Overview

The RUFUS Cloud API is built around a set of core resources that represent both timing operations and event data.

At the heart of the timing layer are devices, sessions, and passings:

• A device is any hardware or software capable of detecting a competitor at a specific point—typically by reading a bib number or chip and assigning it a timestamp.

• A session is created by a device to group a set of passings during a specific timing operation.

• A passing represents a single recorded event: a competitor identifier and a timestamp generated by a device.

The typical flow is simple: a device authenticates using an API key → creates a session → sends passings to that session.

On top of this ingestion layer, the API now exposes an event and participant data model, enabling deeper integrations:

• An event represents a race or competition managed within the RUFUS ecosystem.

• Participants are the competitors registered in an event, including their identifiers (bib, chip, etc.) and associated data.

This allows external systems not only to send timing data, but also to consume and manage event-related information, such as listing events, retrieving participants, or creating new participant records (depending on API key permissions).

Before interacting with any of these resources, access must be granted through an API key, which defines the level of permissions (read, write, or both) available to your integration.

Together, these components provide a complete workflow—from capturing raw timing data in the field to integrating structured event information in the cloud.