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Timing Company

Sportstats USA Acquires I Run Utah

Sportstats acquires I Run Utah to become dominant timing company in American West

Sportstats, North America’s largest timing company, has expanded once again with the new acquisition of I Run Utah. This will bring Sportstats’ event portfolio to more than 1,100 events in 28 countries around the world.

The acquisition was completed on June 1st, 2018, by Marc Roy, CEO of Sportstats and Greg Murphy, president of https://irunutah.com/.

Sportstats USA already has a large presence in Utah, owing to the acquisition of Milliseconds Timing in 2013.  With the new acquisition, Sportstats USA will now have over 200 events in Utah in 2018.

“Adding I Run Utah to our portfolio will enable us to continue our growth in Utah and bring two  experienced teams together,” says Roy, reached on the phone from the Big Island of Hawaii at the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii weekend, which Sportstats times. “We are welcoming Greg and his team to the Sportstats world.”

Greg Murphy, an avid runner who qualified for the Boston Marathon, started I Run Utah, Inc. in 2013 after serving in the US Army for 27 years.  “I developed a passion for running while serving in the Army that I wanted to continue after retiring from active duty,” Murphy says. “I knew that instead of working behind a desk, I wanted to be outside with other fitness-oriented people organizing and creating events that, for many people, can be life changing.”

Murphy and Roy share a likeminded approach to their businesses: putting the customer first to create a memorable, reliable, unique experience. “I knew that we had created something special listening to the announcer praise our live, complete, and accurate results while timing the first mountain bike race we had ever timed,” Murphy says. “Like everyone at Sportstats, we are determined at every race, no matter how big or small, to get things right so that the participants have the best possible experience.”

While growing their respective businesses to be among the best in sport, I Run Utah and Sportstats shared a mutual respect for their race timing proficiency. Combined, these two proud companies offer the best possible service to events across the Western United States.

About Sportstats

The largest sports timing company in the world, the Ottawa-based global sports brand is run by Marc Roy and Isabelle Fradette and times more than 1,100 races each year across 28 countries. The exclusive timer of most Ironman events and the Rock ’n’ Roll race series, plus the CanadaRunningSeries, to name a few, Sportstats is a privately-held enterprise started in 1991, and recently announced a global partnership with coffee conglomerate Tim Hortons.

About I Run Utah

I Run Utah specializes in timing and managing events that range from traditional running, mountain biking, and triathlons to Motocross, SUP racing and overnight relays. They are among the most prestigious race timing companies in the Western United States.

Is your Race Timing Company an Asset or a Liability?

Do you want a “timing” company that is an asset or a liability for your event?  While the answer should be obvious the question is relevant.  I often hear the horror stories about timing companies from Race Directors.  Here are a few examples:

  • A timing company dropped an event at the last minute leaving the race director scrambling. (The race director then contact I Run Utah four days before this race and we successfully timed it)
  • A timing company canceled their booking with a small event to take a more lucrative contract. (We can time several events in a single day and have never canceled a contracted event)
  • A timing company showed up and then failed to provide a single time to a race director at an event with nearly 2,000 participants. (This race director will now happily provide a reference for our services)
  • A timing company provided terrible customer service resulting in seriously negative social media comments about the race.

At I Run Utah, we love the running community and we want to prevent bad experiences for participants and event organizers.  I want to provide you with a few things to look for so that you can tell the difference before you get locked in with a vendor that is only a liability.

  1. Your timing company demands a check for full payment before your event happens.
  2. Your timing company offers to provide timing services for the lowest cost possible.
  3. They fail to return your phone calls or answer your emails.
  4. They show up late or unprepared for your event.
  5. They blame others when any mistakes happen and try to hide themselves away from participants.
  6. They are willing to take shortcuts in safety-this often goes along with providing the lowest cost possible service.

When I decided to create an event management and race timing company, I vowed that we would be different.  I want race directors to view I Run Utah as an asset to their race and here’s what we do to make sure that happens:

  1. We communicate regularly with race directors and use our experience as a participant, organizer, and vendor at hundreds of events to provide timely advice regarding race operations.
  2. We promote your event to our network of potential participants. (Last year we brought 185 paid participants to one “small” event)
  3. We participate in your packet pickups and will even help you sell your merchandise (I personally sold over $1,500 worth of merchandise for one client last year and provided training for members of their staff that dramatically increased their merchandise sales)
  4. We arrive early, provide a professional setup, and will help your team get prepared so that the race can start on time. (We take safety very seriously)
  5. We offer a full range of services (online registration, marketing, logistics, T-Shirts, medals, sponsorship, or even complete event management) that can save tremendous amounts of your time and money.
  6. We provide outstanding customer service to your participants and we will take responsibility for our mistakes when they happen.

When looking for partners for your events, don’t settle for a liability.  Send an email to greg@irunutah.com or give me a call at 801-656-5897 to find out how we can help you make your next event more successful!