Customer Snapshot
- Number of Participants: 3,000
- Years as a Race: 28
- Percentage of Growth After Switching to RunSignup: 20%
Overview
The North Colorado Medical Center (NCMC) Turkey Trot is a long-standing Thanksgiving tradition. In 2025, the race celebrated its 28th year and reached a new milestone. Proceeds benefit cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation patients attending the Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program at North Colorado Medical Center and are utilized through the Turkey Trot fund held at the Weld Legacy Foundation.
After switching to RunSignup, the event saw record participation, growing from 2,500 runners in 2024 to 3,000 runners in 2025. The change also delivered major operational improvements for race directors, volunteers, participants, the charity partner, and sponsors.
Why the NCMC Turkey Trot Chose RunSignup
Prior to 2025, the NCMC Turkey Trot used a registration platform that was tied to their timing provider, which limited flexibility and added manual work for the race team. Over time, the organizers recognized the need for a platform that better supported their workflow and reduced day-to-day stress.
In 2025, the race partnered with Runners Roost Race Services, a timing company already integrated with RunSignup, making the transition straightforward.
After making the switch, the team quickly saw how well RunSignup could support their needs, revealing new opportunities to streamline operations and manage the event more efficiently.
“I wish we would have switched to RunSignup sooner!”
— Heather Schminke, Race Director
Solving Critical Registration Challenges
One of the biggest limitations previously was that their former timer closed online registration the Friday before Thanksgiving, nearly five days before race day. That early deadline came at a cost.
Industry data shows that about 25% of registrations happen during the final week before a race. By closing early, the NCMC Turkey Trot lost potential participants, revenue, and donations each year.With RunSignup, the race kept online registration open through race day. This flexibility directly contributed to the event’s record turnout and removed unnecessary barriers for last-minute runners.
Streamlining Bib Assignment and Packet Pickup
Previously, volunteers spent hours sorting bibs alphabetically and searching for participant names during packet pickup. The process was time-consuming and stressful. RunSignup helped eliminate that workload.Partnering with their timer, Runners Roost Race Services, they were able to implement dynamic bib assignments, allowing race volunteers at picket pickup to issue bibs in real time through the RaceDay CheckIn App. Volunteers simply checked in a participant on their phone and assigned them a bib number on the spot. This approach eliminated pre-race bib sorting, reduced volunteer confusion, and significantly shortened lines at packet pickup.
The race’s account manager, James Armington, volunteering at packet picket
Dual-Purpose QR Codes
Each bib included a dual-purpose QR code. Volunteers used it for participant check-in, and runners used it to access their finish time and race photos immediately after finishing! By using the Mobile Timing App real-time photo integration feature, event volunteers could capture photos on race day which were uploaded automatically and became viewable within moments, enhancing the post-race experience.
One QR code supported both race operations and participant results and photo access.
Duel-purpose QR code on the race bib
A Better Experience for Everyone Involved
Switching to RunSignup saved the race organizers time and reduced race-week pressure. The platform centralized registration, check-in, results, photos, and communication in one place.
“RunSignup made our jobs easier so we could focus on the things that mattered most.”
— Allison Miller, Sponsorship and Marketing Chair
The race team implemented the RunSignup AI chatbot, which handled common participant questions automatically, including:
- “Are there age group awards for this event?”
- “Are dogs allowed?”
This reduced inbox volume and freed up staff to focus on race logistics.
For runners, RunSignup created a true all-in-one experience starting with a seamless registration experience. Following the event, rather than having to visit multiple websites to see results and race photos, participants were able to view results, see bib tagged photos and even watch finish line video all on RunSignup.
For Weld Legacy Foundation, the race’s charity partner, using RunSignup provided them an intuitive easy-to-use platform which streamlined their communication with participants and sponsors. This made a big difference in their overall operations.
RunSignup also delivered value to race sponsors. Sponsors benefited from increased visibility through the event website and email communications. Images can include sponsor logos as a watermark, as an additional way to highlight event sponsors.
Ultimately, the switch to RunSignup helped everyone have a more positive experience, and the team at NCMC Turkey Trot look forward to using the platform for years to come.
“RunSignup is a game-changer.”
— Heather Schminke, Race Director
Race Committee members – includes Race Director Heather Schminke (top row, far left) and Sponsor and Marketing Chair Allison Miller (top row, second from left).