Customer Snapshot
- RaceDay Tools Used: Mobile Timing App, Photos
- Years Operating: 12
- Photos Taken: 33,000+
Real-Time Race Day Photos: How Eric Kramer Leveraged RunSignup’s Mobile Timing App at the Big House 5K
The Big House 5K is a standout event on the spring race calendar, drawing more than 11,000 participants to finish inside Michigan Stadium. For the 2025 race, race organizers elevated the participant experience by fully leveraging RunSignup’s integrated Photo Platform—delivering more than 33,000 photos from across the course. In addition, the event’s timer, Eric Kramer with DRS Timing, brought a new level of immediacy to the race day experience—delivering real-time finisher photos using RunSignup’s RaceDay Mobile Timing App. With increasing demand for fast, seamless participant engagement, Eric’s implementation highlights how race technology can meet and exceed expectations.
RunSignup’s Photo Platform
RunSignup’s Photo Platform is an all-in-one solution that empowers races to capture, manage, and share participant photos—without needing outside vendors or custom tools. Whether images are taken by professional photographers, volunteers, or participants, the platform uses AI-powered bib recognition to auto-tag photos and publish them directly to each participant’s results page.
Key features include:
- Unlimited photo uploads across albums
- Auto-tagging via Tagily (even in crowded shots)
- Real-time integration with individual and team results pages
- Participant uploads with automatic bib tagging
- Sponsor or race watermarking
- AI moderation to ensure safe, appropriate content
At the Big House 5K, this platform was used to gather and share more than 33,000 images from all angles of the race—from the start line to the stadium and finish. Participants could even upload their own images, making the experience more social and shareable. The entire system required minimal manual effort from organizers—and provided maximum engagement for runners.
About the RaceDay Mobile Timing App
RunSignup’s RaceDay Mobile Timing App is a free, user-friendly tool designed for timing small or remote races and serving as a backup for chip-timed events. The app allows timers to log finish times and positions, with results automatically syncing to RunSignup’s platform for real-time results publishing.
The latest update includes integrated easy-to-use photo capturing, enabling timers to take and auto-tag participant photos directly in the app. Images are instantly linked to individual results and the event photo gallery—no complex equipment or setup required.
A Simple, Streamlined Setup
While Eric’s team had previously experimented with uploading photos from memory cards during events—an effort with varying levels of success—they were looking for a simpler, more consistent method. For the Big House 5K, the Photo Feature in the Mobile Timing App proved to be exactly that.
Eric repurposed two packet pickup tablets, placing them on tripods in the finish chute to automatically capture photos of participants as they crossed the line. With the app configured ahead of time, all his staff had to do was press the shutter button—no training required, no technical complexity.
High Performance Under Pressure
For an event of this scale, speed and reliability are critical. Eric’s team deployed Starlink internet at the venue, which handled live timing data and photo uploads without issue. Even with multiple devices and workflows online—including photographers manually uploading images via memory cards from different points on the course—the app-uploaded photos were available online almost instantly. In contrast, memory card uploads were taking up to nine seconds per image.
This near-instant delivery delighted the Race Director, who had specifically requested quicker access to photos. “Participants were ‘impatient’ to see the rest of the course photos because the finish line shots were up so quickly!” Eric noted.
A Work in Progress, Shaped by Real-World Use
Eric Kramer’s in-depth use of the Mobile Timing App has made him a valuable contributor to its ongoing development. By actively testing the Photo Feature at multiple events and sharing feedback, he’s helping the RunSignup team refine and expand the tool based on real-world needs.
Meet Eric Kramer and DRS Timing
Eric Kramer leads DRS Timing, the race timing division of Dave’s Running Shop in Northwest Ohio. Managing over 200 events annually—from road races and cross country meets to multisport and lap events—his team offers tailored solutions for events of all sizes. DRS Timing relies heavily on the RunSignup ecosystem, using RaceDay Scoring, Registration, Results, CheckIn, and the Mobile Timing App to deliver smooth, tech-driven race experiences. As Eric notes, his timers “dread” working races that don’t use RSU. Learn more at davesraces.rsupartner.com.
Bringing More to the Finish Line
The Big House 5K is just one example of how timers can enhance participant experiences with the right tools. Eric Kramer’s approach shows that delivering real-time race photos isn’t just possible—it’s scalable, reliable, and easy to implement.
From the finish line to the cloud, RunSignup’s Photo Platform is giving race organizers and timers new ways to elevate their events.