Updated at 2:32 p.m., Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Misuse of paper microchip caused marathon troubles
Advertiser Staff
A new paper strip embedded with a computer chip was not user-friendly enough and that caused many of Sunday's marathoners to disappear from record, according to Honolulu Marathon president Jim Barahal.Barahal said weather-related complications also were a factor.
In a released statement today, Baharal said that without a doubt, this is what organizers believe happened to most of the runners whose times didn't register.
According to the release, marathoners picking up their racing bibs last week found the strip stuck to the bibs. Instructions were to peel off the strip and lace it to the shoes through an eyelit on the strip.
But Barahal today said because the stiff strip extended out from the shoe laces, many runners opted to tuck it under their laces.
By bending it, however, they nullified it as a recording mechanism and their presence on the course could not be proven. There were 27,827 registered runners but 21,000 or fewer are recorded as finishers.
Barahal, in today's released statement, said some people probably left the chip-embedded strip stuck to their bibs, which would also prevent their races from being recorded.
Barahal said course videographers will review tape of the finish line and record each finisher manually so each runner will be able to receive a time and finisher certificate.
In previous years marathoners tied a plastic disk to their shoes, which was more user-friendly and less vulnerable.
Baharal said the marathon bought the new paper strip device because it could be disposed of easily and is ecologically safer.
