Customer Snapshot
- Company Founded: 2014
- Annual Events: 12
- Years on RunSignup: 2
- Reduction in Check-in Time: 90%
About Trail Racing Over Texas
Trail Racing Over Texas (TROT) has been getting Texans outside and moving since 2014. After being revitalized in 2022 under new ownership by ultra-runner Cal Neff and his spouse Rachel, TROT has hosted hundreds of events across Texas, showcasing the state’s beautiful parks and ranches with family-friendly events designed for all abilities.
From 1-mile kids runs to 100-mile mountain adventures, TROT’s signature events include the Brazos Bend 50 & 100, Habanero Hundred, and the new Wildflower Trail Races. With approximately 12 races per year (typically one per month, excluding June and July), the company operates with a lean but dedicated team.
The Challenge
After taking over TROT in 2022, Cal and Rachel quickly realized their existing registration platform wasn’t equipped to handle their growing race portfolio or operational complexity. Key frustrations included:
- Unintuitive navigation: The platform was difficult to navigate, requiring constant workarounds and making simple tasks unnecessarily complex.
- Stagnant development: Their was minimal innovation or platform updates over the years, leaving race directors without modern tools.
- Race day inefficiencies: Paper-based check-in processes created three-hour lines at packet pickup, frustrating participants and volunteers alike.
- Limited participant management: Handling transfers, deferrals, and participant questions consumed significant backend time through manual email responses.
- Poor data visibility: Minimal traffic reporting and analytics made it difficult to share meaningful metrics with sponsors and partners.
- Website management burden: Maintaining separate race company and event registration websites led to conflicting information and double work.
“We couldn’t have executed our current races on the old platform. The complexity of our events demanded something more capable.”
—Cal Neff
The Solution
After their first six months of operation, TROT made the switch to RunSignup in 2023. The migration delivered immediate operational improvements:
RaceDay CheckIn App Eliminates Paper and Lines
The RaceDay CheckIn App transformed TROT’s race day operations. Volunteers downloaded the app on their own devices, eliminating the need for paper printouts and manual name searches. What was previously a three-hour line at their Habanero Hundred race was reduced to approximately 10 minutes the following year.
The app also enabled real-time communication between timing and check-in staff, allowing live edits to be reflected instantly across all devices—critical for managing last-minute changes at ultra-distance events.
AI Chatbot Reduces Customer Service Volume
TROT launched RunSignup’s AI Chatbot with their Brazos Bend 100 race, a Western States qualifier. The chatbot automatically answered common participant questions—one of the most significant pain points for lean race director teams—substantially cutting down email volume and freeing up staff to focus on race logistics.
Intuitive Platform with Continuous Innovation
Unlike their previous platform, RunSignup proved immediately intuitive. Cal appreciated the simple search functionality for finding specific reports and the platform’s frequent updates—sometimes weekly—that continually added new capabilities.
The platform’s responsiveness extended beyond features. Having a dedicated account manager (James Armington) and timing contact (Soren Larson) meant TROT could request features specific to their unique race formats and receive personalized support.
Self-Service Participant Management
RunSignup’s participant management features—including easy transfers and deferrals—dramatically reduced backend administrative time by allowing participants to manage their own registrations. This eliminated countless informational emails and freed up the small TROT team to focus on event execution.
Streamlined Email Communications
TROT uses RunSignup’s free email for race-specific communications to registered participants and volunteers. The platform’s simplicity and pre-scheduling capabilities help manage the intense workload leading up to race week, while TROT maintains its broader marketing database separately on their company website.
Consolidated Event Information
To eliminate the hassle of updating two websites simultaneously (which often led to conflicting information), TROT transitioned to using RunSignup event landing pages as their primary race information hub. This consolidation ensures participants always have accurate, up-to-date information.
The Results
Two years into their partnership with RunSignup, TROT has seen transformative results:
- Increased registration numbers: TROT has experienced steady growth in participant registrations since switching platforms.
- Dramatic operational efficiency: Race day check-in times dropped from three hours to 10 minutes, volunteer management became simpler, and administrative burden significantly decreased.
- Enhanced data capabilities: Strong data metrics and traffic reporting make it easier to demonstrate economic impact and value to sponsors and partners.
- Successful fundraising: RunSignup’s donation capabilities enabled TROT to raise $10,000 for Texas Search and Rescue through integrated race website donations.
- Scalable operations: With only three team members, TROT now manages 12 annual events efficiently—something that wouldn’t have been possible on their previous platform.
- Time savings for long-lead orders: The platform makes it easy to manage long lead-time orders for medals and shirts, with responsive data available when needed.
“The participant dashboard, clean visuals, and donation reports were huge for us. The AI chatbot cut down on customer service emails, which is a significant pain point for race directors. RunSignup made our jobs easier so we could focus on what matters most.”
—Cal Neff
Why It Worked
TROT’s success with RunSignup comes down to three key factors:
1. Intuitive Design: After years of navigating a clunky platform, the simplicity and logical organization of RunSignup eliminated daily frustrations.
2. Continuous Innovation: Frequent platform updates and new features (like the AI chatbot) keep improving the race director experience, contrasting sharply with their previous stagnant platform.
3. Responsive Support: Having dedicated contacts who understand their unique needs as an ultra race company has been invaluable for a small team managing complex events.
Looking Ahead
With a solid operational foundation now in place, TROT is planning to:
- Implement RaceJoy: Explore using RaceJoy for live participant tracking and safety features at their ultra-distance events.
- Continue event growth: With operational efficiencies in place, TROT can focus on growing their event portfolio and enhancing the participant experience.
- Expand use of event landing pages: Complete the transition to using RunSignup as their primary event information source, eliminating the need for a separate race company website.
By consolidating their race technology on RunSignup, Trail Racing Over Texas has positioned itself for sustainable growth while maintaining the high-touch, community-focused experience that makes their events special. With a lean team of three managing 12 annual races—including challenging ultra-distance events—TROT proves that the right technology platform can transform what’s possible for small race companies with big ambitions.
Big Tex Backyard Ultra
Brazos Bend 100
Brazos Bend 50
Habanero Hundred
San Felipe Shootout
Wildflower Trail Races