Race configuration

Each event contains one or more races. A race represents a single competition — for example, a sprint triathlon, an Olympic-distance race, or a relay.

The race list

Open the event from the events list. The event detail page shows top tabs (Races / Users / Chats / Documents) with the Races tab as the landing view. Each race is a card with its name, gender category, start date/time, distances (swim / bike / run), drafting status, and an icon strip on the right for editing, viewing the race log, and starting / stopping the race.

Add a race

1. Tap + Add Race (bottom-right). If your organisation has race templates, RaceRanger first asks Start from a template? — a template pre-fills every step with a known-good setup, so prefer one when you can.
2. Basics — the race name (e.g. "Elite Men Sprint") and gender category (Female / Male / Open / Relay). The category drives validation for athlete number entries downstream.
3. Distances and Start — the swim / bike / run distances and the start date and time.
4. Options — the race rules. Most races need three decisions: is drafting allowed, which penalty box is used (run or bike, if any), and the standard penalty time in seconds. Every option is explained under Full details below.
5. Course map — upload a KML course file, or skip this and add it later. See Course maps.
6. Numbers — the valid athlete-number range for the race (e.g. 1–99), used to validate numbers officials type in.

To edit an existing race later, tap the pencil icon on its row — the same fields are presented as tabs in a dialog so you can jump straight to the one you need. The editor shows the race you're editing under the title, and refreshes in place after you sync athletes.

Using a template

If your organisation has set up race templates, you can skip filling in the form by hand:

• New race from a template — when you tap + Add Race, pick a template in the Start from a template? chooser instead of Blank race. Adjust anything you need and finish the wizard as usual.
• Apply a template to this race — when editing a race, open the Templates menu at the bottom-left of the dialog and choose Apply template. The distances, penalty times, and options are replaced with the template's values; review the form and Save to confirm. Settings locked after a race has started are kept, and number ranges aren't changed.
• Save this race as a template — organisation admins can capture the current setup for reuse from the same Templates menu.

Locking after the first penalty or incident

Warning

Once a race receives its first penalty or incident, most configuration options are locked and can no longer be changed. This protects the integrity of the data — changing rules mid-race would invalidate existing records. Plan your race configuration before the race starts; if you need to make changes after data has been recorded, contact your organisation admin.

Starting and stopping a race

Officials with the right permissions (typically Head Referee or Technical Delegate) can start and stop races from the race view. Starting a race activates real-time features like location tracking and notifications.

Full details

Everything below is optional reading — open a section when you need it.

Every race option, explained

The Options tab is where the rules that govern penalties and officiating live. The screenshot below is the Sprint Elite (Drafting) race in the demo event.

Penalties and boxes

• Standard penalty (s) — the time penalty (in seconds) served in the penalty box for a standard violation.
• Run penalty box / Bike penalty box — enable the run leg or bike leg penalty box. When the bike box is on, configure how many positions are available (a small dropdown next to the toggle).
• Stop & go — make stop-and-go penalties available as an alternative to time penalties. Stop & go and the run penalty box are mutually exclusive — turning one on turns the other off, so a run-leg penalty is always either served in the box or as stop-and-go.
• Penalty box must accept penalties — off by default, and only available while the run or bike penalty box is enabled (turning the last box off clears it). When on, incoming approved penalties wait as "unaccepted" at the top of the penalty box screen until a box official taps Accept (optionally with a photo); when off, penalties go straight to the athlete's card. Unlike most box settings, this can also be changed after the race has started.

Tracking and notifications

• Tracking enabled — when on, officials' device locations are visible on the race map.
• Reduce push notifications to users — when on, the race only sends critical pushes (penalties, race start, results). Routine status pings to officials and athletes are suppressed.

Officials and pre-race

• Ready check — enable a pre-race ready check for this race. When on, officials can ask everyone who can submit penalties or incidents to confirm they're ready before the start. See the Ready check guide for how officials run it.
• TO assignments — enable technical-official role assignments per race (e.g. Chief Bike, Bike 1, Penalty Box).

Drafting and integrations

• Drafting allowed — whether drafting is permitted in this race. When off (e.g. the Non-Drafting age-group race), drafting violations are not counted and the drafting penalty type is available.
• Drafting devices — enable drafting device integration for this race (only available when drafting is allowed).
• Penalty/Incident Sync — when enabled, penalties and incidents for this race are shared with your connected timing or results system.

The Course map tab

The Course map tab is where you upload a KML course file. The default state shows a venue-area map with a single pin and an Upload course map button.

Once a course file is uploaded, the same tab renders the route in colour-coded swim / bike / run segments. File requirements and troubleshooting are in Course maps.

Number series in detail

The Numbers tab configures athlete number ranges for the race. Each row is a minimum/maximum pair; tap + Add range to add additional non-contiguous ranges (e.g. 1–99 and 200–299). Numbers are used for validation when officials enter athlete numbers during penalty and incident submission.

When multiple races share an event, each race carries its own number series. The series can also be linked to specific gender categories.

Merged races — what's shared vs per-race

Races can be merged when multiple races run simultaneously on the same course (e.g. elite men and elite women). Merging combines the penalty and incident views so officials see everything in one list. A merged race starts with a readable name based on the races you combined — the wording they share, or their names joined together — but you can now edit the merged race and give it its own name. It keeps the name you set instead of being rebuilt from the races inside it.

Merged races can be split back into separate races if needed.

You can edit the merged race directly to change its name and the settings that are shared across the whole group — drafting, penalty box (including the acceptance requirement), stop-and-go, tracking, TO assignments and similar. Editing them on the merged race keeps every race in the group in sync. Settings that are specific to each race — gender, distances, start time, penalty times, ready check and athlete numbers — are still edited on the individual races; the merged-race editor shows a note pointing you there.

Demo races

Demo (practice) races can be edited too, but only their distances, drafting, penalty boxes and penalty times — everything else (name, gender, tracking, notifications) stays fixed. The editor shows only those fields for a demo race.