’: Relay ‘splits’ are a very rough indication of the time each competitor records in running their particular ‘leg’ of a relay. To maintain consistency, the split time is taken as the relay baton crosses the finish line (for a 4x400m) NOT the point at which the baton is actually handed between team runners.

Lap times to announcer: Usually adopted at major fixtures, but can equally apply to meetings where track facilities include a good PA system.  The Chief Timekeeper is responsible for supplying lap / split times to the Announcer. The Chief may authorise a ‘non timekeeper’ to assist by calling lap times at, say the start of the 1500m.