New to RunSignup and not sure where to start? The Race Wizard is your first stop — and your fastest path to going live.

In this RunSignup 101, we’ll walk through the Race Wizard step by step, covering everything you need to set up your event and start taking registrations with confidence.

Key topics include:

• Basic Race Setup — Name, Description, Location, and Date
• Creating Events and Distances
• Setting Up Processing Fees
• Scheduling Price Increases and Registration Periods
• Adding a Waiver
• Setting Up Your Payment Account
• 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 all attendees will receive the recorded webinar and slides.

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Webinar Summary

This RunSignup 101 webinar walks new race directors through the Race Wizard—the guided setup process for creating a race on RunSignup. From creating a race and configuring events to setting up pricing, payment accounts, giveaways, and branding, the session covers everything needed to launch an event in 24–48 hours. It also highlights common mistakes, answers frequently asked questions, and shares best practices to help organizers get their events live quickly.

Key takeaways

Start with the basics

Before creating your race, gather the essential information you’ll need:

• Race name and description
• General event location
• Basic pricing structure
• Payment account information
• Logos and images (if available)

Having these details ready makes the Race Wizard process much faster and helps avoid delays during onboarding.

Create your race with the Race Wizard

Getting started is simple:

• Click Create a Race from the RunSignup homepage (or Create New Race from My Races if you’re an existing user).
• The Race Wizard guides you through six setup steps.
• You can return to the wizard anytime to make changes—even after your race is live.

Configure your events and pricing

The webinar explains how to:

• Create multiple events (5K, 10K, walk, bike ride, etc.)
• Set event types and start times
• Build tiered pricing (Early Bird, Regular, Late Registration)
• Add participant limits, age restrictions, and gender restrictions when needed
• Choose who pays processing fees (registrant, race, or split)

RunSignup automatically manages registration period transitions, making price increases easy to schedule.

Customize waivers and giveaways

The Race Wizard also includes tools for:

• Editing or replacing the default waiver
• Selecting how participants acknowledge the waiver
• Creating giveaways such as race shirts or hats
• Managing giveaway inventory, sizing, and registration deadlines
• Uploading giveaway images to increase participant interest

These features help organizers provide a more polished registration experience.

Brand your race website

Organizers can quickly personalize their race website by:

• Uploading banners and logos
• Selecting or customizing color themes
• Adjusting race terminology (race, event, challenge, bike ride, etc.)

The webinar emphasizes that branding can always be updated later, so organizers shouldn’t delay launching while waiting for final graphics.

Set up your payment account early

One of the biggest takeaways is to complete your payment account setup as early as possible.

The presenters recommend:

• Creating the payment account during the Race Wizard process.
• Having banking information ready before starting.
• Expecting approval to take up to 48 business hours (or longer if additional verification is required).
• Responding quickly if additional documentation, such as a voided check, is requested.

A race accepting payments cannot go live without an approved payment account.

Learn your Race Dashboard

After completing the Race Wizard, organizers should become familiar with the Race Dashboard, including:

• Dashboard search to quickly find settings and features
• Participant search for managing registrations
• The full navigation menu using Show More
• Dashboard reports and quick statistics
• Returning to the Race Wizard whenever updates are needed

The presenters encouraged users to focus on the features they actually need rather than trying to learn every available option at once.

Common questions and best practices

The webinar wrapped up with several frequently asked questions, including:

• How to edit a race after it’s live (you can update it anytime).
• Setting up age-based pricing.
• Managing giveaway inventory.
• Why Social Security information is required during payment account setup.
• Where to find your race website URL.
• Why physical bibs must be ordered separately (RunSignup only provides virtual bibs for virtual events).

Organizers were also encouraged to work with experienced timers, who can provide valuable guidance on logistics, registration, and race operations.

Final takeaway

The Race Wizard is designed to simplify race setup by guiding organizers through each step of creating an event. By gathering basic information ahead of time, completing payment account setup early, and using the Race Dashboard’s built-in tools, race directors can confidently launch a fully functional registration website in just a day or two.