Registration and Chip Timing Services 

Our registration and timing department offers disposable chip timing.

Our disposable chip timing system is a cutting edge system produced by RFID Timing of Australia. We use passive, label-thin RFID timing chips that are attached to the back each runner’s bib number. This allows for a free-flow of finishers through your race finish line (no chip collection, lanes, etc). We offer both ground antenna mats and mat-less timing options.

We are based in Davis, CA and our service area is generally described as Northern/Central California and Nevada.

How Are We Different?

A Change of Pace Foundation prides itself on being in the position to provide six key elements that separate us from most other timing companies:

• We treat every event we time as if we were timing one of our own races. We’re event directors, not just race timers.
• We don’t believe in cutting corners or charging extra for services that we feel should be standard.
• Our timing department has been timing races for three decades. This experience is critical.
• We don’t have a “B” team.
• Timing clients are not simply our clients, but rather viewed as partners. As a partner, your race receives exposure on our website and social media; which is exposure you can’t buy (we don’t sell ads).
• We believe in multiple forms of redundancy. After all, we are not here to give you 99.5%. We are in the business of 100%.

Services Available

Our professional registration and chip timing services include:

• Timing mats at both the start and finish, allowing for a “gun” time and “chip” time for each finisher – standard. No extra charge for start mats.
• Timing mats are thin, non-slip, quickly deployed and work on virtually any surface.
  • Safe for wheelchair entrants and for cyclists
  • Works in any weather conditions – rain, snow, fog, ice, hail, wind. No risk of being blown over by wind or compromised by rain.
• Our technology uses the industry-standard Impinj readers – considered best in industry for UHF Generation 2 Passive RFID
• Announcer’s mats/antennae option so that your announcer can call athlete names as they finish – announcer’s computer is provided at no extra cost
• Digital LED clocks at finish line on tripods for high visibility
• Results posting to internet from race site and/or live to web results – athletes can check their results from a smartphone before they even get home! Races are scored in real-time which enhances the participants’ experience at your event.
• Awards and results print outs at your fingertips – overall, divisional, special division, teams (as applicable)
• Customized E-mail registration confirmations (optional) – no extra fee to send email confirmations to your athletes before event.
• Data entry of both pre- and race day entries
• Coordination of bib number design & printing (no extra charge to design bibs) (cost of bibs is responsibility of event)
• Printable PDF/Paper entry form design – if needed
• Split point timing for endurance events
• Live tracking available on the web or our mobile site for spectators, announcers, etc.
• Disposable tags on back of runner’s bibs mean:
  • no tag collection at finish line
  • no scanning required at registration
  • tags can be disposed of by athlete and considered bio-friendly
  • no chance of athlete error in attaching a chip to their shoe incorrectly
  • the timing chip remains with the bib number; less for the athlete to misplace
• Results kiosks (laptops) which eliminate paper printouts. Athletes simply use the laptops to look up their race results. (see below) No extra charge for results kiosks to be set up at event.
• Three forms of back up timing – human (manual), video and second or third row of mats. What does this mean? We have more than one timing system running at the start and finish to ensure all runners times are captured. Your event is not relying on simply one small timing system to do the job, which can be nerve-wracking if that system were to fail.
• Two timing chips are provided per race bib, standard. Even though one chip can do the job 99.9% of the time, we don’t settle for 99.9. We strive for 100% read-rates and nothing less. That is why we outfit each athlete bib with two timing chips at no extra charge to the event director. Should one chip fail, there is a second as back up. Even though we don’t expect one to fail, having one extra chip as back-up provides that extra piece of mind.
• Timing Clients receive advertising via our website, monthly e-mail newsletter, twitter, instagram and facebook. This exclusive opportunity extends your marketing reach to hundreds of thousands potential participants in your event.
• Many services which are “extras” with other companies are included with the fees for our services.

• Experience. ACOP has been in the business of timing races for 26 years. We bring that knowledge to the plate when we are hired to score your event. Even the best equipment will only get you so far; it’s the people operating the equipment that sets us apart from others. Our knowledge base is extensive. The ACOP current head timers have over three decades of experience combined and have helped score some of the most prestigious races in Northern California, including the Big Sur Marathon, Triathlon at Pacific Grove, Donner Lake Triathlon, Race for the Cure, Bay to Breakers, plus all the A Change of Pace events, of course. Unlike some timing companies, we also produce large-scale, high-profile, well-attended events ourselves. This provides us with the unique perspective of being both a race director and the timer (as well as the runner).

Our timing client list for 2013-2014 includes the following organizations:

• Palo Alto Weekly / Moonlight Run
• Elk Grove Youth Sports Foundation / Running of the Elk Half Marathon
• UC Davis / Stride for Aggie Pride 5K
• Sacramento State University / Sac State 5K
• Partners in Care / The Spirit of Benny
• Capitol Adventure / Folsom Firecracker
• Orinda Community Foundation / NorCal Kids Triathlon
• Golden Valley Harriers / Davis Labor Day Race
• Runnin’ for Rhett Foundation / Run Because You Can
• Forma Gym / Forma Gym Turkey Trot
• Pleasanton Partners in Education / PPIE Pleasanton Run for Education
• Clarksburg Country Run Committee / Clarksburg Country Run
• Sonoma County YMCA / Harvest Fair Run
• Run for Courage / Folsom & Oakland
• Placer County Breast Cancer Endowment Fund / Hot Pink 5K
• Rotary Clubs of Stockton / Stockton Rotary Run
• Rotary Club of Vacaville / Sunrise Run
• Barbara Schmidt Millar Fund / Celebration of Life Triathlon
• Run Like a Mother / Davis
• South SF Unified School District / Run for Schools
• Menlo-Atherton Boosters / Big Bear Run
• Recon Run / Modesto
• Stepping Out to Cure Scleroderma / Sacramento
• Courage Worldwide / Courage Run at Bayside
• Courage Worldwide / Elk Grove Turkey Trot
• Loomis Basin Education Foundation / MandaRUN
• Head to Toe Women’s Expo / Girls on the Go Run/Walk

Our registration/timing clients enjoy the following services at no additional cost.

• Up to 24 results kiosks/computers at your race (includes tents, tables and tablecloths)
• Announcer antennae and computer
• Live, searchable online results (race results are updated on our website during your event) with the option for participants to share on facebook and/or twitter
• Complimentary Finisher’s Certificates for your timed athletes (if desired)
• Inclusion in the ACOP monthly newsletter for the two months preceding your event (sent to >35,000 recipients/month)
• Inclusion in the upcoming events listing and photo slideshow on our website (90,000 hits/month; 25,000 unique visitors/month)
• Bib design and paper entry form design (if needed)
• Start mats provided at no additional charge (excluding point to point events)
• Complimentary booth to promote your event at any ACOP-owned event preceding yours in the same calendar year (from signing of agreement)
• Entry confirmation e-mails sent to each entrant prior to event
• Pre-race and race day data entry
• Signs for pre and late registration as well as for solutions
• Organization of pre-registered participant bibs – labels including name, shirt size, division, team, etc. to help ensure a smooth pre-registration process.
• Live athlete tracking for events which opt to have split points on the course. Live tracking is available both on the web as well as on our mobile site for smartphones, tablets etc