Alright, we need your input. The Lake Powell Half Marathon will be a timed race and we have two options: 1) Bib Chips and 2) Shoe Chips.
BIB CHIPS
Bib chips (B-Tags) are a disposable chip that goes on the back of your bib. They are remarkably accurate even under less than ideal conditions. RunSum did a test where they taped the bib chip on the curvature of a motorcycle helmet and zoomed across the timing mat at 60 mph and it still timed accurately. Pretty cool.
SHOE CHIPS
With traditional shoe chips (like those below), you needed to keep the timing chip close to the ground and they have to be clipped off and returned after the race.
Bib Chips are a great innovation coming out of the racing community and seem super convenient, but we hear reports that they can make the bib feel a little heavy and also there are more misreads, meaning there are more chips per batch that don’t get read than with shoe chips. However, there is no waiting in line afterwards to remove the chip from your shoe. Just a lot less hassle over all.
Do you have any input? Have you run a race with the new b-tags? Do you have a preference? Does it matter? Let us know!
**UPDATE**
The foam bib chip we referenced above is actually not the chip we are considering for the Lake Powell Half. It is the chip we are using for the Rocky Mountain Half, but is not an option fo the Lake Powell Half. I’ve updated the picture above so it is the actual bib chip we are considering. Sorry for any confusion.