What’s the difference between these teams?

Last week I got a call saying, “Ian, I have no idea what the difference is between a running team, fundraising team and corporate team.”

As I listened, I thought to myself, “software built for a 30,000-runner marathon is rarely the best technology for a 1,000-runner 5K race.”

Later that day, I received an email highlighting the largest 100 races in the U.S. As I read it, I had two thoughts :

1. Bob and the RunSignup team now support 21 of the top 100 races in the U.S. I’m happy for them.

2. Big marathons require software with a lot of complicated features — like lottery systems, corral management and deduplication options — that aren’t relevant to most 5K races.

If you’re wondering what deduplication means, well, that’s exactly the point.

At Run The Day, we’ve intentionally ignored features that don’t help races with less than 5,000 participants. When a race director organizes an event with volunteers, often on top of another full-time job, they need different technology, systems and support than big marathons with paid, full-time staff. There’s no luxury of spending hours in webinars learning software designed for full-time operations teams.

For most races, complex software doesn’t add value — it wastes time, creates confusion and increases stress. All of which makes race-day mistakes more likely.

At Run The Day, we make life easier for race directors. Going back to the teams example, we offer a single option for teams. Sometimes it’s a group of fast runners, sometimes a family fundraising for a cancer survivor and sometimes employees from the same company.

Regardless, it gives 5K races what they need — without the headaches.

— Ian

How long has Run The Day been working with races?

Resources for Race Organizers

• Runner tracking with mobile apps

• When does DIY timing actually work? 

• The top 7 registration features that small races need