OVR timing gates vs Sprintbrick
We use OVR gates as our reference when we test Sprintbrick, so we have both systems timing the same reps. After the first 10 m, the two came within 50 ms of each other on all 30 segments in our September session. Times that include the start don't agree as closely yet.
How each one times a sprint
OVR Sprint is a set of wireless gates on tripods. Each gate is a pair of posts, one on each side of the lane, with no reflector to line up; OVR calls its alignment QuickAlign and says a setup takes about 60 seconds. The clock runs from the beam you break at one gate to the beam you break at the next, so two gates give you one time, and each extra split needs another gate at another measured mark.
Sprintbrick has no gates. You set a receiver about 2 m behind your start and wear a small sensor on your lower back. The receiver measures the distance to the sensor 100 times a second, and the app works out your start, every split, your top speed and your fastest flying segments from that distance trace after the rep.
Same reps, both systems
On September 14, 2026, two of us ran ten 60 m sprints through OVR gates at 0, 10, 20, 40 and 60 m while wearing Sprintbrick. We left the Sprintbrick analysis at its defaults, with no offsets fitted to the OVR times. Differences are Sprintbrick minus OVR, in milliseconds.
| Segment | Within 50 ms | Typical gap | Worst gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0-10 m | 4 of 10 | 61 ms | 122 ms |
| 10-20 m | 10 of 10 | 22 ms | 49 ms |
| 20-40 m | 10 of 10 | 17 ms | 45 ms |
| 40-60 m | 10 of 10 | 17 ms | 33 ms |
| 0-60 m | 5 of 10 | 54 ms | 122 ms |
Typical gap is the mean absolute difference. Two athletes, one session, one track; the 20, 40 and 60 m marks were measured to about 15 cm.
Every 10-20, 20-40 and 40-60 m segment came in within 50 ms. A second session on October 9 put the 10-30 m segment within 15 ms on both reps where we had OVR times.
Times that include the start agree less, because the two systems start the clock on different events. A gate starts when the body breaks the first beam, and Sprintbrick starts when the sensor on your lower back has moved 0.5 m from where you stood. Where you stand relative to that first beam changes from rep to rep, and so does the gap. On October 9, Sprintbrick's 0-10 m read 41 to 94 ms slower than OVR on all four reps. We are working on the start and will publish the next round of results when it's done.
Side by side
| OVR | Sprintbrick | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $529 for 2 gates (one split), $229 per extra gate | $199 preorder |
| Splits | One per pair of gates you set out | 10, 20, 30, 40 yd and every 10 m to 100 m |
| Top speed | From a flying zone you set with two gates | Peak speed, plus fastest 10, 20 and 30 m anywhere in the rep |
| Setup | Tripods at measured marks, aligned | One receiver behind the start |
| Athletes | Anyone who runs through | One wearer at a time |
| Movement | Straight runs, shuttles, agility drills | Straight line away from the receiver |
| Range | 150 yd (OVR's figure) | About 80 m |
Which to choose
Pick OVR if you time a team. Gates record whoever runs through them, so you can send athletes one after another without handing a sensor around. Gates also time shuttles and change-of-direction drills, which Sprintbrick can't, because the wearer has to run away from the receiver.
Pick Sprintbrick if you train alone or with one or two athletes and want more than one split. With gates, each extra split means another gate and another measured mark. Sprintbrick reports every split from the same rep, plus your speed curve, so a 60 m rep tells you your 10 m, your 40 yards and your top speed at once.