Cost of chip-timing?

Ball park figures from our last event:

Travel expenses/accomodations -?$

Base price - $2,500

Per racer - $5 (200 minimum; you get charged $1,000 even
if you have less than that)

"Harold Buck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:no_one_knows-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Does anyone have a rough idea how much chip-timing costs
for a race? I'm wondering, say, how much it costs per
person for a race on the order of 600 people?

I'm guessing there's a fixed cost, plus an hourly cost,
plus a cost per person, so that the per-person cost is
much smaller the larger the race
is.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
- Homer J. Simpson

In article <[email hidden]>,

trihard said:

Ball park figures from our last event:

Travel expenses/accomodations -?$

Base price - $2,500

Per racer - $5 (200 minimum; you get charged $1,000
even if you have less than that)

So, you pay $2500 no matter what, plus an additional $5 per
racer, so the minimum cost is $3500 plus $5 per racer over
the 200 minimum? Yikes! Okay, now I understand why they
don't do it for smaller races: $17.50 per person for 200
people or $9 for 600 people. That's more than the T-shirts
cost. Of course, I guess they already budget something for
timing costs, so maybe it's not $9 MORE per person, maybe
it's just $7 or $8, but still. For a local sprint race,
you're just going to discourage people from coming if you
bump the entry fee that much.

OTOH, the $6 and change it works out to for the 1800 people
in an Ironman is a tiny fraction of the $400 you pay to
participate.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day. Th-
en it was every other day. . . ."
- Homer J. Simpson

It definitely puts the small time races at a disadvantage.
Chip timing is wonderful from a racer's perspective (and
from the race director's, since
s/he doesn't need to worry about it), but it tends to turn
the event into a money-losing proposition. (we've just
been hoping for a break-even day, but budgeting in a
potential loss every year we've used timing chips) If is
really does continue to spread in popularity---and i don't
see how it won't--- i wonder whether the cost will come
down as more chip timing owners/operators emerge? (or will
the smaller events eventually die off from bankruptcy or,
if they opt out of chip-timing, as athletes choose a
different event that DOEA use chip-timing?)

"Harold Buck" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:no_one_knows-
[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article
<[email hidden]>,

trihard said:

Ball park figures from our last event:

Travel expenses/accomodations -?$

Base price - $2,500

Per racer - $5 (200 minimum; you get charged $1,000
even if you have less

than

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

that)

So, you pay $2500 no matter what, plus an additional $5
per racer, so the minimum cost is $3500 plus $5 per racer
over the 200 minimum? Yikes! Okay, now I understand why
they don't do it for smaller races: $17.50 per person for
200 people or $9 for 600 people. That's more than the T-
shirts cost. Of course, I guess they already budget
something for timing costs, so maybe it's not $9 MORE per
person, maybe it's just $7 or $8, but still. For a local
sprint race, you're just going to discourage people from
coming if you bump the entry fee that much.

OTOH, the $6 and change it works out to for the 1800
people in an Ironman is a tiny fraction of the $400 you
pay to participate.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night, and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
- Homer J. Simpson

trihard said:

It definitely puts the small time races at a disadvantage.
Chip timing is wonderful from a racer's perspective (and
from the race director's, since
s/he doesn't need to worry about it), but it tends to turn
the event into a money-losing proposition. (we've just
been hoping for a break-even day, but budgeting in a
potential loss every year we've used timing chips) If is
really does continue to spread in popularity---and i
don't see how it won't--- i wonder whether the cost will
come down as more chip timing owners/operators emerge?
(or will the smaller events eventually die off from
bankruptcy or, if they opt out of chip-timing, as
athletes choose a different event that DOEA use chip-
timing?)

Our running club is struggling with just that problem. We're
in a small town but most of the races in the nearest cities
use chip timing. We're at a disadvantage because it's almost
expected that chips be uses at any race.

Our races are relatively small and we can neither afford to
buy a system or pay the fee to someone to rent their system.

There is a possibility that one of our new runs - over a
spectacular new high-rise bridge, will develop into a
major event and we'll absolutely have to use the chip.
We're not sure how we'll manage that and not go in the red
for a while.

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin" Operating Traffic Lights
Crossbucks Special Effects Lighting
ironpeng.comipeOpen ↗

SPONSORSHIP - That's you do do it. First place I would go
would be the local Subaru dealer. Offer them top banner
placement and they get to put a car or cars right at the
podium, perhaps they can have a lead car where local media
can shoot film of the leaders. Steel companies are another
good try for sponsorships or a major sporting goods store.
Something that is big name, but locally owned. Talk to the
principals of the companies early in the year, tell them you
want to attract people into the area with this race, all you
want to do is break even with the chip timing. Find someone
who is in one of the sports clubs in your town, be it
running, bike, masters swim what ever, that person might be
close to a principal or be the principal of a company. Good
luck. Onne onne(at)icantri.ca

Mike Tennent said:

"trihard" <[email hidden]> wrote:

Quoted message said:

We're not sure how we'll manage that and not go in the red
for a while.

Onne said:

SPONSORSHIP - That's you do do it. First place I would go
would be the local Subaru dealer. Offer them top banner
placement and they get to put a car or cars right at the
podium, perhaps they can have a lead car where local media
can shoot film of the leaders. Steel companies are another
good try for sponsorships or a major sporting goods store.
Something that is big name, but locally owned. Talk to the
principals of the companies early in the year, tell them
you want to attract people into the area with this race,
all you want to do is break even with the chip timing. Find
someone who is in one of the sports clubs in your town, be
it running, bike, masters swim what ever, that person might
be close to a principal or be the principal of a company.
Good luck. Onne onne(at)icantri.ca

We have sponsors for our various races, but in a small town
there is a
limit. The same companies get hit up by every other group
(United Way, Cancer Society, Heart Walk, etc) so
there's only so much $$ out there.

For a small club with limited membership and resources, it's
a big leap from having 2 or 3 sponsors covering $1,000 to
trying to cover that PLUS $2,500 or so for renting the chip.

Where does it become practical/necessary? 300 runners? 500?

I suspect we'll realize it's time when it gets
unmanageable. <g>

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin"

And that's the funny part, You'd like it that BIG,
"unmanageable" Onne onne(at)icantri.ca

Mike Tennent said:

Where does it become practical/necessary? 300
runners? 500?

I suspect we'll realize it's time when it gets
unmanageable. <g>

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin"

Onne said:

And that's the funny part, You'd like it that BIG,
"unmanageable" Onne onne(at)icantri.ca

Well, yeah. <g>

But it's definitely a two-edged sword thing.

I was the race director for the potentially big race this
year and all the elements are there - great location for
staging (parking, safe course, road closures), excellent
support from the Chamber of Commerce (fund raiser for
United Way), incredibly scenic bridge, very hard
challenge, etc, etc.

I guess it's a small running club dream to graduate to doing
an "event" race that this one has the potential for.

But there's always that other edge of the sword...

Mike Tennent "IronPenguin"