Improved systems and methods for timing athletic events. A radio-based starter unit and a radio based timer unit communicate wirelessly via radio. Push buttons/switches and lights and a speaker in the units provide an intuitive, easy to use interface. Handshaking occurs between the starter unit and the timer unit, and lights indicate that the event is ready to start. Real time clocks in the units are synchronized. Upon detection of race or other event start, such as from a starter's pistol, information indicative of the race start time is transmitted from the start unit to the timer unit. A camera in communication with the timer unit provides video frames, and the timer unit encodes and inserts elapsed time information in the video frames, which are then output from the timer unit for review and analysis on a computer.