While perfection may be an idealistic dream, it is what we strive for at every event. When discrepancies do arise, it is our mission to pursue the dream - but with respect to accountability and responsibility of what the issue is and whose responsibility it falls under. If the participant forgets to do something (most often the case is forgetting to wear the chip) that is not a discrepancy caused by an error on our part. Other errors that may lead to a discrepancy include those made by the event as well as by ARE Event Productions. We do have many back-up systems in place, however, so provided a legitimate claim, we jump on the case of making sure the results are as accurate as possible.

To appear in the results, you must wear the event-supplied "tag" (also known as a chip). The number on the tag must have matched your bib. We provide timing via both "shoe-tags" and "Bib (B) tags". If you were not wearing the tag in the correct fashion for your event, please note that that is required to appear in the results. If you were wearing a tag with a different number, then "you" probably appear in the results - as someone else with the time you ran. It is also important that you verify you were wearing the correct bib which can be done by checking the label on your bib, or, if there is none, then by checking the envelope in which you received it. Please note that this error can also be caused by the event mis-labeling the bibs. It is for that reason that you should verify that the number on the actual label matches the number on the bib itself.

IPICO SPORTS TIMING TAG --> Must be worn on your shoe
CHRONOTRACK B-TAG --> This tag resembles a "narrow sticker" that comes affixed to the back of your bib. Your must be visible on your outermost layer and not modified in any way.

In the event that you wore the correct tag and did so properly (on shoe or the B-tag on your unaltered bib that was visible on the front of what you were wearing), there are only two other reasons you might not appear in the results: you signed up for a different race (ie. the 5k instead of the 10k) or, put simply, your tag didn't read. If all data points to a tag that wasn't read, we check our video back-up system to verify your finish (both your time and the appearance of a tag worn in the correct fashion) and then, if your tag was returned to us, we test it to determine if there is a problem with the tag (at which time it is removed from further use) or if there was an issue with the mat layout/exact placement of the foot as it crossed the mats (if applicable). Regardless, we insert you into the official results precisely where you should appear and sincerely apologize for the original omission. If you still have the tag and care to, you can return the tag to us for further analysis.

While it may sound playful to write, we also ask that you make sure you were checking the correct results and do not appear in them. We've received inquiries from individuals who later wrote us back, "Oops, I was checking last year's results," as well as "I forgot my time and looked in the wrong part of the results." We definitely want to help but to ensure we respond to all inquiries as fast as possible, please ensure the legitimacy of your inquiry before submitting it.

NOTE: For races that we both time and provide/operate the clocks, we ensure that they are synchronized. For events in this category, the time on the clock will always either match your GUN finish time or be one second faster than your GUN finish time (due to rounding of decimals.) We do not vouch for the time on display clocks that we do not manage (ie. split clocks at mile marks/timing splits).

First, ensure that the time you believe you ran matches the timing method used. If you did not run over mats at the start, then the race is only utilizing GUN timing such that when the gun (or horn) sounded, the official clock began. If you always start your watch when you cross the start line, your time will therefore be faster (or the same if you started on the line) than your time in the results. If the event had mats at the start AND the results indicate a column called "NetTime" (or something similar) as well as "GunTime" (or something similar), make sure you check the correct column.

If your time is "slightly" (ie. 1-2 seconds) different than what you believe it should be, then it may be a result of your reaction to the race starting or something similar to what is mentioned above. It is possible for an error to be made on our part that would cause this (setting the wrong offset for when the race began) but such an error would cause all of the times to be off by a universal amount and not just affect one individual. An incorrect offset on our part would be brought to our attention immediately at the event and hopefully, barring a lack of individuals checking the results on-site, would be corrected immediately at the event and never posted online.

It is possible that your time may be "considerably" off from what you believe it should be yet you still appear in the results. In October of 2009, we received an email from a participant exactly to that effect. What he failed to mention was that his chip fell off during the race and that someone else picked it up and finished with it. Knowing that information up front would have aided diagnosing the cause, but eventually we did. If you appear in the results, it is because your chip crossed the finish mat. If your time is "wholly" incorrect, then somehow your chip crossed not when you did. While this happens rarely, the most common cause is when a husband/wife wear the other one's bib/chip, therefore appearing as the other person in the results. Unfortunately, this is sometimes not caught until the award ceremony, at which time dad might happen to win the women's race outright, or other partially embarrassing (and yet sometimes humorous) outcomes. These situations are usually less benign than simply not appearing in the results because it often affects both you and whomever had the chip you were supposed to have, and vice versa. This error can also be caused by the event mis-labeling the bib.

Typically, over 75% of event entrants register online. In the case of errors affecting these individuals, it is a result of them not verifying what appears on the confirmation page and making corrections. This is the substantial cause of errors affecting sex and spelling of the city name.

For those that register via mail or online, data entry is either done by the event or by AREEP staff depending upon our level of involvement. Typical errors in this setting including spelling of the name, which is typically a result of illegible handwriting (in particular for day-of registrations.) In addition, the event and AREEP make mistakes sometimes and this can lead to spelling errors and/or typing in the wrong age/sex, etc. While it does not happen often, it certainly is something that should be remedied and we appreciate when it is brought to our attention.

If you request that we change your name from "Jesica Smith" to "Jessica Smith", we will gladly do so. If you request that "Jesica Smith" become "Pam Jones" with a different age and city, it sounds more like you ran with your friends bib than a minor typo. We will not make these changes and per contact with the race director may remove the data from the results. For registration transfer policies, contact the event prior to race day. Most do not allow it.

The Stunning Conclusion