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Race-day preparation

A checklist of things to verify before the race starts.

Before officials arrive

  • Event details are right — name, dates, and a location picked from the search results (see Event setup).
  • Races are set up with correct distances, rules, and penalty settings.
  • Course map is uploaded and processed (KML with swim / bike / run layers).
  • Start lists are imported (for organisations with an API integration) — see Athlete management. For events with multiple schedules or merged races, the sync updates the start lists across all races and clears the bib number from any athlete who has been replaced.
  • Number ranges are set for each race.
  • Event documents (rules, briefing notes) are attached.
  • Weather data is current.
  • If the event runs athlete check-in, it's switched on and each race has the right checklist (see Athlete check-in setup).

When officials arrive

  • All officials have joined the event, and nobody is left waiting for approval.
  • Each official has the correct event role and TO roles — including Not in Race for officials who don't work a race (see Managing officials).
  • Chat channels are active and officials can send messages.
  • Officials' devices have the latest app version.

Final checks

  • Run a test penalty submission in practice mode.
  • Verify that notifications are working (submit a test penalty and check that the right people receive alerts).
  • Confirm that location tracking is active for officials who need it.
  • If the race uses a ready check, run it. Its monitor shows each official's battery, whether their location is coming through, and when they were last seen.

Starting the race

When everything is ready:

  1. Ensure all officials are in position.
  2. Start the race with Activate race mode — the green play button on the race's card on the web, or under Danger zone in the race-mode tools in the app. You need permission to start and stop races. If nobody starts it, RaceRanger activates race mode by itself an hour before the start time, unless another race in the event is still active.
  3. The race's status changes to Active, and to Running once the first penalty or incident comes in. Location tracking and notifications go live.

Warning

Once a race receives its first penalty or incident, its gender category, drafting, stop & go, and penalty-box settings are locked. Double-check everything before the first submission.

During the race

Monitor the race from race control — the Race control button on the race's card (see Race control):

  • Watch for incoming penalties and incidents. The event's Incidents tab also lists every incident and penalty across the event, with a filter by race.
  • Track officials' positions on the course map.
  • Use chat for coordination.
  • Update weather and environment data as conditions change.
  • Look out for External sync skipped in the race log: an athlete who isn't in the imported start list (see Athlete management).

After the race

  • Stop the race with Deactivate race mode. Its status changes to Finished.
  • When the whole event is over, click Mark as completed on the event page. All races must be stopped first.