Knowledge Base / Getting Started / Your First Race

Your First Race

Racer Last updated: March 2026

Overview

A Racery virtual race typically runs 2 to 6 weeks and involves participants logging physical activities that convert into miles on a virtual route. This guide walks through what happens at each stage so you know exactly what to expect.

Key Features

Every Racery race includes a core set of features that work together to create an engaging experience:

Feature What It Does
Virtual Route A real-world geography that participants traverse virtually, with Street View and stories along the way
Activity Tracking 80+ activity types (running, yoga, cycling, etc.) convert into race miles
Leaderboards Individual and team standings updated in real time
Teams Group participants into teams for friendly competition
Photo Gallery Participants share photos from their activities
Activity Feed A live stream of logged activities with 360° Street View
Bling & Awards Digital bibs, finish awards, streak badges, and quiz awards
Social Engagement Likes, comments, message boards, and shoutouts
Analytics Dashboard reports on participation, engagement, and outcomes

Before Launch

As an organizer, you will prepare your race in the dashboard before it goes live:

  • Choose a route: Select from pre-built routes or request a custom route that matches your theme
  • Set the dates: Pick a start and end date. Most races run 4 to 6 weeks. Shorter sprints (2 weeks) work for quick events
  • Configure activities: Decide which activity types to enable. The default set covers 80+ activities but you can customize the list
  • Set up teams: Create teams by department, office, or ERG — or let participants self-select
  • Prepare invitations: Upload a CSV of email addresses or generate a self-registration link

Tip: Send a "save the date" communication a week before launch. Early awareness boosts day-one registration rates significantly.

Donation ≠ Registration — the #1 source of enterprise confusion. Donating to a charity through your organization’s internal system (e.g., corporate giving portal) does not register you for the Racery race. Racery registration is a separate step: visit the race link → click “Join Now” → enter timezone/city/email → pay the entry fee. The entry fee (e.g., $11) is separate from any charity donation. If participants miss the Racery registration step, the organizer can request coupon codes from team@racery.com for free entry, or use the bulk buy page (/r/<race-slug>/bulkbuy) to pre-purchase entries. Internal communications should direct participants to the Racery registration link to avoid this confusion.

Launch Day

When the race starts:

  • Invitation emails go out (if using email invites)
  • Participants click to join and set up their profiles
  • Avatars appear on the pre-race map showing each participant's physical location
  • The virtual route becomes active and participants can begin logging activities

Expect the highest registration volume in the first 2-3 days. Stragglers will continue joining throughout the first week.

During the Race

Once the race is underway, participants and organizers each have their own rhythm:

For Participants

  • Log activities daily via the mobile app or web dashboard
  • Watch your avatar progress along the virtual route
  • Unlock milestones with photos, stories, and awards
  • Share photos of your activities in the gallery
  • Check leaderboards to see team and individual standings
  • Earn streak badges for consecutive days of activity

For Organizers

  • Monitor participation rates on the dashboard
  • Send encouragement messages and shoutouts to keep energy high
  • Track which teams are most active
  • Share weekly highlights with leadership

After the Race

When the race ends:

  • Finish awards: Every participant who completes the race earns a digital finish award with their name, distance, and race details
  • Analytics: Export reports showing participation rates, total miles, most active teams, popular activities, and more
  • Surveys: Some races include a post-race survey link (e.g., Google Form) to gather participant feedback
  • Sharing: Participants can download and share their bling (bibs, finish awards, badges) on social media

Timezone Handling

Racery uses a dual-timezone system that treats racers and administrators differently:

Context Timezone Used
Racer experience Each racer's timezone, selected at registration. The race starts and ends at midnight in the racer's local timezone.
Admin dashboards All admin-facing information — reports, email scheduling, and dashboard timestamps — displays in Eastern Standard Time (EST). There is no option to change the admin timezone.

Common Gotchas

  • Scheduling emails: The announcement email dashboard uses EST. If you are in the Pacific timezone and schedule an email for 8:00 AM, it sends at 8:00 AM EST (5:00 AM Pacific). If 8:00 AM EST has already passed, the system will reject the timestamp as "in the past."
  • Race end logging: A racer can still log activity until midnight in their timezone on the last day of the race, but they must be logged in for the system to check their timezone. If not logged in, the race page may show "Race closed."
  • Backdating: The number of days a racer can backdate activities is a separate setting configured per race in the dashboard.

For global organizations: Per-racer timezones mean a Hong Kong participant's race starts at midnight Hong Kong time, not New York time. This makes Racery well-suited for international teams spread across time zones.

Running Your Race Again Next Year

Many sponsors run recurring events annually. Racery supports this through race cloning — duplicating your previous race as a starting point for the new one.

How to Clone a Race

  1. Email team@racery.com requesting a duplicate of your previous race
  2. The Racery team clones the race and sends you the new race link and dashboard link
  3. Update dates, route details, and any other settings that changed from last year
Note: Race cloning is not self-serve — it requires the Racery team to process your request. After cloning, premium dashboards (e.g., Bling Management) may need to be separately activated by support. Check your dashboards and let team@racery.com know if anything is missing.

Tips for Success

  • Communicate early and often: Pre-race buzz drives higher participation. Send reminders during the race to keep momentum
  • Set realistic distances: Match the total route distance to your audience and duration. A 500-mile route over 4 weeks is achievable for most groups
  • Celebrate milestones: Acknowledge when teams hit milestones. Public recognition drives engagement
  • Use teams wisely: Teams of 6-20 people work best. Too small and individual absences hurt the team; too large and the team bond weakens
  • Enable diverse activities: The more activity types you allow, the more inclusive your race will be

Next Steps

Virtual Routes

Explore pre-built and custom route options.

Teams & Groups

Set up teams and #groups for your race.

Activity Types

See all 80+ supported activity types.

Contact support if you have questions.

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