Event Information

Join us for an exclusive live webinar unveiling the findings from RunSignup’s 7th annual Timer Industry Research Survey. Race timers from across the industry are invited to gain valuable insights into the current state of the timing profession and emerging trends shaping our field.

What You’ll Learn:

We’ll dive deep into timer business practices, industry benchmarks, and operational strategies. Topics include staffing challenges, pricing models, and technology adoption trends across timing systems and scoring platforms. Discover what equipment and software solutions timers are implementing, from RFID and chip timing to GPS integration and real-time tracking.

We’ll review feedback on RunSignup’s RaceDay products including RaceDay Scoring, Mobile Timing App, and RaceJoy, plus address common business challenges such as client expectations and competitive pressures.

Whether you time small community runs or major marathons, this data-driven session provides actionable intelligence to strengthen your business and stay competitive in 2026 and beyond.

Survey results will also be featured in RunSignup’s annual RaceTrends Report

View Slides

Summary of Webinar 

Shelly Harris walks through the 2025 Timer Market Industry Survey results—RunSignup’s 6th annual timer-focused industry study (started in 2019). It’s positioned as the only recurring research effort centered specifically on timing businesses, aimed at understanding:

• Timer business structure + challenges

• Technology adoption trends

• Feedback to improve RunSignup + RaceDay products (and inform roadmap)

Survey scope: 64 questions, ~200 responses. Shelly notes results are somewhat skewed toward RunSignup users (survey awareness + distribution), which mainly impacts a subset of product-related questions.

Why RunSignup runs this survey

Shelly explains the timer market is decentralized and “unique,” so the survey helps identify:

• What timers need most (especially staffing + tech)

• Where the industry is evolving (AI, cameras, mobile tools)

• What product features RunSignup should prioritize

They also share the results publicly (originally internal-only) because it’s useful to the industry.

Part 1: Timer business profile & market dynamics

How many events timers service

• The market spans all business sizes, but:

  • 55% of timing businesses support 50+ events/year

  • ~20% support 150+ events/year

• There’s no single “typical” timing business size—wide distribution.

Event types supported

Top categories match expectations:

• Running/walking leads

• Notably strong representation in cross country and track & field (important because it influences tech choices)

• Also: trail, triathlon, lap races, cycling, swimming, paddle events

Ownership + employment reality

• 85% have ownership stake (partnership/full/partial)

• 62% are full owners

• ~15% are employees (not owners)

“Do you have another job?”

A recurring question in the survey:

• 56% have some other employment

• 44% have a full-time job elsewhere
  Shelly calls out why this matters: product design needs to be fast and easy for people juggling timing + another job.

Part 2: Pricing models & servicing smaller events

Common pricing approach

Timers often combine methods:

• 72% charge a flat fee + per-participant fee

• 42% offer à la carte add-on services

• 37% sometimes charge flat fee only

• Some use participant fee only in certain cases

Typical pattern reported:

• Base rate (often cited range $300–$2,500)

• Then $2–$3 per participant after a participant threshold

• Pricing may vary by:

  • long-time customers (loyalty discount)

  • new customer “first-year discount” to win business

What timers do when a race can’t afford the standard fee

• Most common: offer a discount (especially for small/growing events)

• 33%: won’t discount—if they can’t afford it, it’s not worth it

• 31%: reduce equipment/services (e.g., minimal presence)

• 18%: refer to a different timer (regional collaboration varies)

• 14%: offer or suggest manual timing

• 10%: use RunSignup’s mobile timing app in these scenarios
  Shelly highlights remote timing as an emerging practice: ship equipment, manage remotely, send a junior staffer or rely on race staff.

Part 3: Services beyond timing (major trend)

• 71% provide services outside of timing.

Most common add-on services:

• Registration setup/management (top)

• Race directing/management

• Check-in management (RaceDay Check-in App noted)

• Course certification setup

Other notable services:

• Equipment rentals (called out as strong revenue, low work vs timing)

• Custom shirts/bibs, photos, event marketing, participant tracking, staff/volunteer mgmt (~similar levels)

• Custom websites: 31% (Shelly expected higher)

Part 4: Growth indicators & challenges

New events added in 2025

• 26% added 10+ new events

• Only 5% added zero new races
  This suggests industry growth, but also operational strain.

Biggest changes/challenges

Top recurring themes:

1. Staffing (still #1 every year)

   • This year’s nuance: qualified staffing—tech-capable people who learn fast and take initiative

2. Competition

   • Frustration with aggressive underbidding that “breaks” the market

3. Costs

4. Too much business / race overlap

   • Many races cluster on peak weekends (holidays)

   • Mentioned strategy: peak-weekend premium pricing, or discounting alternate weekends

How timers address staffing challenges

• Recruit runners/volunteers from events (comp, free entries, meals)

• Friends/family

• Better pay/incentives

• Remote timing increasing

Part 5: How timers help races grow registrations

• Close to 20% say they don’t help races grow registrations.
  Among those who do:

• 55% offer email services

• 45% social promotion

• 44% consulting

• Marketing/pricing strategy support also common

Shelly reinforces a key takeaway discussed at Timer Summit:

• Price increases + marketing those increases are often the most effective lever
  …and timers can add value by helping races structure and automate these.

Part 6: Staffing structure (employees/contractors)

Full-time employees

• 66% have zero full-time employees

• About 1–5 full-time employees for a meaningful minority (often correlates with larger event volume)

Part-time/contractors

• Most rely heavily on part-time + contractors

• Many fall in the 1–5 range, but it scales up widely with bigger companies

Part 7: Technology adoption & what timers want next

“What new tools would most help?”

Shelly highlights trends from open responses:

• Clear interest in AI:

  • AI-powered bib recognition cameras

  • AI finish-line camera tech

  • live AI tracking

• Also mentioned:

  • motion-activated photos

  • mobile timing app improvements

  • video board displays at finish line

  • even operational upgrades like a purpose-built timing trailer

Timing hardware used

Top hardware:

• FinishLynx (spelled “finish links” in transcript)

• AG Race Timing

• Race Result (Shelly notes Race Result continues to grow)

• MYLAPS, ChronoTrack

Scoring software (non-track & field)

• RaceDay Scoring appears highest (skew acknowledged)

• Then: AG Race Timing, RunScore, FinishLynx
  Shelly notes RaceDay Scoring adoption is growing internally and in the broader market.

Legacy scoring software upgrades

• 74% on newer software

• 26% planning upgrades within ~a year

Backup timing solutions

Common backups:

• video/cameras, manual timing, FinishLynx, Time Machine

• 17% report using RunSignup’s RaceDay Mobile Timing App (strong for a newer product)

Tracking apps used

RaceJoy is highest (skew + economics noted), followed by:

• RTRT, Track, Athlinks, MYLAPS
  Shelly explains why RaceJoy volume is high: it’s more economically feasible for races; ~1,800 races used RaceJoy last year (per Shelly).

Part 8: RunSignup RaceDay product insights (high-level)

Shelly says a large portion of the survey assessed:

• product satisfaction by tool

• feature requests

• improvement ideas

They used this input in fall planning for 2026 product roadmap (not detailed in webinar, but emphasized that feedback is actively applied).

Which RaceDay tools timers used in 2025

Most used:

• RaceDay Check-in App (consistently #1 / most valuable)

• RaceDay Registration

• RaceDay Results

• RaceDay Photos

• RaceDay Scoring
  Growth called out for:

• Mobile Timing App

• RaceJoy

• RaceDay Scoring

Support usage + support satisfaction

• They want support usage to skew toward “never/rarely” (indicates usability)

• Results skewed toward the “good” side (left)

• Support ratings: aim is 4+ (exceeds expectations) and they’re meeting that

Shelly also emphasizes timer support is broader than a typical support desk:

• includes specialized RaceDay product staff and developers, including weekend help in some cases

RaceDay Scoring adoption level

• 68% use RaceDay Scoring for 75%+ of their events

• Shelly calls this a 23% increase vs last year (growing comfort + standardization)

Check-in App use cases

Most common:

• Participant check-in (#1)

• Bib assignment (notable growth)

• Participant info updates

• Bib lookup
  Less common but used:

• volunteer check-in

• emergency contact lookup

• results kiosk

• medical check-in

Mobile Timing App use cases (including photo capture)

They added photo capture + results integration recently.

• 30% already using the auto photo capture + results integration (strong first-year adoption)

RaceJoy pricing norms (for RaceJoy Certified timers)

Common approach:

• Mostly flat fee (not per-participant)

• Average reported price around $750

• Range mentioned: $150 low to $2,000–$2,500 high

• Higher pricing justified for ultras, multi-day, complex courses

• Sometimes offered free to win a new race or small/simple events

What timers want next (topics for future content)

Top webinar/training topics requested:

• Remote timing

• RaceDay Scoring

• New timer training

• AI technology

• Marketing tools