Timing built for trail, off-road and ultra events
Self-deployable timing with live tracking and last-known-checkpoint visibility, built for remote, multi-checkpoint trail and ultra courses.
Recognised bodies our trail timing has supported
Barefoot times cycling, mountain bike and BMX events across Australia and New Zealand, handling high-speed finishes, timed gran fondo segments, MTB stages and BMX motos, with live results tied to your entries.
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 trail and ultra timing reality — how these events are really timed
Trail and ultra is where conventional timing falls down. Courses run through country with no power and patchy signal, past multiple checkpoints, over one, two, sometimes three days, and sending a full timing crew to a remote start line costs more than most trail budgets allow. So these events often go without proper timing, or without live tracking, at exactly the moment tracking matters most, because knowing a runner’s last-known checkpoint is a safety tool, not just a results feature. This is the gap Barefoot Lite was built for: self-deployable, reusable-tag timing with live tracking you can run on a remote course yourself.
Why this timing works
for
trail and ultra
No fly-in crew needed
Self-deployable Barefoot Lite times remote, multi-checkpoint courses without flying a crew in, the timing no competitor offers.
Runner safety, tracked live
Live tracking and last-known-checkpoint visibility, which supports runner safety as well as spectator experience.
Reusable tags, less waste
Reusable tags that suit long, remote, multi-day courses and cut waste.
Results, even off-grid
Clean finish results and splits that tie back to your entries, off-grid.
Who it’s for?
Trail, ultra and off-road organisers on remote, multi-checkpoint courses.
Multi-day and point-to-point events where crew logistics are hard.
Organisers who want live tracking for safety as well as experience.
Features
Timing you deploy on a remote course
Barefoot Lite is self-deployable, reusable-tag timing with live tracking, so a remote start line doesn’t mean going without.
Last-known-checkpoint visibility
Live tracking shows each runner’s last-known checkpoint, a safety tool on a long, remote course as much as a spectator feature.
Built for multi-checkpoint courses
Time multiple checkpoints across long and point-to-point courses, over one day or several.
Reusable tags for remote events
Reusable tags cut cost and waste on long courses, event after event.
Clean results from your entries
Finish times and splits tie back to your entry data, so results are right even off-grid. Entries live on the Trail & Ultra Registration page.
Registration and timing, connected
Run timing on its own, or take entries with Barefoot too so your distances, waves and entrant data flow straight into timing with nothing re-keyed. Connect it to Trail & Ultra Registration whenever you want.
Live tracking that families watch and sponsors see
On a long remote course, live tracking is the story: family at home watching the dot move across the mountains, crews knowing where their runner is, and sponsors carried across the tracking and results. Experience, safety and exposure in one.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can you time a remote trail or ultra course?
Yes. Barefoot Lite is self-deployable timing with live tracking that runs on remote, multi-checkpoint courses without a crew flown in.
Do you provide last-known-checkpoint tracking?
Yes. Live tracking shows each runner’s last-known checkpoint, which helps with safety as well as spectator experience.
Does timing work over multiple days?
Yes. Barefoot handles multi-checkpoint and multi-day courses. Talk to the team about your specific course.
Are the tags reusable?
Yes. Reusable tags suit long, remote events and cut cost and waste.
How much does it cost to time a trail race?
Trail timing is priced on the number of timing points, not just the size of the field. A finish-line-only setup is the cheapest. Every extra checkpoint adds equipment, and on crew-based systems it adds people, vehicles and travel. Remote and multi-day courses cost more again because of access. Most Australian and New Zealand providers quote per event rather than publish rates, so ask for a quote that itemises timing points and travel separately.
Do I need a timing crew on site for a remote course?
Not always. Traditional chip timing needs crew at each timing point, which is why remote and multi-checkpoint courses carry travel, flights and accommodation costs on top of the timing fee. Lightweight, self-deployable systems change that. The organiser places a unit at each checkpoint and collects it afterwards, with no crew flown in. Ask any provider whether crew travel sits inside or outside the quoted price.
Does trail race timing work where there's no mobile coverage?
Yes. Timing units record and store crossings locally, so a checkpoint keeps working with no mobile signal. What coverage affects is live results, not the results themselves. Data uploads when a unit reaches signal or when it’s collected at the end of the day. Plan for it: work out which checkpoints have coverage, and treat the rest as store-and-forward points where spectators see updates in batches.
How many timing points does a trail race need?
At minimum, a start and a finish. Beyond that, add a timing point wherever you need proof a runner passed, which usually means every staffed checkpoint and every cut-off. Ultra-Trail Australia’s 51.4km course records timing at all five locations, including the emergency aid station, with cut-offs at three of them. The gap between reads is how long a missing runner stays invisible, so longer and more remote courses justify more points
What's the difference between live tracking and chip timing?
Chip timing records a runner at fixed points. Live tracking follows a device the runner carries, usually a GPS unit or a phone app, and updates their position continuously. The distinction matters for safety. Tracking built from timing data fills the gaps between checkpoints by estimating pace, so it will always show a runner on course even if they’ve left it. Only GPS tracking shows where someone actually is..
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.