IPICO Sports uses a revolutionary technique (the IP-X system) to get remarkable results during the timing of events with tags (commonly known as “chip-timing”). The system is designed with a great number of uses in mind: running, cross country, triathlon, cycling, mud-runs, swimming, skiing and even fitness test for schools. The aim is to make the best technology available for everyone – ranging from professional organizations, professional timers, cities and clubs.
High-tech does not necessarily mean that it is complex. The systems have been designed so that one man can make it operational within minutes! And the system is very flexibel in it’s use: shoetags, bib tags, ankle tags or bike tags, you can read all of them with the exact same reader hardware. No extra investment necessary!
Reader technology
IPICO Sports has 2 timing systems: the Lite and the Super Elite. Both systems can read all the tags we provide. The difference is in the size and number of mats we can connect. The Lite can have 2 x 2,5 m mats and the Super Elite 2 x 5 m. (or 4 x 2,5 m. if you prefer that).
The Super Elite is without a doubt the better choice for professional timers. For Istanbul marathon we use 3 start mats with a width of 7,5 m. and to service that we have 2 Super Elite readers at the start. During the last 3 years we have not missed a single runner! Even with the great number of runners at that event.
For clubs the Lite reader is usually the better choice. Do not underestimate this device! The Lite has the same technology as the Super Elite, it can read up to 120 tags per second per mat and work without commercial power for a very long time. Nothing “Lite” about that!
For a massive start like on this picture the Lite obviously is not the best choice, the 2,5 m. mats would create a bottleneck. For finish locations and races with up to 1000 people this is usually less of a problem and this is what makes the Lite the best sold reader in the Netherlands.
Tags
A sports events should not be changed because of the technology, technology should enable fair and fast timing. This is the design goal with all of our system. For tag timing we do not want to make you choose between either shoe tags or bib tags: with IPICO Sports you can actually use both. De race organization decides which is a better fit and the same system can do shoetags on Saturday and bib tags on Sunday. Even though it does not make sense you could actually have both types of tags in one race!
Our shoetags are widely used. The reason for this is that the tags can be reused over and over again, making the cost per runner extremely low and creating a real green solution at the same time. For events with a small number of runners reorganizing the tags after the race is only a small taks. Generally speaking you can sort 1.000 tags with 4 people within 40 minutes, so they are ready for the next run (at no extra cost!).
Big events also use shoe tags, the best know big event using shoe tags is London marathon. We have to admit, sorting 47.000 tags is a lot of work, but the same tags have been used in 2018 for the 10th time.
Another good thing is that we can actually print the shoetags with your logo or the logo of a sponsor!
For an organization there is nothing easier than working with BIB tags. The tags are made for single use and we can deliver them ready to be used, with your logo’s on the bib, your numbering, your colors. Or we can just deliver the stickers with the tags in them and you can attach them. Because they are designed to be used once, there is no retrieval after the event, you hand over the BIB and you are done! No retrieving, no sorting, nothing!
IPICO Sports has had the Multi Sports Tag (MST) for use at thriathlons (swimming makes using bibnumbers & shoetags not an option). We have used these tags with mountainbikes and had really good read rates, for bikes that go even faster they are not suited. Combine that with the issue that cyclist do not like driving over a registration mat and it was clear we needed something else. We now have the power tag a tag with a battery built into it, so it does not need a power loop to power it up: we just need an antenna loop to receive the signal. This antenne loop is thin and can be attached to the road with simple duct tape.
