Event Information

Join Event Day Product Manager Matt Avery and RaceDay Senior Technical Account Manager Soren Larson to see how timers are leveraging AI to save time and add value. We’ll cover real examples of using AI for scoring, participant communication, and on-site operations.

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Summary of Webinar 

What You’ll Learn

• How to configure on-site registration, packet pickup, and dynamic bib assignment for speed and accuracy

• What to set up in the Timer Dashboard, RaceDay CheckIn app, RaceJoy, Results, and Photos (including Mobile Timing Photos)

• Practical checklists to avoid race-morning surprises and shorten lines

Key Stats & Context (use in RD conversations)

• Scale: 1.1M participants across 936 races on Thanksgiving Day 2024; 322 races had 1,000+ participants

• CheckIn App: Used by 54% of Turkey Trots; 66% of participants checked in via the app (700k+ people in one morning)

• RaceJoy (2024): 32 partners / 57 events / 7,000 GPS phones / 51k progress alerts / ~20k cheers

• Results notifications (2024): 23% of events enabled; 550k emails/SMS sent

• Photos (2024): 16% of races uploaded photos; 100k+ images (expect a jump with Mobile Timing Photos)

Fast, High-Impact Sections

1) Registration & On-Site Reg

• Test everything early. Confirm internet/power, OS updates, and staffing.

• Promote price increases to reduce race-morning traffic.

• QR-first flow: Post RunSignup → Promotion → Links → SignUp QR everywhere; push a pre-packet-pickup email with the participant QR code.

• On-Site Registration (OSR): Enable OSR with a station password + optional cash pay password (do not publish). Train staff.

• No internet? Cut off reg before final export; have a clear path to import paper forms quickly (Quick Add in RaceDay Scoring or shared sheet).

2) Giveaways & Inventory

• Turn on Giveaway Inventory and add a No Shirt option to avoid cascading size swaps.

• Changes made during CheckIn will update inventory; be mindful that transfers may not.

3) Timer Dashboard – Pre-race Command Center

• Profile → My Timer Account → Dashboard to see across races:

  • Raw read counts, unknowns, in-progress, first/last expected vs. actual finisher times

  • Backups status

  • CheckIn App status (set up / future / ready) — critical for dynamic bib races

4) RaceDay CheckIn App (participants & volunteers)

• Enable it first: RaceDay Tools → RaceDay CheckIn Mobile App

  • Set Shared Password (not your RSU password).

  • Define the CheckIn window (opens for testing; close ≥30 minutes after last start).

• Core settings for speed:

  • Require Bib (for dynamic)

  • Auto-show camera on Bib assignment (use QR on bibs)

  • Display Giveaway; Allow Un-check-ins; Prevent Duplicate Bibs; Bib Validation

• Related registrations: Bulk check-in by Same Transaction or Same Team.

• Turkey Trot tip: If handing multiple bibs, write names on the back to prevent swaps at family events.

5) RaceJoy (on-course experience & monitoring)

• Great for onsite and virtual Turkey Trots; enables GPS tracking, cheers, progress alerts.

• Bib/Chip alerts (via RaceDay Scoring middleware) + optional Predictive Pace (needs enough splits; request enable).

• Certification required to offer RaceJoy: email info@racejoy.com (video + quiz).

• Turn on ~10 days out. Use the web console to monitor participants, milestones, leaders, and send RD audio messages.

6) Results & Notifications

• Push live results to RunSignup (RaceDay Scoring or other software).

• Enable notifications: RaceDay Tools → Results → Setup Results, Notifications & Links (email/SMS subscribers).

• Participant pages support certificates, photos, and easy social sharing.

7) Photos (incl. Mobile Timing Photos)

• Why: Post-race delight, sponsor/RD branding (watermarks), viral social reach.

• Setup: Dashboard → Photos → Photo Setup; add a watermark (use a smaller hidden sponsor logo if the main logo is too large).

• Mobile Timing Photos (new & free):

  • App modes: Photo-only or Backup Timing + Photos

  • Import race, select/create album, take photos → auto-upload to RSU, auto-tag by bib, link to results

  • Auto-capture: e.g., 1 photo/sec for 60 min on a tripod at finish; shows data usage estimate

  • Best practices: 4-digit bibs, clear kerning, visible bib placement; test framing; Wi-Fi-only upload if needed

8) Bonus Uses of the CheckIn App

• Results Kiosk: Device Settings → Lookup Method = Kiosk Mode (or select the Results preset) for bib-based lookup.

• Medical Tent: Check people in/out to track duration without storing sensitive details.

Prompting & Comms Tips

• Send a Pre-Pickup Email (Prebuilt → Pre-Race) the day before with:

  • Participant QR code (Registration ID QR), packet-pickup instructions, and a map/parking link.

• Publish QR posters on-site so late registrants use their phones (fastest line).

Best Practices Checklist

Pre-Race (week prior)

• Confirm internet/power and staffing; update devices

• Enable On-Site Reg & passwords; print QR posters

• Configure Giveaway Inventory + No Shirt

• Timer Dashboard reviewed (backups, CheckIn status)

• Enable CheckIn App + window dates; set speed settings

• Build Results + Notifications; add certificates

• Photo setup + watermark; prep Mobile Timing Photos (albums, framing)

• If using RaceJoy: complete certification; configure GPS/Bib alerts; request Predictive Pace if eligible

Race Morning

• Open CheckIn window; verify sync

• Post QR signs; check kiosks; test a full check-in

• Start Mobile Timing Photos / auto-capture; spot-check uploads/tags

• Monitor RaceJoy console (leaders, last runner, messages)

Post-Race

• Ensure results notifications fired

• Validate photos, tagging, certificates

• Consider sending a post-race wrap (counts, split density, top photos) to the RD

Final Advice

Turkey Trots are high-volume, family-heavy, and line-sensitive. Test early, make QR codes ubiquitous, enable the CheckIn window ahead of time, and add RaceJoy + Mobile Timing Photos for a standout experience you can showcase when renewing contracts in the new year.