Timing for charity events and fun runs
Reliable, affordable timing with live results, or self-time with Barefoot Lite, so more of the money stays with the cause.
Recognised bodies our race timing system has supported
Barefoot times charity events and fun runs across Australia and New Zealand, with reliable results and live tracking that lift the experience without eating the budget. Have our crew run it, or self-time with Barefoot Lite to keep costs down and more money with the cause.
Built by event organisers.
Trusted by race directors.
450+
Events delivered every year across Australia and New Zealand
50,000
Participants supported at a single event
75+
years
Combined event experience
2
countries
Australian and New Zealand owned, operated and on the ground
The community-event timing reality how these events are really timed
Charity and fun runs want the buzz of a properly timed event without the cost that usually comes with it. Budgets are tight and volunteer-driven, and every dollar spent on timing is a dollar off the cause, so many community events either skip timing or run it manually with a stopwatch and a spreadsheet, which is slow and error-prone at the finish. What these events actually need is timing that’s reliable and affordable, and ideally something a committee can run themselves. That’s where a self-service option changes the maths: proper results and live tracking, at a cost a fun run can carry.
Why our timing system works
for charity events and fun runs
Reliable, affordable timing so a community event gets real results without a big-event bill.
Self-time with Barefoot Lite to keep costs down and more money with the cause.
Live results that add to the experience for families and first-timers.
One system with registration, so entries and results just line up.
Who it’s for?
Charity events, fun runs and community races, often volunteer-run.
Organisers on tight budgets who still want proper timing and results.
Committees open to self-timing with a simple, self-deployable option.
Features
Reliable timing that fits the budget
Proper chip timing and results without the cost that usually keeps fun runs from timing at all.
Self-time with Barefoot Lite
A simple, self-deployable option a committee can run, so more of the money stays with the cause.
Live results that lift the day
Results and tracking that add to the experience for families and first-time runners.
One system with registration
Entries and results line up automatically, so a volunteer isn’t reconciling spreadsheets. Entries live on the Charity & Fun Run Registration page.
Registration and timing, connected
Run timing on its own, or take entries with Barefoot too so entries and results line up automatically, with no volunteer reconciling spreadsheets. Connect it to Charity & Fun Run Registration whenever you want.
An experience that lifts the cause
Live results and a runner’s shareable finish make a community event feel special, and local sponsors can appear across the tracking and results, giving you something extra to offer the businesses backing your cause.
Ready to Elevate
Your Event?
Let's connect and see how Barefoot Sport simplifies registrations and maximises participant experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need chip timing for a fun run?
No. Plenty of charity and community fun runs stay untimed, and many time only their longer distances. Chip timing earns its place when participants chase a personal best, when you award age categories, or when a large field finishes in a tight window and volunteers cannot record bib numbers accurately. For a costume run or a school lap event, an untimed finish is a perfectly good choice.
Can we run the timing ourselves instead of hiring a crew?
Yes, if the system is built for it. Traditional RFID timing needs mats, antennas, a controller and someone who knows the software, which is why most providers send a crew. Lightweight, self-deployable systems let an organiser set up a finish point and run it with a couple of trained volunteers, removing crew and travel costs. The trade-off is that you own race-day operation, including the backup plan.
Does the timing need to connect to our registration system?
It does not have to, but the gap between the two is where most race-day errors start. When registration and timing sit in separate systems, someone exports an entry list and imports it into timing software, and every late entry, name change or distance swap gets re-keyed. Events running registration and timing on one platform skip that step, so entries can stay open longer without putting results at risk.
Can you time more than one distance at the same event?
Yes. One timing setup can score a half marathon, 10km, 5km and a 2km family dash from the same finish line, provided each distance has its own bib range and category structure. Most Australian fun runs run several distances off one start area. You can also leave a junior or short distance untimed while timing the rest, which many charity events do to control cost.
How do you time walkers, prams and kids' distances?
Walkers and pram pushers are timed exactly like runners, using a chip on the bib that records them as they cross the finish line. The real issues are start position and safety, not technology. Most Australian fun runs ask pram participants to start at the back or in a designated zone, and children carried in prams are not registered or timed. Junior distances are often left untimed on purpose.
Let’s make your next event your easiest yet.
Work with people who get the pace, pressure, and precision of endurance events and build platforms that match it.