Event Information
WHEN
ON DEMAND
Hosting an ultra or trail race and looking for a technology solution that actually makes life easier in the woods? Check out this on-demand webinar to learn how technology can strengthen your marketing, streamline pre-race operations, and create a safer, smoother race day experience.
In this webinar, we cover:
- How flexible participant management options can reduce customer service demands, improve the runner experience, and even increase revenue
- How to put free marketing tools to work to reach new runners and re-engage past participants
- How to sign up and manage volunteers with a free, integrated volunteer platform
- How insurance options can help increase early registrations and revenue
- RaceDay technology options that make your course safer and more enjoyable
- How the RaceDay CheckIn App can eliminate lines, even without WiFi
And more!
Technology for Ultra & Trail Races: Webinar Summary
Overview
Ultra and trail races demand a tremendous amount of logistical support, safety planning, and participant management — often over longer registration windows and in more remote conditions than most road races. This webinar walks through how RunSignup’s full technology stack applies specifically to the ultra and trail space, much of it at little to no cost.
Ultra Race Trends
RunSignup pulled specific ultra race data for the first time using refined filtering methods. A few highlights worth knowing for planning purposes:
- Ultra races are distributed more evenly year-round with more winter events and fewer summer events compared to road races
- About 32–33% of ultra runners identify as women, compared to ~53% in races overall
- Ultra runners register significantly earlier than road race participants — factor this into your marketing calendar
- Ultras hosted on RunSignup saw approximately 8% year-over-year growth from 2024 to 2025, ahead of the overall 5% market growth
Participant Management
Self-serve options allow participants to transfer bibs, defer to a future year, switch distances, and purchase add-ons — all without contacting the race director. You control which options are available, and can charge fees for transfers and deferrals to generate incremental revenue. With registration windows of up to a year, these tools dramatically reduce the volume of back-and-forth with runners.
Waivers — Up to three waivers can be included directly in registration, each signed and timestamped. Signed waivers are stored as PDFs and easily pulled as a report, eliminating the need for a separate waiver platform.
Wait lists automatically notify the next person in line when a spot opens and give them a configurable window to claim it. Fully automated — no spreadsheets or manual outreach needed.
Participant insurance through Fan Shield is zero cost and zero work for race directors beyond toggling it on. Participants handle claims directly with Fan Shield, and race directors receive 20% of the insurance fees collected.
Loyalty tools — Year-over-year renewal data lives on your dashboard. You can set up automated early access or discounts for returning runners and download full loyalty lists to recognize long-term participants.
Marketing Your Event
Discoverability — Every race on RunSignup gets an SEO-optimized website automatically. About 30% of all registrations in 2025 came directly from Google. Renewing your race year over year preserves your URL, carrying forward SEO authority built up over time. Races are also automatically added to RunSignup’s affiliate network, which feeds platforms like Ultra Running Magazine and Running in the USA — no submission required. AI-powered search is a growing channel; detailed FAQs and rich content on your race website help AI tools surface your event accurately.
Email drives at least 12% of registrations (likely more, since third-party sends aren’t counted). Email is built directly into your race dashboard with segmented lists, custom uploads, and organization-level emails for multi-race newsletters. Automated emails worth turning on: incomplete registration reminders, price increase notifications, and post-registration follow-ups for referral and team promotion.
Referral program — On average drives about 6% of registration dollars when enabled, and up to 20–30% when actively promoted. Rewards (financial refunds or swag) are automated.
Teams — About 30% of runners register when a team option is available. For ultras and relays especially, this is a natural fit and a meaningful driver of new sign-ups.
Race Day Technology
RaceDay Check-In App
Beyond bib assignment, the check-in app has several applications specific to trail and ultra events:
- Remote aid station arrivals — Configure a simple custom question preset so volunteers can mark arrivals at remote locations without timing equipment. Data stores locally and syncs when connectivity returns.
- Volunteer check-in — Confirm volunteer presence at aid stations and trail locations at a glance
- Medical mode — Track participant medical check-ins and check-outs with timestamps, notes, and downloadable reports
- Offline capability — Works without cell service; all changes sync automatically when signal is restored
Mobile Timing App
A flexible, low-cost tool for capturing data at remote locations without expensive timing infrastructure:
- Capture split data at aid stations using just a tablet and Bluetooth keyboard
- Score and publish for low-density events that only need finish time-based age group results — works with one or two people
- Photo capture at remote locations — photos are auto-tagged to bib numbers, held locally, and uploaded when Wi-Fi is available
- Announcer mode — real-time participant data displays automatically as timing reads come in; can be deployed at key checkpoints, not just the finish line
- Motion-triggered photo capture (coming this summer)
- Live video streaming (coming later this year)
RaceJoy — Participant Tracking and Safety
RaceJoy is available through certified timer partners (~400 across North America) and is built specifically for remote and long-distance events.
- GPS tracking — Course maps are downloaded to participants’ phones before the race. Tracking, off-course alerts, and course navigation all work without cell connectivity and in airplane mode.
- Off-course alerts — Participants receive audio alerts when they deviate from the course. Race directors see these alerts on the operational dashboard in real time — multiple alerts at the same location signal a signage issue.
- SOS and bidirectional communication — Participants can drop a pin or trigger an SOS from anywhere on course. Race directors can send messages back to individuals or broadcast to everyone, even in low-connectivity environments.
- Geo-based course messages — Pre-configured audio or text-to-speech messages triggered when a participant reaches a specific GPS location. Useful for key decision points, safety reminders, or motivational messages.
- Team and relay tracking — GPS and timing data combine into a single operational view showing all team locations and progress across the course.
All participant-facing features work offline. Data syncs automatically when connectivity is restored, whether from a ridge with cell service or a timer-deployed Starlink checkpoint.
Getting Started
Before building your event, have your distances, divisions, pricing tiers, and add-ons decided. Then go to runsignup.com, click Create a Race, and follow the seven-step race wizard. RunSignup’s onboarding team is available to help, and additional resources — how-to videos, blogs, and webinars — are available at runsignup.com under Knowledge Base > Webinars and Events.
Key Takeaways
- Ultra runners register earlier — plan your marketing calendar around those spikes
- Self-serve tools, waivers, wait lists, and participant insurance reduce race director workload while improving the runner experience
- The Check-In App works offline and has meaningful uses beyond check-in: aid station arrivals, volunteer management, and medical tracking
- The Mobile Timing App is a low-cost way to add splits, photos, and announcer capability at remote locations
- RaceJoy provides GPS tracking, off-course alerts, SOS, and course messaging — everything works on the participant’s phone without cell service
- Most tools are free and self-serve; RaceJoy requires a certified timer partner