The rules state that the run starts when the play or replay button is hit and it ends when the results are shown. The wr doesn't show hitting the play button and stops the timer early when the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion Pepper is frozen rather than when the board comes onscreen.

The unembedded version of the game: https://www.google.com/logos/2016/scoville/scoville16.html?hl=en

The unembedded version of the game: https://www.google.com/logos/2017/vday17/vday17-27917071.html?hl=en