Event Information

Getting started with RunSignup can feel a little overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be.

In this webinar, our onboarding team will highlight a series of powerful but often overlooked features that can make your race day smoother, your setup more efficient, and your participants happier. Whether you’re a first-time race director or someone who’s only scratched the surface of the dashboard, this webinar will help you discover tools you may not even know you’re missing.

Key topics include:

• Flexible Pricing Options
• Promotion and Marketing Tools
• Self-Serve Management Tools
• And more!

This session is designed for newer race directors, but even experienced users might learn something new. We’ll answer questions throughout the webinar and wrap up with live Q&A.

View Slides

Summary of Webinar 

What You’ll Learn

• How to navigate the race dashboard quickly (and not get lost)

• How to use flexible pricing: age-based discounts, multi-person pricing, and coupons

• Which built-in marketing tools you should absolutely turn on (QR codes, referrals, email)

• How to configure donations so people actually give

• How to leverage the Volunteer platform inside RunSignup

• Extra self-service tools that reduce your inbox: transfers, edits, deferrals, team management, swag changes

• The difference between giveaways vs. add-ons, and when to use each

• Why you need a clear refund policy (and where it fits in your setup)

1. Dashboard Navigation & Search

Three ways to reach your race dashboard:

1. From RunSignup.com

   • Log in → click your profile picture (top right) → My Races → click your race → Dashboard

2. From Your Profile Page

   • Log in → go to Profile → scroll to Director Links → My Races → choose race → Dashboard

3. From Your Race Website

   • Visit your public race page while logged in → click profile picture → Race Dashboard

Key overlooked elements:

• “Show More” menu

  • Many tools are tucked under this; if you can’t find something, check here.

• Two powerful search bars:

  • Signups tab search (top/right): quickly find participants

  • Menu Search (left navigation): search for features / pages (e.g., type “discount” and jump straight to discount settings)

Takeaway: Learn the dashboard search tools and you’ll cut down your “where is that again?” time dramatically.

2. Flexible Pricing Features

Shauna highlights three high-value pricing tools:

1. Age-Based Pricing

• Great for family events, school races, youth-focused events

• Example: Adults = $35, Kids (≤18) = $20

• System automatically applies the right price based on DOB entered during registration
  → No manual checking or special codes needed.

2. Multi-Person Pricing

• Encourages groups and families to register together

• Example:

  • 1 person = $30

  • 3+ people in the same transaction = $20/person

• Boosts registrations and rewards group signups without extra admin work.

3. Coupons

• Simple but powerful:

  • Set expirations

  • Limit total uses

  • Track redemptions in the dashboard

• Perfect for:

  • Sponsor promos

  • Social media campaigns

  • Partner orgs & influencers

3. Marketing Tools You Shouldn’t Ignore

QR Codes

• Built directly into RunSignup

• Add them to:

  • Posters

  • Flyers

  • Sponsor tables

  • Social graphics

• They send people right to registration or your race site.

• Shauna’s tip: Use the dashboard menu search to find “QR” quickly instead of clicking around.

Referral Rewards

• One of the strongest built-in growth tools:

  • System gives each registrant a referral link

  • You set thresholds (e.g., refer 3 friends → get $20 back)

  • Refunds happen automatically, and you can track performance

How to make it work:

• Promote it (don’t just turn it on quietly)

• Tell participants what they can earn

• Highlight top referrers to create friendly competition

• Set a meaningful reward so it’s actually motivating

Email (only lightly covered here)

• RunSignup Email V2 gives you:

  • Automated emails (e.g., abandoned reg reminders)

  • Weekend-of-race updates

  • Easy inserts like QR codes & dynamic data

• There’s a separate deep-dive webinar on this, but message: don’t skip email—use it.

4. Donations

Basic Setup Tips

To maximize donations, always:

1. Add a charity logo

   • Visual trust + recognizability

2. Write a short, compelling description

   • “What this supports” → clear, specific, human

3. Create suggested donation levels

   • $10, $25, $50, $100, etc.

   • Removes decision friction and nudges people upwards

Inline Donations (Shauna’s favorite)

• Donations appear inside the registration flow, not as a separate detour

• This:

  • Keeps users focused

  • Dramatically increases completion rates

  • Keeps the “yes” momentum going

Checkout Donation Prompt

• The classic: “Would you like to add $1?”

• Tiny asks across many registrations add up quickly

• Very little effort to set up, high long-term payoff

5. Volunteer Platform

• Fully integrated inside RunSignup

• Lets you:

  • Create jobs/tasks and shifts

  • Handle waivers

  • Email volunteers by group or job

• Removes the need for third-party volunteer tools

• Free and centralized with your race data

Shauna doesn’t go deep here (there’s a YouTube tutorial), but emphasizes:
If you’re not using it, you’re missing an easy win.

6. Extra Features Worth Exploring

These didn’t get full walkthroughs but were highlighted as must-explore:

Participant Self-Service Tools

Let participants manage:

• Registration edits (typos, emails, DOB, etc.)

• Event transfers (5K → 10K, etc.)

• Deferrals (this year → next year)

• Group/Team management (join, change teams)

• Giveaway & add-on changes (up until your chosen cutoff)

Benefit to you:

• Fewer support emails

• Happier participants

• Clearer rules and expectations

Giveaways vs. Add-Ons

• Giveaways = included with registration (e.g., t-shirt, pint glass)

• Add-ons = extra paid items (e.g., beer tickets, extra merch, VIP parking)

Use them intentionally:

• Giveaways → core participation value

• Add-ons → revenue and experience boosters

Refund Policy

• Life happens: injuries, weather, conflicts

• A clear refund/credit policy:

  • Protects your event

  • Sets expectations from day one

  • Reduces “angry email” surprises

Final Takeaways

• Your dashboard is packed with tools—using the search bar and Show More menu will unlock a ton.

• Don’t miss flexible pricing: age-based, multi-person, and coupons can align your pricing with your audience and goals.

• Turn on and promote referral rewards, QR codes, and email automations; they’re some of the platform’s biggest growth levers.

• Optimize donations with logos, clear descriptions, suggested amounts, inline flows, and tiny checkout prompts.

• Use the built-in volunteer platform to ditch spreadsheets and third-party tools.

• Lean on participant self-service features to cut down on admin and empower your runners.

• Be intentional with giveaways vs. add-ons, and clearly communicate your refund policy.