Record Times For A Race

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RaceApp offers several ways to record race times. There’s no single “best” method - it depends on the type of race, your equipment, and how many helpers you have.

Quick Guide: Which Method Should I Use?

Your Situation Recommended Method
Track sprints (100m-400m) needing precision FAT Timer App
Track sprints without FAT hardware Video Timer
Distance races (800m+) on track Hand Timer or Camera Timer (VAT)
Cross Country meets Camera Timer (VAT) or Hand Timer (NOT FAT - see XC Guide)
Field events See Horizontal Events or Vertical Events
Already have times from another system Import from CSV
Have handwritten times on paper Scan with AI

Timing Methods Explained

RaceApp iOS FAT Timer App

Best for: Track meets where precision matters (100m, 200m, hurdles)

Use the companion iOS app for Fully Automated Timing (FAT) when precision is of the utmost importance. The FAT Timer records 240fps video and uses a wireless microphone for sound-activated starts, giving you professional-grade accuracy.

COMING SOON - Lane-based auto-matching: If you assign athletes to lanes before the race (using Quick Entry or the RunMeet sync), you can assign lane numbers to each time in the FAT Timer. When you export, athletes are automatically paired with their times by lane number — no manual matching needed.

Read more about our FAT Timer →

Built-in Video Assisted Timer (VAT)

Best for: Distance races on track, Cross Country meets

The Video Assisted Timer (VAT) is a step between a manual hand timer and a FAT system. It captures photos of each finisher while recording times - great for verification and for giving spectators something to see.

Equipment options (best to acceptable):

  1. iPad on tripod (recommended) - Best screen size, easy to position at finish line. Works right in your web browser - no app needed.
  2. Laptop with external webcam - Also works well if you prefer a larger screen or keyboard.
  3. Phone in a pinch - Handheld phone will also work and still give great results if that’s what you have.

Pro tip: When using an iPad, plug in a USB number pad. This gives you a physical button to press, which is more comfortable and reliable for fast finishes where runners are close together and you need to press quickly.

How it works:

  • Point your device’s camera at the finish line
  • Press the “+” button or space bar (on screen or number pad) as each person crosses
  • A series of images are captured before and after each press, with timestamps
  • Times and images publish immediately to live results - spectators love seeing finish photos!
  • You’ll still need to match athletes to times separately (scan QR codes works best)

See the full VAT guide →

Built-in Hand Timer

Best for: Distance races (1600m+), Cross Country, situations with remote starts

The hand timer is simple and reliable. We frequently use it for our track distance races.

How to use it:

  1. Navigate to the race result editor
  2. Tap “Hand Timer”
  3. Tap “Start” when the gun fires
  4. Tap “Mark” as each athlete crosses the finish line
  5. Tap “Stop” after the final finisher
  6. Tap “Back to race results”
  7. A blank entry with just the time will appear for each finisher
  8. Scan QR codes or enter athlete info to match names to times

Tips:

  • Always have a backup timer - a printing stopwatch or phone app with unlimited laps
  • Multiple devices can share duties - one person times, another scans athletes
  • The timer survives if your screen goes dark or you navigate away - just come back and resume
  • For XC: Collect athlete tags at the finish line in order, then scan them all at once after the race

Manual Entry

Best for: When you already have times written down or from another timing system

The simplest method - just type each time directly.

  • Tap on the time field and enter the time
  • No punctuation needed - just enter digits down to hundredths (e.g., “10123” for 1:01.23)
  • The system formats it automatically

Example of manual entry with auto-complete for athlete names:

Manual Entry gif

Pull Times From A Recorded Video

Best for: Sprint events when you don’t have FAT equipment but want frame-accurate times

Record the race with your phone’s camera, then scrub through frame-by-frame to mark exact finish times.

How to use it:

  1. Record the race:
    • Set your phone to the highest frame rate (NOT slow motion)
    • Stand perpendicular to the finish line with a clear view
    • Start recording BEFORE the gun, stop after the last finisher
    • Hold the camera steady on the finish line
  2. Import and mark times:
    • Navigate to the race result editor
    • Tap “Video Timer”
    • Select your video (files stay on your device - we can’t see them)
    • Use the slider to find the start (look for starter’s gun smoke)
    • Tap “Set Start”
    • Scrub to each finish and tap “Mark”
  3. Controls:
    • <<< >>> Move 1 second
    • << >> Move 0.1 seconds
    • < > Move ~0.02 seconds (1 frame at 60fps)
  4. Tap “Save” then “Back to race results”

Import CSV Data From Other Systems

Best for: When you use SprintTimer or another external timing app

You can paste times from any system. Format required: - place, time OR just time - One entry per line - Times as MM:SS.HH (to hundredths)

Example: 1, 10:01.23 2, 10:03.45 3, 10:05.67

For SprintTimer users:

  1. In SprintTimer, record and mark your race as normal
  2. Go to Results > Base videos > open your race
  3. Export as CSV, choose “Copy”
  4. In RaceApp, go to the race results page
  5. Tap “Import From Clipboard”
  6. Review and save

Next: Scan athletes into event results Previous: Add a race or flight to an event