Online Bolder Boulder results have been delayed because of problems reconciling the race’s new electronic-tag timing data with results from a backup system using the race’s old timing method.
Race director Cliff Bosley said heavy traffic from runners seeking online results has caused the race website to crash as well.
Race officials believed the new tag-timing system by IPICO would allow for faster and more detailed results, and they are reluctant to blame IPICO until they determine who is at fault.
The “smart tags” contain two antennas and utilize radio-frequency identification, recording runners’ progress when they pass collection points, including the starting line, mile markers and finish line.
“It looks like (the tags) were very successful in capturing the information,” Bosley said. “In terms of manipulating the data, we can’t figure out if it’s something on our end or something on (IPICO’s) end. We certainly don’t want to pass the buck if it’s us. I don’t want to hang them out to dry.”
Bosley said about 25 percent of the field was able to get results at the expo after the race, as advertised.
Race officials continue to work on the problem.
“We’re meeting with the timing engineers and programmers to assess and evaluate the more than 10,000,000 times that were collected for the almost 45,000 participants at eight different locations – more than 200 per person,” Bosley said. “This may be information overload.”
One problem may have been caused by runners who failed to use the tags they were issued. IPICO data says 44,820 finished the race, but the Bolder Boulder’s backup system counted 47,079. The difference of 2,259 may have come from people who didn’t bother to wear the chips.
Bosley said the 47,079 figure is the accurate one, and it reflects a record for the race. The previous record of 45,011 was established in 2003, the race’s 25-year anniversary.
