System and method of an event timing system having integrated geodetic timing points

A system for determining a location along a route being traveled by a participant having a participant identifier that will be tracked and timed during an event, the system comprising:

• an RFID tag reader transmitting a tag read request and in response receiving a tag read from an RFID tag having an RF interface transmitting an RFID tag read including the participant identifier associated with the RFID tag responsive to the tag read request, the RFID tag reader determining a time for the received tag read and identifying the participant number associated with the tag read, the tag reader transmitting a tag read message over a timing system interface with the determined tag read time and the participant number;
• a location device associated with the participant and the participant identifier, the location device having a location information receiver receiving location information from a location providing source, a location determination module determining a participant location from the received location information and a wireless communication interface for transmitting the determined location as location data that includes the participant identifier;
• a location determination system in at least periodic wireless communication with the wireless communication interface of the location device receiving the transmitted location data and determining a participant location from the received location data;
• and
• a timing system receiving the participant location from the location determination system, and receiving the tag read message including the tag number and tag read time from the tag reader, associating the participant location with the tag read and tag read time, the timing system determining participant position along the route as a function of the received participant location, and generating a participant location message over an output interface the tag read time and at least one of the participant location and the determined participant route position.