We are excited to share the press release below that announces race news alerts in RaceJoy!
Leading Race Day Tracking App Launches Newest Feature
July 18, 2016 – Moorestown, NJ – RaceJoy, a RunSignUp product, is the leading real-time participant tracking app for running and cycling events. Its newest feature, designed specifically for race organizers, allows races to administer news alerts through RaceJoy’s mobile platform. RaceJoy’s key features include live phone tracking, GPS-based progress alerts typically sent at every mile and Send-a-Cheer audio messages, including Text-to-Cheer. The app is available for all races in the United States, with more than 260,000 downloads from users in more than 65 countries.
RaceJoy provides a simple administration tool to set up and customize their races in RaceJoy. Race organizers are now able to use RaceJoy as a communication tool to interact with participants and spectators on important race news like weather conditions, road closures, cancellations or venue changes. Races can pre-load and schedule news alerts or send urgent messages on race day in real-time. Messages can include graphics, videos, links to other sites, sponsor logos and more.
“RaceJoy’s news alert system allows races to communicate important news and key race information to a highly engaged audience. We’ve already had races use RaceJoy to communicate severe weather conditions and closing of courses and have been told RaceJoy was a valuable part of their emergency communications. Now this tool is provided to race directors for self-management right from their dashboard. There really is no other more effective way to easily and quickly communicate with participants and spectators that are in dispersed locations,” said Bob Bickel, the founder of RunSignUp.
Race organizers can load content through RaceJoy’s web-based administration tool at any time and select when to send the message. The news alerts are sent as in-app notifications to those who have downloaded the app and logged into the event on their Apple or Android device. These news alerts provide races with an interactive and instantaneous delivery tool to supplement other emergency response communications. Due to the nature of RaceJoy’s key tracking and cheer features, users are highly engaged in the days leading up to and during the race – creating an effective communications platform.
“We have had a lot of requests from race organizers to have a way to easily announce race news to their participants and spectators on race day. When things come up at the race site, like emergency weather conditions, we want to make sure this is communicated as quickly and effectively as possible. By opening up the ability for races to self-manage news alerts, we’ve expanded the value RaceJoy brings to organizers,” said James Harris, RaceJoy’s creator.
Earlier this year, RaceJoy announced the release of it’s simplified RaceJoy administration system, which allows races to RaceJoy Ready their event in a few simple steps through a setup wizard online. The process allows races to manage information loaded to the app about the race, upload or build a course map, select sponsor options and customize progress alerts and social messages, download promotional tools, and see usage reports. The launch of the race-managed news alerts is an additional tool for races looking to offer an innovative experience to their participants’ and spectators’ race experience.