Skip to content

Set up a race from start to finish

The short path from "the admin gave me an event" to "the race is running". Every step links to a detailed guide if you need more than the quick version.

Tip

If your organisation has the AI assistant enabled, you can do most of this by describing what you want or pasting a roster — it proposes the changes and you approve them.

1. Open your event

Sign in at app.raceranger.com (or in the app) and pick your event from the events list. You land on the Races tab.

2. Check the event basics

Confirm the name, location, and dates, and attach any PDFs your officials will need — rules, briefing notes. More in Event setup.

3. Add the race

Tap + Add Race. If your organisation has race templates, start from one — it pre-fills everything with a known-good setup. The wizard walks you through: Basics → Distances → Start → Options → Course map → Numbers.

4. Set the rules that matter

On the Options step, most races only need three decisions:

  • Is drafting allowed?
  • Which penalty box is used (run or bike), if any?
  • The standard penalty time in seconds.

Everything else has a sensible default — see Race configuration when you need one of the other options.

5. Upload the course map

A KML file with swim, bike, and run layers. There's an example file to start from. Details in Course maps.

6. Add athlete numbers

On the Numbers step, set the valid number range for the race (e.g. 1–99). Officials' typed numbers are checked against it. If your organisation imports start lists automatically, this is handled for you — see Athlete management.

7. Invite and assign your officials

Open the event's Users tab and use the + button to invite people — share the QR code or link, and give each person a role. If your organisation uses TO assignments, set them per race. Full detail in Managing officials.

8. Run the race-day checklist

Race-day preparation is a tick-list of everything above plus final checks — including a test penalty in practice mode before the start.

9. Start the race

Use the start button on the race's row (you need the right permissions — typically the technical delegate does this). Location tracking and notifications go live.

If something is locked

Once a race records its first penalty or incident, most settings lock to protect the results. If you need to change a locked setting after that, contact your organisation admin.