Chips – not exactly what you would expect to find on top of most committed runners list of favourites, yet increasingly they are playing an important role in the lives of those who indulge in the sport. The advantage of chips is that they can provide an effective pick me up to those of us who have tried in vain to beat the clock on the run in to the line. Most of us have experienced the disappointment of seeing our dream of breaking some particular time being shattered by the inexorable tick of the seconds on the finish line clock, putting paid to months of intensive training and cocking two fingers at our lung bursting, last gasp efforts on the day. But not if we've had our chips.
The chip in question is a little plastic device fitted to a shoe before a race which accurately records the wearers actual running time from crossing the start line until the finish line. So chip time, when brought to our attention, can transform our mood from deep despair to unbridled joy, often just by showing a few seconds less than the race clock. Is it reliable and accurate? Well that probably depends on whether it actually records the time we want it to, or whether even with its assistance, we have still missed our target. Increasingly these chips are being used at all types of races and are regarded as particularly useful and effective where large numbers of participants are involved.  It is also claimed that they enable race results to be produced much more quickly and attract less queries afterwards. But they also cost an extra £2 per entry fee per race to provide and are often compared with times taken by runners on their own watches, activated on the start line and stopped at the finish. Depending on how quick fingered you are this method of timing can perhaps ignore the offending second. Are they worth it?

The Waterside Half Marathon Championship race took place at the weekend, for the first time on Sunday this year, a move designed to alleviate traffic congestion in and around the route.  It certainly didn't have any effect on the numbers participating, well over 1000 arriving in the grounds of Gransha Hospital for the 10.30am start. Four of East Down's runners made the journey and enjoyed ideal conditions with Declan Teague leading the quartet home, clocking an impressive 1.29.48, just a few seconds short of his previous best, according to his chip! Michael McKeown, making a welcome return from injury, was next in 1.34.43  while I recorded 1.42.35, over 6 minutes slower than last year, the equivalent of having a burger with the chips on the way round. Norman Mawhinney, who picked up an injury in running, still chipped in with 1.58, as he completed the full set in the 7 round Half Marathon Series.

Next weekend runners will be in Dublin for the Half Marathon in Phoenix Park and in Newcastle upon Tyne for the Great North Run.  Good luck to them.

Me? I'll be in Portaferry marshalling at the Triathlon on Saturday and putting the stopwatch on the runners as they appear on TV on Sunday.  Tough weekend ahead – might try chicken and chips to ease the pressure.

Joe Quinn

13 September 2010