Your first race: common questions

Getting started

Is Run This free for my race?

Free races are completely free. For paid races, runners pay 5% + $1 per registration at checkout, card processing included, and you keep 100% of your price. There are no setup fees, monthly fees or contracts. See pricing for examples.

Who can put on a race with Run This?

Anyone who is authorized to organize the event: race directors, running clubs, charities, schools, and people hosting a birthday run or a fun run with friends. You do not need to be a company or a nonprofit.

What do I need to get started?

Your race's name, date, location and a contact phone number. After that you add your distances and prices (or mark the race free), a short description, and the dates registration opens and closes. Most races are ready to publish in a few minutes. The step by step version is in Creating an event.

Is my race live as soon as I save it?

No. Your race saves as a draft that only you, your co-directors and the Run This team can see. Anyone else who opens the link sees a page-not-found message, so wait to share it until you publish. A few quick steps walk you through what is left, and your race goes live when you click Publish my race.

I closed the page halfway. Did I lose my race?

No. Everything you entered is saved. On the website, click Create your race again or open your home page; in the Run This app, tap Add race. Pick up where you left off takes you back to the step you were on. Inside your race's dashboard, the Not live yet bar does the same with Finish setup. If your race is still a draft the next morning, we email you a reminder with what is left, and one more a few days later.

What do I need before I can publish?

A description, a start date that has not passed, a location with city and state, a contact phone number, the dates registration opens and closes, and at least one distance with a price or Free entry. If your race takes money (a paid distance, a priced shirt or a fundraiser), you also connect a payout account first. The full list is in Publishing your event.

Privacy

Who can find my race once it is published?

You choose when you create your race, and you can change it anytime from Edit event, Other options, Visibility & discovery.

• Anyone. Your race shows up in Run This race search and on Google.
• Only people I share the link with. Anyone with the link can see it and register, but it stays out of search. Good for birthday runs, club runs and private groups.

Why do you need my phone number?

So the Run This team can reach you if something comes up with your race. Only you, your co-directors and the Run This team can see it. It is never shown on your event page.

Will runners see my email address?

No. Every Contact button on your event page opens a short message form. Messages reach you by email, and replying goes straight back to the runner. Your address is never shown publicly. More in Messages from athletes.

Money

Do I need a bank account for a free race?

No. A free race with no priced shirts or merch and no fundraiser does not need a payout account. You only connect one when your race can take money.

How do I get paid for a paid race?

Run This never holds your money. On your dashboard's Payments page you either fill in one secure bank form or connect your own Stripe account. Registration money reaches your bank once it finishes settling, typically a couple of business days. Details are in Payouts.

Who handles refunds?

You do. You can refund any amount up to what a runner paid, from your dashboard. The Run This fee and card processing fees are not refunded. See Refunds.

Your runners

How do runners sign up?

They open your race page, tap Register, and sign in or create a free Run This account. Then they pick a distance, fill in their details, accept the waiver and check out (no card needed for a free race). Everyone gets a confirmation email.

Is there a waiver?

Yes. Every registration includes the Run This Liability Waiver, and you can add up to two waivers of your own if your insurer, venue or city requires them. See Waivers.

After you create your race

Can I change details after I create my race?

Yes. The name, date, location, distances and prices can all be changed at any time, before or after you publish. Two things are fixed once you save: your race's link and where people register. If either needs to change, contact Run This.

Can I take my race down after I publish it?

Until anyone registers or signs up to volunteer, you can move your race back to a draft. After that you can postpone or cancel it, or switch it to only people you share the link with. See Postponing, cancelling and archiving.

Can other people help me run it?

Yes. Invite co-directors by email and they can edit the race and manage registrations with you. On race day, volunteers can run check-in from their phones with a code, no account needed.

Can I manage my race from my phone?

Yes. The free Run This app for iPhone and Android has a director dashboard, and the website works on any phone.

What else can my race have?

Multiple distances, kids races with age limits, capacity limits, team relays, coupons, shirts and merch, and on race day: check-in, bib numbers, results and a free stopwatch for timing it yourself. Start with Sub-events and pricing.