Precision timing to the line
Fully automatic timing for events where accuracy to the line matters, on reliable hardware with results you can stand behind.
Recognised bodies the technology has supported
Barefoot provides fully automatic timing for events that need precision and defensible results at the line, alongside chip timing for the field. It suits close finishes, sanctioned events and anywhere an exact, verifiable time matters.
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 fully automatic timing reality — how these events are really timed
Most events are timed well by chip, but some need more: a sprint where hundredths separate the podium, a record-eligible race, or a sanctioned event where the result has to be exact and defensible if it’s questioned. Fully automatic timing resolves the finish to the line rather than to a mat read a step before it, and produces a verifiable record. It’s not needed for every fun run, and a good timer tells you honestly when it is and isn’t worth it, rather than selling precision no one will use.
Why our timing works
for precision events
Decided at the line
Precision resolved to the line, for close finishes and record-eligible results.
Results that stand up
Defensible, verifiable results that hold up if a finish is questioned.
Right the first time
Reliable hardware and an experienced crew, because there’s no re-run.
Every finisher covered
Paired with chip timing for the wider field, and tied to your entry data.
Who it’s for?
Organisers of sanctioned, elite or record-eligible events.
Events with sprint or close finishes where hundredths matter.
Organisers who want honest advice on whether FAT is worth it for their event.
Features
Precision to the line
Finish resolved to the line rather than a mat read before it, for events where hundredths decide the result.
Defensible results
Verifiable timing that stands up if a close finish is challenged.
Reliable in real conditions
Proven hardware and an experienced crew, because an event happens once.
Honest advice
We’ll tell you plainly whether your event needs fully automatic timing or whether chip timing is the right call.
Registration and timing, connected
Run precision timing on its own, or take entries with Barefoot too so results tie to the right athlete automatically. Connect it to Race Registration Software whenever you want.
Broadcast-ready results and sponsor placement
Precise, verifiable results suit events with media and sponsors watching. Finish-line screens and results pages carry sponsor branding, so a marquee event looks the part and rewards its partners.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is fully automatic timing?
Timing that resolves the finish precisely to the line and produces a verifiable result, used where exact times matter.
How is it different from chip timing?
Chip timing reads a tag over a mat; fully automatic timing resolves the finish to the line, for close or record-eligible results.
Does my event need it?
Not every event does. We’ll advise honestly whether chip timing is enough or fully automatic timing is worth it for you.
What is fully automatic timing?
Fully automatic timing, or FAT, is race timing where the clock starts automatically from the starter’s gun and the finish is recorded electronically, usually by a line-scan photo-finish camera aimed along the finish line. No human reaction time enters the result at either end. World Athletics rules require times to be read to at least 1/100th of a second, and championship systems resolve to 1/1000th.
Is chip timing the same as fully automatic timing?
No. Chip timing — also called transponder or RFID timing — records each participant as they cross an antenna or mat, and it is not started by the gun. Fully automatic timing is gun-started and captured by a photo-finish camera. World Athletics treats them as three separate timing categories alongside hand timing, and each one is valid for different events.
Which events actually require fully automatic timing?
Under World Athletics rules, only performances timed by a fully automatic timing and photo-finish system can be ratified for records in track races up to and including 800m, all hurdles events, and the 4x100m, 4x200m and 4x400m relays. From 1000m upwards, hand timing is also accepted. Australian Athletics applies the same standard for national records, including the zero control test.
Does a road race, trail run or triathlon need fully automatic timing?
No. For road races, World Athletics accepts fully automatic timing, hand timing or transponder timing, so chip timing on its own is enough — including for records. World Athletics Label road races go further and require electronic transponder timing for every finisher. AUTRA, which ratifies Australian ultra records, also accepts transponder timing provided it is backed by manual timing or a second automatic system.
Can you use a phone app for fully automatic timing?
Not for official results. Phone photo-finish apps use the same line-scan idea and are genuinely useful for training, but they have no hardware link to the starting gun, no zero control test and no certified accuracy, so their times cannot be ratified or used to settle a protest. Anything not started automatically by the start signal is not fully automatic timing, however the app is described.
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.