A common question we hear from race directors is “Should I renew my race or create a new one?“
It’s a fair question. Both options are available in RunSignup, and at first glance, they can seem pretty similar. But the choice you make can impact everything from your historical data and analytics to participant communication, SEO, and even your sanity during race setup.
In this blog, we’ll walk through how to decide what’s right for you and your race – and when each approach makes the most sense.
What It Means to “Renew” a Race
When you renew your race, you’re essentially rolling your existing event forward to a new year. Your website, URL, and all settings stay the same, but the date(s), pricing, and time-sensitive details update for the next edition.
Renewing keeps your history intact – past results, participant data, fundraising totals, and year-over-year reports – all in one place. One thing to keep in mind: if you collect donations, your donation period resets when you renew your race, so be sure to review your donation dates if you want them to align with your fundraising timeline.
That makes it the best option for most recurring event because it builds consistency and saves a ton of setup time.
What It Means to “Create a New Race”
Creating a new race means starting completely from scratch. You’ll get a new URL, new reports, and create a new event website.
That’s helpful if you’re changing your race’s identity – maybe you’re rebranding or creating an entirely new experience.
Why Renewing Usually Makes the Most Sense
For most events, renewing your race is the best path forward. Here’s why:
- Keeps your history: Maintain year-over-year data, results, and participant info in one place.
- Simplifies setup: Pricing tiers, giveaway options, and event configurations roll forward automatically.
- Maintains URL and SEO: Returning participants know where to find you, and your Google ranking stays intact.
- Retains continuity: Easily email past participants, compare trends, and build on your established brand.
Renewing also makes your life easier when it comes to communications and marketing – you don’t have to explain to your audience which event page is the “correct” one or why there’s two versions of your race showing up when they search for it.
When Starting Fresh Might be the Right Move
Sometimes, a clean start is the better move. You might consider creating a new race if:
- You’re changing the name or brand of your race.
- You’re launching a new series or challenge that doesn’t fit with your current race.
It’s somewhat common for races to create a separate “early registration” race – for example, during race weekend – and then merge those participants into the renewed race later. That can be a good short-term strategy if you’re not quite ready to renew, but don’t want to lose post-race momentum.
Timing: When to Open Registration for Next Year
In our When to Open (Renew) Next Year’s Race blog, we looked at real data from events that opened registration at different times. Here’s what we found:
- Renewing when you’re ready: most races will wait until they’ve finalized details, updated their website, and are ready to promote next year’s race. It’s the cleanest approach and helps avoid any confusion for participants.
- Open the day after your race: This is great for maintaining momentum. Participants are still on a runners high, your social media pages are active, and you can include the new registration link in post-race emails.
- Open before race day: Some race directors try to capture early registrations while excitement is at an all time high – but data shows it doesn’t increase registrations all that much. Typically, fewer than 10% of runners register more than four months in advance (reference our Annual Industry Report 2024 for more trends). If you go this route, make it abundantly clear which year participants are registering for.
No matter when you decide to open registration, make sure your page, pricing, and communications are ready to go. At the end of the day, the right choice comes down to what makes your life easier and your participant experience smoother.