Free race timing software for clubs and small races
Most race timing software is priced for race directors, not for the person who volunteers to time the club 5K on a Tuesday evening. BeOnTimer runs in the browser, costs nothing, and is built for fields of up to about 30 participants.
What race timing software actually has to do
Strip away the marketing and a timing tool does four things: hold the start time, attach a finish time to the right person, rank the results, and publish them where runners can find them. BeOnTimer does those four, on the phone you already own.
What it deliberately does not do: chip reading, mass-participation fields, and entry payments. If your race needs those, you need a paid timing provider, and this page will not pretend otherwise.
How the options compare
BeOnTimer
- Cost
- Free
- Equipment
- A phone or laptop
- Setup
- Minutes
- Field size
- Up to about 30 participants
- Results page
- Public link, free, stays online
Subscription timing apps
- Cost
- Free for very small fields, paid plans above that
- Equipment
- A phone or laptop
- Setup
- Minutes
- Field size
- Unlimited on paid plans
- Results page
- Usually included
Chip timing
- Cost
- Hundreds per race
- Equipment
- Mats, chips and an operator
- Setup
- Booked weeks ahead
- Field size
- Hundreds to thousands
- Results page
- Hosted by the provider
| BeOnTimer | Subscription timing apps | Chip timing | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free | Free for very small fields, paid plans above that | Hundreds per race |
| Equipment | A phone or laptop | A phone or laptop | Mats, chips and an operator |
| Setup | Minutes | Minutes | Booked weeks ahead |
| Field size | Up to about 30 participants | Unlimited on paid plans | Hundreds to thousands |
| Results page | Public link, free, stays online | Usually included | Hosted by the provider |
Checked September 2026. Plans and prices change, so check the current terms of any tool before you decide.
Where this fits
The established platforms are built for organizers who run sizeable races regularly, and they earn their subscription there: bigger fields, chip timing, entries and payments. Their free tiers are a taste of that, and they stop at a handful of racers.
BeOnTimer aims at the middle that is left over. Twelve runners doing a time trial, twenty-five kids at a school sports day, a club session on a Tuesday evening: too many for a stopwatch, too occasional for a yearly plan. If your races outgrow that, one of the paid platforms is the right next step, and we would rather say so than sell you something that does not fit.
Timing that volunteers can run
Manual button timing with millisecond precision, a live leaderboard while the race is on, and lap timing for track and circuit events. Helpers need the link, not an account.
Bibs without a print shop
Generate printable bib sheets as a PDF from your start list. Plain paper and safety pins are the whole kit.
Results that outlive the race
Each event keeps a public results page with the full leaderboard and lap times. Share the link in the club chat; it keeps working.
Races timed with BeOnTimer
Questions about the software
Is it really free?
Yes. No subscription, no device fee, no per-participant charge. The limit is practical rather than commercial: it is built for fields of up to about 30 participants.
Which timing tool should I pick?
For mass-participation races and chip timing, an established paid platform such as Webscorer or RaceClocker goes further than this one does, and that is what they are built for. BeOnTimer covers the club-sized middle: bigger than their free tiers, smaller than the fields that justify a subscription.
Do I need chip timing hardware?
No. One volunteer taps each runner across the line. For fields where that is not workable, you need a chip timing provider.
Where do the results go?
Every event gets a public results page with the leaderboard, lap times and finish times. No account needed to view it.
Which events does this suit?
Club 5K and 10K time trials, community runs, school sports days, cycling time trials, swim sets and triathlon test events.
Try it on your next club race
Set up the event, hand a phone to a volunteer, and have the results online before everyone has finished stretching.
Timing a 5K specifically? Start with the 5K race timer guide.
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