Chrono Competition
Chrono Competition is a privately held French company (SARL) founded in 1998 in Saverne, Alsace, that provides electronic timing, registration management, and ancillary services for mass sporting events including running, trail, and triathlon races, serving approximately 120 events and 200,000 athletes annually using uRTime RFID UHF technology.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersSaverne, France
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Chrono Competition does
Chrono Competition (legal entity: CHRONO COMPETITION SARL) is a privately held French company headquartered in Saverne, Alsace, that specializes in electronic timing, registration management, and ancillary services for mass sporting events. Founded in 1998 and led by Gérant Vincent KNAUB, the company operates from two agency locations — Strasbourg and Villefranche-sur-Saône — with a permanent team of six supplemented by more than twenty contracted timing operators. It serves approximately 120 events and 200,000 athletes annually across running, trail, triathlon, and other mass-participation races, including flagship mandates such as UTMB (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc), Diagonale des Fous, and Marathon du Médoc.
The technical stack is anchored by the uRTime RFID UHF timing system (a French-manufactured hardware platform used on France's largest races), supplemented by internally developed classification software and integration with the LiveTrail live-results platform. Registration services are delivered through the Registration4all platform, for which Chrono Competition acts as French distributor. The company holds official recognition from the Fédération Française d'Athlétisme (FFA) and the Fédération Française de Triathlon (FFTRI), enabling direct transmission of competition results to national federations, and is GDPR/RGPD-compliant under CNIL declaration #2047052.
The business operates a quote-based, project-driven services model targeting race organizers, athletic clubs, and federations. Revenue is generated from professional services fees (timing, registration, on-site operations), hardware sales (RFID trail, bib, and ankle chips; accessories), and modular add-ons including live tracking, GPS tracking with 40g beacons, LED screens, finish-line video, virtual races, permanent courses, and crowd flow counting. Marketing is primarily direct, supported by a partnership with Le-Sportif.com (250,000 monthly visitors) for event-calendar visibility and federation endorsements.
Chrono Competition firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chrono Competition
- Legal name
- CHRONO COMPETITION SARL
- Website
- https://chronocompetition.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Chrono Competition is a privately held French company (SARL) founded in 1998 in Saverne, Alsace, that provides electronic timing, registration management, and ancillary services for mass sporting events including running, trail, and triathlon races, serving approximately 120 events and 200,000 athletes annually using uRTime RFID UHF technology.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chrono Competition industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports event timing services
- NAICS
- Spectator Sports (7112)
- SIC
- Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948), Measuring & Controlling Devices, Nec (3829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Racing Technology & Timing/Tracking Infrastructure (MPAEADAN)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races) (MPAKAIAH)
Keywords
Where Chrono Competition is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saverne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
Chrono Competition business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Chronométrage Services: Electronic timing services for sporting events including equipment setup, timing points, classification, and result publication.
- Registration Management: Complete inscription management solution using Registration4all platform, including paramétrage, form creation, document control, and mailing tools.
- Hardware Sales: Sale of RFID chips (trail, bib, ankle), customizable bibs, and timing accessories.
- Additional Services: Live tracking platform, GPS tracking, LED screens, inflatable arches, digital displays, video arrival systems, virtual races, and social media management.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom quote-based service model |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chrono Competition product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chrono Competition delivers electronic race timing services for mass sporting events (running, trail, triathlon) using the French-made uRTime RFID UHF system and its own proprietary classification software. The company complements timing with an end-to-end registration management service via the Registration4all platform and a suite of ancillary services including live tracking, GPS tracking, LED screens, finish-line video, social media management, virtual races, permanent courses, and flow counting.
Product overview
Chrono Competition offers a comprehensive suite of sports event timing and management services organized as three core offerings: (1) Service Chronométrage - electronic timing using proprietary Logiciel de Classement software and the uRTime RFID UHF system with various chip types (trail, bib, ankle); (2) Service Inscriptions - complete registration management via the Registration4all platform with Le-Sportif.com distribution; and (3) Services Annexes - a modular add-on system including live tracking, customizable results platforms, GPS tracking, LED screens, finish line video, social media management, virtual races, permanent courses, and flow counting. The company operates two permanent agencies (Strasbourg and Villefranche-sur-Saône) and supports approximately 120 events and 200,000 athletes annually across France and beyond.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Service Chronométrage (Electronic Timing Service) Electronic timing service for mass sporting events (running, trail, triathlon) using RFID technology, including deployment of timing equipment at start, intermediate points, pre-finish, and finish lines, wave departures management, and real-time results processing. Sold to race directors and event organizers in France.
- Service Inscriptions (Registration Service) with Registration4all Complete online registration solution from sign-up to results publication, including organizer account management, customizable event configuration with quotas and options, mailing tools, and integration with the Le-Sportif.com calendar (250,000 monthly visitors). Sold to event organizers as a standalone registration management service.
- RFID Chips (Trail, Bib, and Ankle Chips) Range of RFID timing chips — trail chips, bib-integrated chips, and ankle chips — enabling contact-free electronic athlete detection at timing points. Sold to race directors and event organizers for use with Chrono Competition's timing service.
- Suivi Live (Live Tracking Platform) Ultra-complete live tracking platform providing event mini-website, athlete profiles, passage tables, passage forecasts, security alerts, a live animation screen for speakers, and two mobile applications (for runners and spectators). Sold to event organizers wanting real-time spectator engagement.
- Suivi GPS (GPS Tracking) GPS tracking service featuring GPX route traces, ultra-light 40g beacons, and continuous precise tracking of elites, leaders, and (optionally) all participants. Sold to event organizers for athlete safety and elite race coverage.
- Écran LED (LED Screen Service) Giant LED screen setup (up to 2x3.5m, 4mm pitch) showing provisional results, athlete passage tracking, images or video, and sponsor visibility, with included broadcasting equipment. Sold to event organizers for on-site spectator engagement and sponsor exposure.
- Vidéo d'Arrivée (Finish Line Video) Video service letting athletes replay their finish, with advertising spot integration and consultation statistics. Sold to event organizers for athlete engagement and post-race media content.
- Communication (Social Media Management for Events) Social media management services including promotional emailing, website visibility, Facebook publications, Instagram management, and event website creation. Sold to event organizers to promote their race and engage participants.
- Course Virtuelle (Virtual Race) Virtual race registration with shareable virtual bibs for social media, on free or imposed courses, with online performance declarations, GPX trace uploads, and web animation tools. Sold to event organizers wanting to run remote or hybrid races.
- Comptage de Flux (Flow Counting) Real-time people counting service using RFID chips worn by visitors, providing live counts in delimited areas (fairs, concerts, spectator zones) with precise statistics by time slot, age, and gender. Sold to event organizers and venue operators needing audience flow analytics.
Quantifiable outcome
- ~120 events and ~200,000 athletes chronométrés annually
Companies that use Chrono Competition
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Chrono Competition technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Chrono Competition partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and flagship.
- uRTimecoreTiming equipment manufacturer providing RFID UHF chronométrage hardware. French-made system used on France's largest races including UTMB, Diagonale des Fous, and Marathon du Médoc.
- LiveTrailcoreSoftware platform for live result tracking and dissemination. Used for ultra-complete live tracking platform with mini-websites, runner profiles, and speaker animation screens.
- Registration4allcoreRegistration management platform for online event registration, configuration, and participant management. Distributor of this platform in France.
- Le-Sportif.commajorEvent calendar and results platform with 250,000 monthly visitors. Provides event visibility and registration distribution for Chrono Competition-managed events.
- Fédération Française d'Athlétisme (FFA)flagshipOfficial federation recognition allowing transmission of competition results. Official distributor for online FFA registrations.
- Fédération Française de Triathlon (FFTRI)flagshipOfficial federation recognition for triathlon event timing services.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chrono Competition competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- ipico: ipico (South Africa) develops RFID sports timing hardware and event software used worldwide, addressing the same mass-participation timing use case as Chrono Competition and an especially relevant peer given Chrono's activity in South Africa.
- Datasport: Datasport (Switzerland) operates electronic timing and event-management services for road races, cycling, and triathlon across the DACH region, with a comparable mix of timing, registration, and results-publishing functions.
- ChronoTrack: ChronoTrack (US) provides RFID timing systems and race results software for running, trail, and triathlon events, directly comparable to Chrono Competition's electronic chronométrage and live-results offering.
- Alge Timing: Alge Timing (Switzerland/Austria) is a long-established sports timing and event-services specialist with proprietary hardware, photo-finish, and classification software, competing with Chrono in European endurance and mass-participation races.
- MYLAPS: MYLAPS (Netherlands) is the dominant global sports-timing hardware and software provider, offering RFID chip timing systems, transponders, and race-results platforms that compete head-on with Chrono Competition's uRTime-based service in European mass-participation events.
Broad incumbents
- Tag Heuer Timing: Tag Heuer Timing (Switzerland) is the legacy high-end sports timing incumbent for elite athletics and motorsport, offering overlapping electronic timing capabilities with broader industrial and broadcast reach than Chrono.
- ACTIVE Network: ACTIVE Network (US) is the broad-incumbent endurance and recreation event-management platform, providing registration, timing software, and participant services that overlap with several of Chrono's offerings at scale.
Emerging players
- FinishLynx: FinishLynx supplies fully-automatic photo-finish and timing systems widely used in athletics and endurance events; an emerging peer for the sports-measurement layer that complements or competes with Chrono's timing stack.
- Race Roster: Race Roster (Canada) is a leading event-registration platform (now part of the ChronoTrack / ASICS family), adjacent to Chrono's Registration4all distribution and a competitor for organizer mindshare in event tech.
- RunSignup: RunSignup (US) is a large race-registration and results platform with integrated timing partnerships, comparable to Chrono's Registration4all / LiveTrail services from a software-layer perspective.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Chrono Competition social profiles
Digital presenceChrono Competition compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Chrono Competition financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chrono Competition leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Chrono Competition funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chrono Competition M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chrono Competition
What does Chrono Competition do?
Chrono Competition delivers electronic race timing services for mass sporting events (running, trail, triathlon) using the French-made uRTime RFID UHF system and its own proprietary classification software. The company complements timing with an end-to-end registration management service via the Registration4all platform and a suite of ancillary services including live tracking, GPS tracking, LED screens, finish-line video, social media management, virtual races, permanent courses, and flow counting.
Is Chrono Competition a public or private company?
Chrono Competition is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Chrono Competition founded?
Chrono Competition was founded in 1998. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Chrono Competition based?
Chrono Competition is headquartered in Saverne, France, in the Europe region.
How does Chrono Competition make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Chronométrage Services are the primary driver. The others are registration Management, hardware Sales and additional Services.
Who are Chrono Competition's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are ipico, Datasport, ChronoTrack, Alge Timing and MYLAPS. Broad incumbents are Tag Heuer Timing and ACTIVE Network. Emerging players are FinishLynx, Race Roster and RunSignup.
Does Chrono Competition have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chrono Competition.
What industry is Chrono Competition in?
Chrono Competition's product category is Sports event timing services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAEADAN, Racing Technology & Timing/Tracking Infrastructure, with a secondary code of MPAKAIAH, Virtual & Hybrid Participation Events (App-Based, Remote/Hybrid Races). Its NAICS code is 7112 and its SIC code is 7948.