Organizers of the Cebu City Marathon have decided to use RFID chips of ChampionChip to time participants in the 21K and 42K races of the Cebu City Marathon on Jan. 10, 2010.

The development was announced in a press conference this noon at the Casino Español.

“We all decided to take the risk and get the ChampionChips,” said Meyrick Jacalan of the Cebu Executive Runners Club (CERC).

Cebu Marathon ChampionChip
RFID CHIP. The ChampionChip (above) that will be used to time runners during the Cebu City Marathon. Race organizers said the chip will work under all weather conditions and the process of sending data would take just 60 milliseconds.

Jacalan, together with fellow Cebu City Marathon organizers John Pages and CERC president Jessie Taborada, said they wanted to make a good impression with the runners.

With the development, the Cebu City Marathon is just the third race in the Philippines and the first outside Manila to use the RFID chips to time runners.

The ChampionChip, according to organizers, will work under all weather conditions.

“The ChampionChip is a high-tech, identification device used to time athletes in a race. The technology consists of a miniature transponder in a specially designed housing, marked with a unique identification number. The transponder is a waterproof glass capsule that contains a silicon chip and an energizing coil. The ChampionChip can be used under all weather conditions, wet and dry, cold and hot,” organizers said in their press statement.

Organizers said the chips do not have batteries and the process of sending identification data takes just 60 milliseconds.

“There are no batteries in the ChampionChip. The transponder is inactive until moved into a magnetic field, generated by a send antenna in a mat. When the ChampionChip enters the magnetic field, the energizing coil produces an electric current to power the chip. The transponder then transmits its unique identification number to a receive antenna in a mat. The entire process takes approximately 60 milliseconds,” organizers said.

The use of the chips will give organizers immediate and accurate times of the runners. It will also allow organizers to immediately post results in the Cebu City Marathon website, Pages said. It will also allow runners to check on their split times, he said.

Organizers said the use of the chips will prevent dishonest participants from taking shortcuts. They said the chips will also help organizers manage the finish line and make it free-flowing.

With the use of the system, organizers have decided to slightly increase registration fees. Those who want to join the 21K race will now have to pay P450 from the previous fee of P350. Those joining the full marathon will now need to pay P650 from the previous P450.

Registration for the Cebu City Marathon will formally open on Nov. 27. Cebu City residents can register at the Cebu City Sports Center and Active Zone in Ayala Center Cebu. Organizers said runners will get the chips with their race packets. Those from outside Cebu can download the registration forms at the Cebu City Marathon website and email the filled-up form to register@cebumarathon.com.

Organizers said only those who finish the 42K race will get a finisher’s medal.

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