Your website is your home base — and often the first touchpoint a potential participant has with your event. Getting it right matters. But if you’ve ever logged into RunSignup and wondered whether to build a race website or an organization website, you’re not alone. They look similar on the surface, and they share a lot of the same tools. But they serve very different purposes — and knowing which one to use (and when to use both) can make a real difference in how you present your events to the world.
Let’s break it down.
What is a Race Website?
Your race website is built directly from the event dashboard and is connected to a specific race. Everything on it ties back to that one event — registration, participant information, course details, race day schedules, FAQs, and results.
Think of it as a dedicated landing page for a single event. It’s where you send runners when they want to register, check logistics, or find out what’s new for this year’s edition.
A race website is the right choice when you want to:
- Give participants a dedicated home for a specific event
- Display registration, pricing tiers, and event-specific details
- Share course maps, schedules, FAQs, and sponsor logos tied to that race
- Post results and photos after the event
Because the race website is connected to your event dashboard, updates you make — like opening a new registration tier or posting results — flow directly to the race website. It’s built to keep participants informed from the moment they discover your race all the way through the finish line.
What is an Organization Website?
Your organization website is not connected to any single event. Instead, it lives at the organization level and serves as an umbrella for everything you do.
Whether you run one race a year or manage a full series of events, your organization website gives you a central place to tell your story, showcase your events, and build a relationship with your audience year-round — not just during registration windows.
An organization website is the right choice when you want to:
- Create a home base for your running club, race management company, or series
- List all of your events in one place so participants can easily find and register for any of them
- Share your organization’s mission, history, or team
- Build an email list and stay connected with your audience between races
- Promote sponsorship opportunities or community partnership
Your organization website is the “brand” — the place that earns trusts and builds loyalty over time. Your race websites are the “product” — the place where that trust converts into registrations.
Can You Have Both?
Absolutely — and for most race directors, using both is the ideal setup.
Here’s a common way to think about it: your organization website is where someone lands when they Google your running club or series name. It introduces who you are and shows your full event calendar. Your individual race websites are where that same person goes when they’re ready to register for a specific event.
A Few Things They Have in Common
Both website are built using RunSignup’s Website V2 platform, so they share the same drag-and-drop page builder, component library, and design tools. You get the same flexibility on both — custom pages, photo galleries, sponsor sections, maps, and more.
And here’s one more details worth highlighting: both are completely free. There’s no additional cost to build and publish either type of website on RunSignup.
Which One Should You Start With?
If you’re setting up your first event on RunSignup, start with your race website — it’s created automatically when you set up your event and gives you everything you need to get participants registered.
If you’re managing multiple events, running a race series, or want a year-round presence beyond your event calendar, add an organization website. It takes a bit more setup but pays off significantly in brand recognition and participant retention over time.
Not sure where to begin? Start by asking one question: Is this content about a specific event, or about my organization as a whole? The answer will point you in the right direction every time.
Ready to get started? Create you race website or set up your organization website.