V.

Timing and Measurements

Timing and measurements are crucial to track and field. During some competitions only a few hundredths of a second or a few centimeters separate the first- and second-place finishers. Events can be timed with basic methods such as a stopwatch, or more advanced timing systems that incorporate videotape and photo finishes. Usually, the higher the level of competition, the more sophisticated the timing systems.

At the lowest levels of competition, such as youth and high school meets, officials start and time events with a starting pistol and handheld stopwatches. One official fires the gun into the air as the starting signal, and other officials or volunteers time each competitor with independent stopwatches. Some competitions at this level use multilane timers. A multilane timer consists of a single electronic system that times all eight runners simultaneously. One official starts the system when the starting pistol is fired. Eight other officials are each assigned to a specific lane and hold a button that is attached to the main unit by a cord. When the runner in their assigned lane crosses the finish line, the lane official presses the button and the runner’s time is recorded. Because of human error, times taken with stopwatches and multilane timers are typically up to a quarter of a second faster than more advanced timing systems. As a result, hand-timed races are not considered accurate enough to measure national, Olympic, or world records in the shorter track events.

In order to set a new national, Olympic, or world record in events shorter than the 400-meter dash, an automatic timing system must be used. This highly accurate system features an electronic starting pistol and a computerized timing device that produces an image of the finish. Most state-of-the-art timing systems use a camera that feeds a stream of digital photographs into a computer. An operator then uses special software to read the times. Older systems use a videotape or conventional photography to record the finish.

Wind is another factor in timing elite events. In the sprints, shorter hurdles races, long jump, and triple jump, any wind that might aid a competitor’s performance is measured. If the wind exceeds 2.0 m (6 ft 6 in) per second, then the mark cannot be considered for record purposes.