April 11, 2017
It has been a long while since I sent one of these out but I've been making a lot of notes of things to write, so this is the start of that. More to come, hopefully not long after this first one...
Import Replace
There is a new feature in Runscore called "Import Replace" that you might have need of some day. I used it at the Mt. Washington Bike Race last year. When I printed my first page of results the columns were all off and it looked like a mess. Turns out that the data they gave me had lots of spaces and tabs after the first and last names, and those "printed out" in the results, throwing the columns all off. So how do you get those out of there? I used the File > Export command from within Runscore to export the whole database with all its fields to a csv file. Next I opened that csv file in notepad and did a bunch of search and replaces to get rid of all the extra spaces and tabs. Then I saved the file and from within Runscore again I selected File > Import Replace, selected the file, and it overwrote everything that is already in the database with the corrected data, getting rid of all the spaces and tabs. Another use for this would be if the names and numbers in your database were different than what the race was using at registration. This usually happens because they did something to change the sort order of their data after sending you the database. You can use Import Replace here by importing the corrected database and it will change every bib number to the correct person automatically. One caveat with using this feature. If you are using a version of Runscore dated prior to 2017 you need to make sure that in the data file you import the NO. column is the first column, otherwise it won't work. More recent versions of Runscore have fixed this.
Unregistered Runner Zero Entry
Runscore has one special built-in record that you generally can't see in every database. It is the first record in the database and holds the "Zero entry" that is used for entering zeroes into results for bandits. Every now and again this can get messed up and you may get error messages or this first record may have a number other than zero in it, which will make it impossible to use the zero for bandits and also mess up the runner who actually has that number. If this happens you need to edit this unregistered runner entry. On the Runscore menu go to Tools > Enter/Edit Names > Edit Unregistered Runner. A red-colored data entry screen will pop up showing you what is in the record. Clear out everything except for the number zero in the NO. field, question marks in the last name field, and the operator initials. Then save with F10 and you're done.
Manual Backup Timing
Because the chip timing isn't 100% perfect it is important to have an effective backup system in place for those times when chips are missed. The best option is to have a pair of volunteers writing down as many bib numbers as possible on the chute sheets, while a third volunteer punches a Time Machine button as long as they are writing. If the race is small enough have these volunteers continue for the entire race, writing as many as possible and just putting an X in the box when they (inevitably) miss a few. Also have them circle the women because this is a great way to figure out if one of the top women might have been a guy running with her number. Don't just do the top ten or twenty men and women at little races and switch to select timing. The written sheets and Time Machine strip are much more useful. In such a situation you really don't need to do select timing. The written sheets are enough. Now at larger races where it becomes impossible very quickly for the volunteers to write numbers, it does make sense to have them stop and switch over to select timing. In medium-sized races of, say, 200-800 runners in a 5k, I'll have the volunteers write as far as possible and then just quit and switch to select timing when it starts to get crazy. At really big races I'll have them write the top 30 men and 20 women, filling one page of the chute sheet, before they switch to selects. In dropbox/ChronoTrack files there is a "Volunteers at a ChronoTrack Race.doc" file that goes into more detail on how to use volunteers at chip-timed races.
When a Start Event isn't a Start Event
Every start event in Runscore needs to be specifically designated as a start event, and most are already set up this way. This tells Runscore to take the last time that it sees for each runner, rather than the first. At a finish, you want to record their first time, so that if they run back over or near the mats a few minutes later it doesn't record them again. But at the start, we want to record the last time that it sees them. If a start event is set up like a finish, you'll end up missing many people because they were first recorded on the start mats well before the start, or else you'll have start times too quick for them because it read them before they reach the start line. To see whether your start event is configured properly, go into the Runscore Misc menu and under that, Edit List of Events. Double click on your start event (or single click and then hit Edit) and you'll see near the top center a radio box for Start (last) that should be checked. In pretty much every other case we will just choose the Default radiobox. We never use the Split or Finish options.
Quick Notes
- When you are handed the flash drive from the 800 box, be sure to CUT the files from the drive and move them to your hard drive so that they aren't left on the flash drive for the next race.
- Flashpoints should be set up so that the bottom of the shield is five feet from the ground.
- Old USATF worksheets should be given to Bill at some point. Don't just toss them out or throw them in a file at your house and forget them.
- Time Machine strips, end-of-chute sheets, or other race day backup info should be held for a few months in case you have to go back and check something. Then they can be discarded.
- If you have an airhorn for use at the start, keep in mind that they will eventually run out of juice, and you can't tell when that is, so remind the starter to yell "GO!" when they press the button, in case all you get is a weak little fart of air. Can't hurt to tell the same thing to someone using a starter's pistol, too, in case they get a dud. Also don't try and use airhorns in freezing cold temperatures, as they won't work.
- In SimpleClient, make sure that when you connect to GPRS that you are using the correct server. Inside SimpleClient, hit the Connect menu and then the top line of the next box should read: east01-us.chronotrack.com. Once you've set it to this it will stay that way.