Most runners cross the finish line and glance at the clock. But how confident are you that the number on that clock is actually your time?
At Athlete Guild, we think about that a lot — so you don't have to.
It starts at the start line.
The timing system we use places readers directly at the start line and at the finish line. That means your time begins the moment your body crosses the start — not when the gun goes off, not when the runner in front of you moves, and not based on your estimated corral position. When you cross the finish, your time stops. Exactly there. No interpolation, no estimation, no guesswork.
That's not how every timing system works. But it's how ours does.
From shoe tags to bib chips — and why it matters.
Sixteen years ago, Athlete Guild was the first timing company in our area to introduce disposable chip timing on race bibs. Before that, timing chips were attached to shoe tags — and if you ran back then, you remember the drill. Pick up your chip at registration, lace it onto your shoe before the race, and return it at the finish. It was cumbersome for participants, time-consuming to distribute, and added a layer of logistics that slowed everything down on race morning.
Putting the chip directly on the bib changed all of that. You grab your packet, you pin on your bib, and you race. That's it. The chip is already there — no extra step, no forgetting to return it, no lines at the finish line chip collection table.
What we didn't do was settle for a generic solution. The chips we use aren't off-the-shelf components repurposed for racing. They are engineered specifically for this environment — designed to be worn on a bib, to withstand the conditions of race day, and to communicate accurately with timing readers whether you're running a 5K or a half marathon.
The system behind the chip.
Since then, new technologies have come and gone, and we've evaluated them all. What we've found is that the system we use — the ITS Jaguar — remains the most reliable and accurate timing system available. We don't say that lightly. We say it because we've tested the alternatives and keep coming back to the same conclusion.
We also don't just use the system — we press ITS to keep improving it. Because accurate timing matters, even when the margin is a second or two, and especially when it isn't.
What you see on race day.
Our commitment to technology doesn't stop at the finish line. Athlete Guild was also the first timing company in our area to introduce live results — meaning your family could watch your time post in real time before you even made it to the snack table.
On race morning, participants and spectators can visit on-site kiosks, also something we introduced, and receive results in hand, within moments. And after the race, our online results portal gives you more than just a finish time. Results are fully searchable, and participants have access to finisher certificates — a small but meaningful touch that lets you commemorate the effort long after race day is over.
Do most participants care about any of this?
Honestly? Probably not. And that's okay.
But we care. We care because the runner who trained for six months to break 30 minutes deserves to know whether they did. We care because the person crossing their very first finish line deserves a time that's real. And we care because if we're going to put our name on a race, the results should be something everyone can trust.
Your time is your time. We make sure of it.
