A timing apparatus for providing timing information to a moving person (11) moving past a datum line (13). A radiation source (15) located at the datum line (13) emits modulated radiation in a diverging conical radiation zone (16) across a path (12) along which the person moves and straddling the datum line (13) across the path (12). A radiation sensor (21) located on an aerial (22) receives radiation emitted by the radiation source (15) as the radiation zone (16) is crossed and generates a sensor signal (21a). A radiation detector circuit (26) receives the sensor signal (21a) and is tuned to discriminate the modulated radiation from the radiation source (15) and to generate a detector signal (26a) for as long as radiation from the radiation source (15) is being received and detected. A calculator circuit (27) calculates a predetermined proportion of the duration of the radiation zone crossing as represented by the duration of the detector signal (26a) so as to determine the instant of crossing of the datum line (13) and display means (28) display timing information including the time of crossing of the datum line (13).
