RunSignup’s RaceDay’s software developers and support teams recently had the pleasure of joining one of our valued timers, Race Day Professionals (RDP), at the Islamorada Running Company’s yearly event in scenic Islamorada, Florida. During this year’s race event, RDP’s Steve and Ronni Turrisi expertly utilized RunSignup’s RaceDay suite of technology and extended a warm welcome to our team. This collaboration provided our developers with a firsthand look into the life of a timer and a chance to see the practical application of the technology they themselves build and support. We were very impressed with RDP’s dedication to providing a quality experience for their race director and participants alike.
Islamorada Running Company 2023 Highlights
The Islamorada event featured a 5k and Beer Mile on Saturday, followed by a 10K and Half Marathon on Sunday. The course is set against the dreamy backdrop of the Florida Keys’s baby blue skies, swaying palm trees and gorgeous blue water on both sides of the course. The packet pickup was a relaxed outdoor affair with lively music and a bar for libations. Notable moments included witnessing the local legend, 62 year old Hakan Ericsson, as the first finisher of the Rumrunner 5K who then followed this by being the first to finish the Beach ‘N Beer Mile! Equally impressive was first-place finisher of the Half Marathon, Holly Smith from Fort Walton Beach.
RaceDay Technology Applied
The Islamorada Running Company attracted 1,600 registrants across its four events (Half Marathon, 10K, 5K, and Beer Mile). RDP kept registration open with RaceDay Registration for the last minute registrants. They also made full use of RaceDay CheckIn app to check in participants and dynamically assign bib numbers for 1,267 participants. RDP’s staff confirmed that, on average, it takes just SIX SECONDS to check participants in and assign a bib number using RunSignup’s free RaceDay CheckIn app.
As a RaceJoy Certified Timer, RaceDay Professionals leveraged RaceJoy to further add to participants’ and spectators’ experience with live GPS tracking and cheer sending. More than 550 participants used the app over the weekend, resulting in 5,600 progress alerts being issued and 1,500 cheers sent by spectators. Progress alerts were issued at the start, mid-way point, and finish during the 10K and Half Marathon.
The 10K and half marathon followed a straightforward out-and-back course due to the unique road system in the Florida Keys. RunSignup’s EventDay Chief Technology Officer, James Harris, and our newest programmer, Joshua Samonatez, contributed to the setup and monitoring of timing equipment on the course. Meanwhile, the RaceDay’s team’s Scott O’hara helped check people in and worked closely with volunteers and staff over the weekend.
True to its casual vibe, The Islamorada Running Company’s event foregoes a formal awards ceremony. RDP still scores the race for those interested in official finish times and age group results. They posted participant-scored results on the event’s website and directed people to this by posting QR codes around the race site for participants to access their results. Plus, people can access results in the RaceJoy app.
About Race Day Professionals
Based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Race Day Professionals is a family run business that specializes in timing, results, check-in, course setup, and the full spectrum of event services for races throughout Florida. This marked their seventh year supporting the Islamorada Running Company’s Half Marathon. Timers, as experienced professionals know, must navigate unexpected challenges seamlessly, and we got to see first hand Steve’s adeptness at quickly handling issues that could have escalated into significant disruptions. Ronni and Steve are a positive force and it was great to see their sons’ engagement in the timing business. We also saw that even though many of their staff may not be family, they were treated like family. Their open nature further extended to participants where we witnessed first hand their proactive engagement with participants of all walks of life – showing that for Race Day Professionals, it’s more than just a business.
RaceDay Professionals is officially certified in RunSignup’s full suite of RaceDay technology and is a preferred provider of RunSignup’s RaceDay CheckIn app, RaceJoy, RaceDay Scoring, and RunSignup’s registration and marketing technologies.
RunSignup RaceDay Team
In addition to the on-site race experience, our RunSignup RaceDay team took advantage of the time together for a full-day 2024 planning session with RunSignup’s Founder, Bob Bickel. We are very excited about the upcoming year and the impressive advancements that will come from our talented team of software developers who are focused on advancing the timer and race experience.
Thank you, Ronni and Steve. The real Race Day Professionals!
Special thanks to the Islamorada Running Company and Race Day Professionals for their warm welcome—it was a pleasure to immerse ourselves in the event firsthand and see all of you in action!
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