All Things Fun Sports: When "Fun" Isn't Just a Tagline (Powered by RunSignup)

Customer Snapshot

50 Participants: At their First Race
20+: Races Today
200-500: Runners on Christmas Eve

All Things Fun Sports (ATFS) started as a tournament company — softball, cornhole, foot golf — before stumbling into racing. Today, the team runs more than 20 races a year across multiple Washington locations, all built around one rule: fun comes first. They prioritize an inclusive, boutique racing model that centers on participant joy and comfort rather than speed or elitism. Additionally, they focus on sustainable racing (like cupless, pinless races).

The Challenge: Keeping the Fun First

ATFS doesn’t just host stock 5K’s. Their roster of events all start with the same simple question: what would actually be fun here. A few examples include:

The Haunted Hustle with costumed runners traversing through a cemetery with fog machines. In 2025, a registrant costumed as a “Runaway Bride” caught the attention of neighbors concerned that the the bride was actually running from some danger.
The Christmas Eve Ugly Sweater Run that includes three snow machines and 20+ holiday inflatables to make up for the lack of real holiday snow in the PNW.
The Mud Mountain Trail Race that runs through the foothills of Mount Rainier and includes a contest to find a hidden Bigfoot on course, as well as a re-named “Middle Finger Hill”.
A Day of the Dead Race through a corn maze — with the maze map on the back of the medal.
And many more!

With such a unique set of races, ATFS needed a technology partner that could take care of the boring things (safety, race day operations, and timing integration) so they could focus on the fun.

While their previous provider served their purpose at the time, ATFS migrated to RunSignup as they evolved, looking for something user-friendly with reliable options. RunSignup can provide solutions to the boring (but important) problems so the race team can focus on creating truly unique experiences.

Boring Solution #1: RaceDay CheckIn App

Race day check-in used to mean a hard copy, and a hunt for names. But no one wants to start their race day in a long line trying to explain how to spell “Siobhan”, so today ATFS uses the RaceDay CheckIn App and two iPads to check people in quickly and easily. In fact, they usually just need one check-in station, but keep a second iPad ready to tackle any momentary lines.

Check-In went really pretty smoothly, being able to automate it with the RaceDay CheckIn app like that.
Amy Wertz — All Things Fun Sports

The RaceDay CheckIn App makes it easy to go from not checked in, to checked in with a quick QR scan or name look-up.

Boring Solution #2: RaceJoy for Safety

While the RaceJoy app can also provide spectator engagement, for ATFS the main goal was simple providing a safety check for their trail races. By using RaceJoy to share course maps, ATFS can stay true to their commitment to being a sustainable, paperless company while still providing a key navigational tool.

Before implementing RaceJoy, a runner once wandered off an urban trail at night (they’re fine!). The team was drawn to RaceJoy because it would have made that situation much easier: they would have a last known ping to start the search. With RaceJoy, the team can stress about where to hide the branded rock, and not about whether runners will make it back to the finish line.

Even if we lost a race signal, with RaceJoy we’d have the last ping, and at least we’d have an area to start searching
Amy Wertz — All Things Fun Sports

RaceJoy also checks another box for the ATFS team: they use the custom audio experience to give sponsor shoutouts mid-course, without interrupting anyone’s personal music choice.

Boring Solution #3: Runner Communications

What’s not fun? Starting a race day by telling someone they can’t run with their dog and they can’t drink water on-course because they didn’t bring a cup. To avoid this, ATFS uses RunSignup’s integrated email marketing to email all registered participants with rules and reminders before race day. Their emails are straightforward and designed to ensure everyone shows up on race morning prepared, but they still have a little fun: they copy/paste emoji’s throughout the serious content to keep that sense of joy.

Summary: All Things Fun Races is Bringing More Fun

For all the silly elements in their races, ATFS is a serious business, focused on making sure the boring logistics (like insurance, permits, and registration) are handled so the runners can focus on the fun. To help, they need reliable, flexible partners like RunSignup.

And it’s working: ATFS continues to see an increasing number of repeat participants each year. By using RunSignup to streamline processes like race-day check-in and reduce operational demands, the team has more time to focus on what matters most — creating inclusive race experiences, building a loyal community of participants, and giving back to those in need. As their community of runners continues to grow, so does the impact they’re able to make in the communities they serve.

Look out for what’s next, and if you ever see a unicorn chasing a tiger in a cemetery in the PNW, just know that it’s probably just All Things Fun Sports participants having a ball!

All Things Fun Sports: When “Fun” Isn’t Just a Tagline (Powered by RunSignup)