Run Sign Up Partner?

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

I'm trying to wrap my head around Run Sign Up. Is it necessary or even beneficial to become a "Partner"?

Can someone walk me through the pros and cons like I'm a 3rd grader?

I'm only planning on timing a dozen or so races a year. Most are already established. Would I be better off just asking for a spreadsheet of entrants? If that is the case, what are my other options for posting results? If they are using a different website to sign up (active dot com, etc) can you post results there?

I keep reading and reading trying to get up to speed on all of this. Hope to purchase gear and software first of the year.

[blueridgetiming]

You should create a RSU timers account. ART integrates directly to RSU in which case you can hit one button and all registrations would be synced to your computer. Then you click one button and results are posted to RSU.

Spreadsheets work fine, but I don't see the point of asking for a spreadsheet when it'll be more work for you over simply clicking 1 button.

The partnership depends on your role in the event. If you found/created the event RSU gives you a slight kickback in return for hopefully helping out the race director with their tedious RSU questions.

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

You should create a RSU timers account. ART integrates directly to RSU in which case you can hit one button and all registrations would be synced to your computer. Then you click one button and results are posted to RSU.

Then I would ENCOURAGE the RD to use RSU?

[blueridgetiming]

Yes, without the race using RSU as their registration platform, there isn't much reason to discuss options that are provided within ART. I often charge more for races that decide to use another platform since it is more of a headache for me.

If you are using a different registration platform, then your only real option is to request a spreadsheet from the RD. For me this proves to be somewhat problematic as you often encounter missing or horribly formatted data. 

[Ohio Race Day]

When I first obtained my RSU account, I needed to create nine races a year to qualify for their Partner program.  Once I partner, you get a partner fee from RSU that is a portion of the service fee paid by the participant.  The race still gets all of their money.  The partner shares in the service fee that is tacked on to the registration cost.  I try to steer all of my races to RSU and only have a couple that are sort of stuck with another online registration service.  The biggest benefit is having all participants in one spot and giving access to the RD so they can see what you can see.  They can manually enter any participants that sign up via paper registration.  So online registrants and paper registrants are in the same location.  This helps create a t-shirt report when the RD goes to order shirts.  The RD will have access to all financials too.

[Phil Cook]

Hi Guy’s

Sorry for my ignorance, is this just a USA event site?

Phil

[Bryan Jenkins]

Yes, for registration we are a US only site, but for results anyone can use it and we have many Agee timers who use RunSignUp for results posting.

[Rivalry Timing]

Hi Gregg, yea I love using RunSignUp when I can! Definitely a treat. 

And other RD's use other registration platforms, of course, but you have to import a spreadsheet and align all the columns, yadda yadda. So you can't beat one button syncing in the Agee Race Timing software using RunSignUp. Then you can literally let runners register on laptops or mobile phones up to minutes before the race, if allowing same day sign ups is your style. Just make sure to have internet! (I actually use my iPhone to create a mobile hot spot to connect several devices, or other staff smart phones if needed).

From ART you can also publish results during gaps of finishers every so often straight to RunSingUp to create a semi "live" results on the web (just share the link). Or they even have a RunSignUp app where you can search the event and see results.

If you make a finish line video you can upload it to RunSignUp and people can watch themselves finish by searching their bib number (I have yet to try that though but I've seen it).

Make and account and partner up for sure. 

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

Many of the videos I've been watching are much older and I know things have changed. Is it preferred now to upload the finish line pics to RSU? The last video I watched Brian was using a different site. 

If I upload to RSU with the results will the participants then get the link to their pic? I think I've seen this in one of the many videos I've watched. 

[Bryan Jenkins]

You can upload photos to RunSignUp, we use Google Vision to attempt to tag the photos automatically. You can manually

tag photos as well, most of the time Google Vision is only 50 to 60% accurate. We will be adding a finish line sync feature like

the Youtube video in the future. One a participants bib is tagged in a photo, we auto link this to their individual result page. The

participant can also search the photos by name or bib to see any photos they are in.

Examples

https://runsignup.com/race/results/?raceId=4570#resultSetId-77542

https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/VA/Richmond/SuperheroRun

https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/4570/RaceDayPhotos?resultSetId=77542&resultId=16586566

Photos Webinar

https://help.runsignup.com/support/solutions/articles/17000064549--raceday-photos

I believe Agee also has an auto snapshot feature as well for photos.

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

That's great stuff Bryan, thanks! 

[Brian Agee]

Yeah, the video was probably created before RunSignUp had the ability to upload photos.

Now that I can make photos, results, and the finish line video available to participants from a single URL (at no cost) I've been uploading everything to RSU, even if they didn't use RSU for registration. Just a few clicks and everything is done. So it was a no-brainer for me to move it all to RSU.

I want to use whatever tools make me look good as a timer and that allow me to quickly wrap up a race so that I can get an invoice sent out asap. I've always been a little concerned that people will think I'm employed by RSU or that I'm a RSU groupie since I sing their praises so much. RSU simply has the most stable and complete API that I've worked with so far, I haven't found another platform that allows me to uploads everything participants want to see to the event page, and they've always been quick and friendly when I had questions or needed support.

There are many fine registration platforms out there. All of them have been very friendly to work with and offer good support, and some offer benefits over RSU - for example RaceRoster's sponsorship levels/donations platform was very impressive. For one race I timed this was the most important thing for them because they expected a lot of donations and they wanted something (like a ranking system or 'badge earning' system) that would encourage people to compete to raise the most donations. I believe there was some great social media integration where people could share & donate without having to go to RaceRoster. They were on RSU before and switched to RaceRoster I think I saw somewhere that RSU had done some work in this area since I timed that race, so I'm not sure how it compares now, but that race was so impressed by RaceRoster that they will probably stick with it for a long time. So now when I hear a race is focused more on sponsorships than it is on the number of actual participants then I tell them that RaceRoster is another good option to check into.

For most races, I believe RSU currently offers the most complete package and provides the greatest amount of tools that make our job as timers easier.

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

I appreciate the clarification. I watched the RSU webinar on photos and it's slick. That is what I will start testing.

Thanks guys.

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

As a Timer can the RD give me permission to upload photos?

[Brian Agee]

When I look at the options (pages) that I can grant access to when I open a race on RSU I do see the option to allow access to the Photos page. So it looks like they should be able to do this when they go to:

• Race -> Secure Access/Info Sharing
• In the Dashboard Page Access area click on Add Access and there is an option to select "Photos"

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

Thank you

[Bruce]

Other than Runsignup are there any other online registration platforms that ART integrates with? If so do they provide partnership opportunities? 

[Brian Agee]

With Version 5.3 the software will integrate with:

• RunSignUp
• RaceRoster
• RaceEntry
• TFRRS-XC  - - > This is just for college XC meets and not an online registration platform. So ignore that one, but I included it because it download participants and uploads results the same as the others listed above.

Others that know more about the other platforms provide more info, or correct me if I'm wrong on any of the points below. I did a little bit of research before this post, but not enough to do each one justice. So hopefully others can help fill in the holes.

I believe most of you would agree with me that the race timer has a tremendous amount of influence on which online registration platform is used for the races they time. Obviously we want the races to use whatever platform makes our job easy (tightest integration with software) and whichever platform offers the tools that make use look good when the race is over (easily posting results, photos, videos, ect.). Every year we work with first-time races and these events nearly always go with whoever we recommend. So it's perfectly reasonable for us timers to get some kind of compensation for essentially being the salesman for whichever platform we recommend. Unfortunately very few companies offer a 'partner' program.

On a side note, I've been very reluctant to burn up a bunch of time on integrating with all of the different online registration companies that ask for one. Unless they pay for the integration, have some kind of "super partner" program like RunSignUp does, or the platform is in such high demand that a large number of ART users - then all I'm doing is spending a bunch of time creating something that I have to support from that point forward.

I've worked fairly closely with all three companies and I've had some pleasant face-to-face time with the owner(s) and developers at RunSignUp and RaceRoster. Hopefully some day I'll get to make my way up to visit with the RaceEntry team. They are all super nice and fun to talk to, and they'll go out of their way to make the race a happy customer. However, RunSignUp easily has the best set of timer tools, a dynamic set of API methods, and the most structured and easy to setup 'partner' program.

To the best of my knowledge, here is a summary of what I can find on what each offers:

• RunSignUp has a well-organized partner/super partner program (see guidelines here).  To become a 'partner' their website says you must "manage more than 10 races per year, or a race with over 5,000 participants" and I believe they also have a minimum total transaction amount of $200,000 annually that's required to be a "partner".
• In doing some research for this post I found they also have an "affiliate program" for websites that list RunSignUp events.

• RaceRoster has "Affiliate Marketing tools" where you can earn money for referrals (at least according to one blog post I found) but I could not quickly find more info on how it works. It appears to be something that the race has to setup for specific people they want to offer bonuses to. For example let's imagine the race reaches out to former pro runner Ryan Hall to promote the race. It looks like the race can setup a referral code where participants can enter something like "Hall" and then Ryan would earn money for the referral.

• RaceEntry does not have a partner program as far as I'm aware of. I believe their pitch to the timer would be to encourage you to setup your own 'white label' registration platform that they host for you on your own website. Then your job would be to try and encourage races to use your website for online registration. I believe you could then define how much additional processing fees you wanted to tack on as your profit. So a strong argument could be made that you could make more with RaceEntry than with any other platform.

Since RSU is the only one that offers this I do want to encourage you to sign up to be a RunSignUp partner and to consider listing me as your "super partner". This doesn't cost you or the race anything, and it helps me to earn a pretty decent amount. I believe you do this by clicking here and signing in, or you can do the following instructions below that Matt Avery sent me a while back.

From their RunSignup Partner Dashboard all they need to do is go to Account >> Super Partner and click on Settings.

Then choose Agee Race Timing as the Super Partner and select Standard for the payment package.

[Ohio Race Day]

I have no "Settings" under my Partner Account with RSU.  See screenshot.  Any ideas what I'm missing?

[Matt with RunSignup]

Unfortunately, this is an admin setting from our end because there are minimum requirements for the partner program of 5,000 paid registrations annually to qualify.

If you meet this requirement, please contact your Account Manager or Sales Rep and we can get this updated.