Dynamic Bib Advice

[Joe Fertsch]

After years of timing and years of using Run Sign Up and listening to Brian and Bryan Jenkins of Run Sign Up. I am going to use dynamic bibs for the 3 events I have this weekend. This will be a first for me   

I seem to spend a lot of time labeling and sorting bibs, printing up rosters, and the time it takes to find bibs at races and hope this will make life easier and registration lines shorter.

For those using Dynamic Bibs and using the app or laptop to assign a bib as they show up - Do you have any advice?  It seems a bit scary going into a race without any athletes in ART but I am giving it a go.

Without labels I am guessing you have to either write on bibs or emphasize who gets each bib if I family is picking up a group.

Any Advice - I am all ears

Thanks!

Joe Fertsch

Florida Race Day

JTF Racing 

[Edward Schrank]

1. You will never look back after this weekend.

2. As you get people up and running on the app, make sure you set the default in the settings to Require a bib number. By default this is off. No clue why, I have asked several times to change this. A new volunteer on race morning can easily not enter a bib and you have to figure this out later! 

3. It only takes a few minutes to get a total newby volunteer up and running.  Give them a demo , give them a stack of bibs and you have a new station set up. Easy to add more if things clog up. For families, definitely write names on the bibs. Even that only helps a little. 

4. Do a late download as there is always someone who shows up well after start and gets a bib, and then doesn't show in your results. 

5. Good luck. This process is so smooth you are going to kick yourself for not doing it sooner. 

[Brian Agee]

When a family shows up, we typically just write their initials or first names on the back of the bib in case they get them mixed up after walking away.

Here are some notes about the Check In App that another ART user created. She was with me at the White River Marathon a couple of weeks ago and wanted to document everything that we do. These were jotted down quickly in an email she sent from my account to herself. Here is her notes on the check in app setup process:

RSU setup:

login to runsignup and open race

go to race day tools > race day check in 

create password and set check in date range (start range day before) (end range past when you think you'll go home)

Volunteers:

Install Raceday Checkin app

Search the race

Enter the password I set for the race

Push three bars

Settings

Scroll to bottom and choose "use my admin settings" you assigned the name for this configuration (which we'll setup below)

Search participant name then push check in

Pull out next bib

Assign bib number in check in app

Phone checkin settings in Raceday Checkin app:

Click on the three bars at top left of screen, then settings

Edit default preset

Make bib number required

Turn on bib number

Turn on age, gender, giveaway, 

Allow uncheckins, clear bib, event transfers, giveaway edits, personal info edits and preserve bib on event transfer

Leave everything else on

Push save

Scroll to bottom and "upload configuration"

Assign the configuration a name (these are your preset settings for races) - in this example I used "my admin settings" as the name.

[Brian Agee]

I agree with everything Ed mentioned, you'll love it, but of course anything brand new is a little scary.

Here are some other tips:

If you mistakenly hit "sync" in ART WITHOUT ensuring "Require Check In" or "Require Bib #" is checked - don't panic. Just delete the athletes out of ART and re-sync.

I've noticed that ONLY with iPhone's the data can get stuck on their phone. With Android phones I've never had this problem. This rarely happens, but when it does it's always an iPhone user. So it wouldn't be a bad idea to show volunteers how to check for "Queued Edits" (click on the three bars at the top left) and see if data is sitting there waiting to push up to RSU. Swiping down should force a refresh but sometimes that doesn't help. Worst case have someone else check the person in and assign the bib # on their phone.

Typically I hit "sync" every few minutes just for the reassurance that everything is going well.

When checking people in - show them your phone after you select their name and have them verify everything is correct. If you do this then there is little need for a "tag check" area. Going forward I'm going to do this and use the "tag check" only to check that the EPC of the tag match the bib #. This way I'm not constantly having to hit "Sync" continuously on race morning. If the internet is slow and the race is big, it can cause a line to form at the tag check area(s) if you're constantly syncing and waiting for it to update the PC.

[MarkE]

So if I understand correctly what you guys are doing, you are having the volunteers download the app on their own phone?  Have you ever had issues with people not wanting to do this, battery issues, etc?  Maybe I have too hard of a time letting go, but I like to KNOW that everything has been checked out ahead of time and minimize how much I need to count on someone else for core items.  Another concern is that some of the bigger races I do, the volunteers staffing the check in are older folks that are hesitant to use any technology.  Have you had any issues along these lines?  I like the concept, just trying to convince myself it will be OK. :-)

[Edward Schrank]

I have not had any issues with people not wanting to download the app or battery issues.... but I could see that happening. I have had the older volunteer problem though, no easy work around there except find another job.  Most people are pretty thrilled with using the app. Makes their job easier. 

Good call by Brian on having data hang in the phone sometimes. I have experienced that as well. 

The great thing about using race day check in is that it is so fast.  2-3  volunteers can handle a small to mid size race with ease and adding extra lines is really fast if things are getting backed up.  And since it doesn't matter what line someone is in, your throughput is fantastic, not like where they are cuing by last name and one line is huge and 2 other lines are empty! 

I also like to make sure I am catering to the pre registered people and get them checked in and done. If there is going to be a line with a wait, it should be the race day registrations (teach them to plan ahead!) 

[Brian Agee]

Yes sir, I've never had anyone (even older people) have a problem downloading the app and using it and I typically have 4-6 people with the app on their phone ready to jump in and help with the Check in process if necessary. Never had someone needing to drop out because of low battery. It's VERY simple for people to pick up and use right away even if they've never seen the app.

Basically, you're having to depend on volunteers anyway probably. Either by looking up someone's name and hoping they grab the right bib #, or by them searching for someone's name in the app, grabbing the next bib # in the stack, and assigning it in the app.

I can't really say that the app has a lower chance of human error with the app versus pre-assigned bib #s, but I can say that using the app has these benefits:

1. It just looks a LOT more professional (because it is)
2. It's a faster process (so less chance of long lines forming)
3. There is greater flexibility because those working the Check In process can make data changes if needed on the fly
4. The software has a more accurate count of who's actually no the course (because you'll only pull in those that have a bib # on RSU or that have checked in)
5. You're not left with a bunch of random bib #'s from those that registered but never showed up (plus if you already have a bunch of random bib #'s then that's no problem with the check in app process)
6. Less worries about wind/rain blowing or ruining a race roster sheet or your stack of pre-assigned and race day bibs. All bibs can be kept in a single stack (which I keep in gallon zip lock bags).
7. Volunteers are free to float around the crowd with their phone and help people.
8. The biggest benefit of all if you have all things electronic (registration and bib assignment) is that you're free to focus on ensuring the finish line and timing system(s) are setup and ready instead of working registration.

So what happens if you time a race in an area that might not have cell coverage?

I time a lot of races up in the Ozarks and I use my phone as the hotspot, so if I think there is a chance that the area may not have cell coverage, I'll go ahead and import the participants and pre-assign bib #'s like we did in the past. After printing a Race Roster report I'll create a copy of that database file and stick it somewhere, then delete all of the participants back out of ART. This way I can easily point the software to either database and go with dynamic or pre-assigned bib #'s once I arrive on site and check if I have reliable cell coverage.

Nowadays most people have phones that can setup a hotspot, so if I arrived on site and thought I would have cell coverage, but then mysteriously when I need it I find that I don't, then I'm sure I can ask around with the volunteers (which would probably be on a carrier that has the best coverage in that area) and someone can get one setup.

[MarkE]

Thanks all, appreciate the info and help to push me over the edge.  I have a winter race coming up in a few weeks and am thinking I will try this.  It's not a large race so should be a nice trial run.  I've been playing with the app this afternoon and it does seem pretty straight forward. 

Thanks to Joe for starting the thread.  I needed this!  Have a good Christmas.

Mark

[Gregg Mrkvicka]

Regarding older volunteers: yes, it was a challenge with one race. But we held a couple of "training sessions" with them well before race day and they performed like champs.

On Thursday, December 2, 2021 at 8:49:30 PM UTC-6 MarkE wrote: