BibTag Technology at the 43rd Great North Run

This year's AJ Bell Great North Run witnessed a record-breaking turnout, with 60,000 participants running the famous 13.1-mile course from Newcastle to South Shields. Our partner, FR Systems, was there to accurately time the iconic race with MYLAPS BibTag technology.

About the Great North Run

The Great North Run, which started in 1981, is the largest half marathon in the world, taking place annually in North East England each September. Participants run between Newcastle upon Tyne and Southshields. This year, the event raised an incredible £25 million for charity.

Timing Setup

The Great North Run was expertly timed by our esteemed partner, FR Systems. Given the scale of the event, precise timing required an extensive setup with multiple splits and timing points throughout the course to ensure accurate readings for every participant. To capture each runner’s start time, the course featured three pre-start lines and two start lines. Timing splits were positioned at every mile and every 5km, as well as on the iconic Tyne Bridge, and at the finish line. With the comprehensive course setup on race day, there were over 1 million tag reads recorded through Timing and Scoring, the MYLAPS time registration software.

To capture the times at each split point for the 60,000 participants, the 13.1-mile course setup included the following MYLAPS BibTag equipment:

• 292 BibTag detection mats
• 4 EasyMats
• 10 SideAntennas
• 42 BibTag decoders

A dedicated team of 24 professionals from FR Systems expertly set up and managed this extensive setup.

Results of the 2024 Great North Run

Elite Women's

The elite women’s race saw an exciting sprint for the finish line, with six athletes in contention as the race entered the final mile. Mary Ngugi-Cooper (Kenya) came out on top in an impressive time of 1:07:40, with Senbere Teferi (Ethiopia) in second and Alemu Megertu (Ethiopia) in third. 

Elite Men's

Kenya’s Abel Kipchumba took an early lead and never looked back, crossing the finish line in South Shields to be crowned the men’s champion with a time of 59:52.

Wheelchair

Great Britain’s Jade Hall, won the women’s wheelchair race in 58:56. The men’s wheelchair race was won by  Johnboy Smith of Great Britain winning in 48:59.

BibTag Technology - the best-in-class timing solution for mass events

MYLAPS, founded in 1982, is the inventor of automatic sports timing and continues to revolutionize the industry with cutting-edge technology used globally, from the Olympics and major marathons to NASCAR and countless local events. To offer best-in-class timing services, our partners, like FR Systems, use BibTag technology for mass events. This is the standard timing system for mass running, cycling, or multisport events with affordable chips and the highest read rates in the industry. The latest innovation, the BibTag Smart Decoder was developed to make the life of timers easier, with improved usability and optimal performance. The MYLAPS ThinTag is 75% thinner than regular tags resulting in less waste and shipment space, positively impacting carbon emissions.

About FR Systems

For 37 years FR Systems has been at the forefront of the mass participation sports industry. Offering timing, results, online entries, and fulfillment to over 200 events per year throughout the UK.