Shared Vision of Innovation Leading to Next Generation Race Experience
February 26, 2015 – Moorestown, NJ – RunSignup, the leading industry innovator for race events, timing service providers, running stores and clubs, announces its acquisition of RaceJoy, the industry’s premium mobile and runner tracking solution. James Harris, creator of RaceJoy, will join RunSignup to continue to enhance RaceJoy as well as lead the overall mobile delivery platform to provide participants, spectators and events a comprehensive experience for races. RunSignup and RaceJoy have a shared vision to improve the race experience and the combined efforts of innovation, along with an open platform approach, will lead to a next generation mobile experience for race participants. RunSignup races can be RaceJoy-enabled starting today.
“We have collaborated with RunSignup since RaceJoy’s inception. Our combined approach of an open architecture is very much a fundamental strategy for us and essential for bringing many different technologies together within RaceJoy. Regardless of the timing system, registration solution or scoring software, RaceJoy integrates with all technologies in the industry so that participants can experience RaceJoy at any race. This strategic partnership with RunSignup offers a broadened distribution channel that will help us to accelerate RaceJoy’s market adoption. I’m very excited to be working with the highly talented and dedicated people of RunSignup,” said James Harris, Founder of RaceJoy.
More than 120,000 race participants and spectators use RaceJoy across the United States and in 65 countries across the globe. Vermont City Marathon & Relay, Glass City Marathon, 26.2 with DONNA, Space Coast Marathon, Ogden Marathon, Top of Utah Marathon & Half Marathon, Houston Half Marathon & 10K, Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, Gate River Run, and the Shipyard Old Port Marathon are among the many events that have offered the RaceJoy premium mobile experience. In addition to providing convenient access to race related information, RaceJoy offers race participants and spectators a unique race experience with real-time and interactive features such as:
- Live GPS phone tracking on the course
- In-App progress alerts as participants cross race timing points placed on the course
- Immediate results within moments of participants crossing the finish line
- Automatic progress postings to participant’s Facebook and Twitter walls
- NearMe proximity alerts to spectators notifying them when a participant is drawing near
- Fun pre-recorded audio cheer clips
“RaceJoy is an ideal addition to the RunSignup Go platform of race industry solutions and is very much in line with our approach to use technology as a foundation to help our customers and the industry to offer an improved race experience. Our open philosophy means we offer options so that whether there is a need for registration services, results, progress notifications, and now a mobile experience, organizations can select what they need versus feeling boxed in with a single solution. By joining forces with RaceJoy and the talent of James Harris, we have a mobile outlet for RunSignup and can help bring the RaceJoy experience to a broader marketplace. Together, we will be bringing a number of new, exciting innovations to the market in the very near term, ” said Bob Bickel, founder of RunSignup.
The combination of RaceJoy and RunSignup will create a collaborated effort to modernize the participant and spectator experience for running and endurance events. Plans are in place on several fronts with more to emerge:
- Expanded race listing and registration tools for RaceJoy users, making it easy to find and register for races across the country.
- Through RunSignup’s RD Go platform, quickly and easily RaceJoy-enable a race event for live GPS runner tracking.
- Integrated RunSignup and RaceJoy profiles for a simplified one-click registration process.
- Integrated RaceJoy GPS Tracking with RunSignup’s RD Go scoring, timing and results.
- Google Wallet and Apple Pay integration.
- GPS-timed progress alerts through RaceJoy.
This will be an open mobile platform where any race can be added regardless of the registration, timing or scoring solutions used. RaceJoy will launch a new release incorporating many of these features in the Spring of 2015.
Race Participants are able to add to their race experience by having friends and family track them live on the course and receive fun motivational audio cheer clips. In addition, participants receive GPS and official race timed progress alerts and real-time pace information to help provide motivation and manage their performance. Scored results are available within moments of them crossing the finish line. Live phone tracking involves a 99-cents upgrade fee per race with a yearly subscription fee to come. These features are currently available.
Supporting Spectators can easily track their favorite race participants live on a course map whether they are on the race site or from the convenience of their home. Spectators can monitor their performance by receiving real-time progress alerts (both GPS and official race timed alerts). They can further show their support by sending fun audio cheer clips the days leading up to the race and all throughout the race. Live phone tracking and cheer sending involves a 99-cents upgrade fee per race with a yearly subscription fee to come. These features are currently available.
Race Events of any size can now have a “big race” experience by giving their participants real time tracking capabilities. All RaceJoy GPS tracking services are free for any race event. Races can be loaded into RaceJoy by sending course maps to addrace@racejoy.com. Race Directors who use RunSignup will be able to simply “RaceJoy Enable” their race by uploading or configuring their course map in the RD Go platform. Race events can choose to offer a Featured Race experience in RaceJoy with chip and gun time notifications along with scored results. This involves integration with the race event’s timing system and additional fees. These features are currently available.
Timing Service Providers can now supplement their gun and chip time by providing GPS time data points for participants using RaceJoy. The GPS timing information can be blended with your official timing results in Race Director Go and RunScore Results and will carry no added costs for the timer or the race event. RaceJoy’s soon to be released GPS Mile Splits will provide real-time GPS mile splits without the cost and effort to deploy timing mats and equipment around the entire course (not intended to replace official race timing information). In addition, RaceJoy’s current progress alert and notification system will be tightly integrated with the existing RD Go notification system. This will provide the flexibility to collect data from The Race Director, RunScore, or directly from ChronoTrack, MyLaps, Ipico and RFID chip systems. Notifications will encompass TXT, Email, RaceJoy in-app alerts, and Facebook and Twitter postings and will be priced under RunSignup’s RD Go platform – https://racedirector.runsignup.com/Pricing. These new services enable timers to bring additional value to their races and participants and change the race day experience. The majority of these features are currently available, and there will be a major release to provide further integration in the fall of 2015.
About RunSignup
RunSignup is the leading innovator of online tools for Races and Running Clubs. Services include RunSignup for race registration, RunSignup Go for Race Day, RunSignup RD Go for Timers, RunSignup Clubs to enable membership management, and RaceJoy for mobile race experiences. More than 4,000 race directors, timers, and running club officers use these services today, including leading organizations like the Boilermaker Road Race, Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon, Inc., Fifth Third River Bank Run, The Graffiti Run, The Glo Run, Leone Timing, and many more. Services are free except for processing fees when conducting monetary transactions such as race registration or club membership renewals. RunSignup is founded by runners for runners, using technical capabilities to bring the power of cloud computing to benefit the running community. For more information, visit www.runsignup.com.