Timing mats are a documented trip risk. They endanger disabled athletes, wounded veterans, seniors and first-time racers, the very people race organizers claim to support.
This isn't just about convenience.
It's about safety, dignity and accountability.
Insurance carriers regularly cite timing mats as examples of non-waiver liability. The ADA exists to remove barriers, not introduce new ones. Yet outdated timing equipment continues to put participants at unnecessary risk.
Every fall is preventable.
Every injury is avoidable.
Every excuse is gone!


We've spent over a decade solving a problem that should have been addressed years ago, eliminating unnecessary injuries while restoring inclusivity to race environments.
We serve disabled athletes.
We serve wounded warriors.
We serve seniors.
And we refuse to stay silent while obsolete technology continues to harm those who deserve better.

Orbiter delivers mat-free, wire-free, trip-free timing without compromise.
Choose safety.
Choose inclusion.
Choose better tech.
Sign up today and help say no to mats!
By signing up and adding your name to our list, you’re helping us demonstrate the importance of replacing outdated and unsafe mat timing systems. Together, we can raise awareness and push for safer, more reliable race timing solutions.
Multiple eyewitnesses on the LetsRun forum describe a high school athlete who "appeared to have tripped on the timing mat right after the line." Hitting her face hard enough that posters discuss possible concussion protocol.
As he crossed the finish line to win, Cheruiyot slipped on the timing mat, went "straight down to the ground, hitting his head on the pavement."
He was down for several minutes and was taken away in a wheelchair; the race director reported a "mild concussion." Medical care was involved.
Runner tripped on the timing mat at the downhill finish, "landed face first," broke his nose and suffered a concussion.
1. Temporary does not equal acceptable!
Courts and DOJ reject "temporary" as a defense when hazards are foreseeable and recurring.
2. Mats and cable covers are recognized trip hazards not hypothetical, not new, known and documented.
3. ADA-accessible routes must remain hazard-free at all times even during events, races, festivals and setup/teardown.
4. Government entities are liable when they introduce the hazard, especially at permitted or government-run events.
5.Safer alternatives eliminate the hazard entirely, once a hazard-free alternative exists, continuing to use mats becomes indefensible.
Hazard: Temporary cables covered with mats.
Injury: Pedestrian trip and fall
Key Finding: City had prior notice of cable hazards and failed to properly secure or reroute them.
Hazard: Temporary mat covering electrical cables during a public festival.
Injury: Elderly attendee tripped
Holding: Municipality could be liable for creating the hazard, not merely failing to warn.
Hazard: Exposed cords and mat seams
Injury: Disabled attendee fell and sustained injuries.
Settlement: City paid damages and revised event cable-management procedures.
Issue: DOJ found temporary cable covers and mats repeatedly blocking accessible routes at city-permitted events.
Outcome: City required to reroute cables, eliminate raised mats and provide continuous ADA-accessible paths.
Finding: Temporary event infrastructure (cables, mats and ramps) created repeated trip hazards.
Mandate: City must ensure no raised floor coverings on accessible routes.
The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, is a landmark U.S. civil rights law from 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, ensuring equal opportunities in employment, transportation, public accommodations (like stores, restaurants), state/local government services, and tele
The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, is a landmark U.S. civil rights law from 1990 that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in all areas of public life, ensuring equal opportunities in employment, transportation, public accommodations (like stores, restaurants), state/local government services, and telecommunications. It guarantees that individuals with disabilities have the same rights and access as everyone else, requiring reasonable accommodations and accessibility modifications for businesses and services, and is enforced through five main sections.




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