HAYDEN — It’s kind of a bummer, some racers say, especially on such short notice.

After all, what’s a race if the race isn’t timed?

Those competing in the third annual Hayden View Triathlon on Saturday won’t have their races chip timed, a technologically savvy device that has been precisely recording athlete finishes for about a decade.

The device was offered at last year’s event but not this year because of the lack of funding. The problem is racers weren’t notified until a week before Saturday’s start, too late to join another run. And even if they could, they couldn’t get their registration money back anyway.

On your mark, get set, go.

“It kind of takes the whole competition out of it,” said Chris Jarstad, who biked the 10.2 mile loop last year as part of a three-legged team. “You can’t compare your time to other athletes’ times or even last year’s time.”

Not officially, anyway. But you can always wear a wrist watch.

Chip timing sends off a special code detected by radio receivers located at precisely placed points on a racing event course. It’s regarded as the maximum as far as accurate time records go when it comes to the racing world of sports.

Problem is, this sort of timing technology costs money, and event manager Corey Haustein couldn’t raise the extra $3,000 the device costs because sponsors couldn’t cover it this year.

“We were trying to negotiate with the chip timing company,” Haustein said on breaking the news late to the athletes via e-mail. “The company was really cooperative but in the end there just wasn’t enough money.”

Refunds won’t be offered because chip timing was never promised for the race that began registering competitors several months ago at $75 each, he added.

Actually, some racers like Jarstad say the chip issue was never addressed either way, and many assumed it would be included since it was part of the package last year.

“At the last minute we find out it’s not going to be that way to save money,” Jarstad said, saying his three-tier team is still in, but next year might be another story. “We understand, and we support the charity, but at the same time they need to follow through on the expectation.”

The charity refers to where the proceeds go, which is the Hayden Parks and Recreation swim program. They hope to raise around $1,000.

The number of racers signed up to race is down from last year too, around 212 so far compared to the previous year’s 285 entries.

The race, which includes a half-mile swim near Honeysuckle Beach, a bike course, and a 3.7-mile run, is geared for beginners, families and casual athletes anyway, Haustein said. He apologized for the disappointed athletes, but at the same time said the race that only allows 300 entrants isn’t geared for Ironman-like intense competitors.

“Yeah, chip timing is great,” he said. “But I don’t necessarily want to bring in pros. I don’t want to get run over by the guy who finished Ironman last year.”