How To Create A Race Map

Why Should You Use Race Entry’s Map?

Many participants decide if they want to run in a particular race largely from the course map. How scenic is the route? How difficult is the elevation profile? How far is the route from the nearest airport? How close is the route to hotel accommodations? Where is the finish line? The race maps are used by participants, but they are also a great tool for spectators to know where good cheering locations are. There are many reasons to have a race map and an interactive map can highlight specific points of interest. 

Creating a map on RaceEntry.com is completely free to you. Even if you don’t use our registration system, you can still use our maps! Putting our maps on your website allows your participants to interact with it so they can find more information along the route and can prepare for the race. 

Creating A Map As A New User

When creating a map as a new user to our website, follow these steps:

1. Create a new account on Race Entry

2. On the welcome page, click on Create Race Maps.

3. Check out “Building Your Map” below for more details when creating your map.

Get started here!

Creating A Map In An Existing Race

When creating or adding a map in your existing race, follow these steps:

1. Log in to your RaceEntry.com account.

2. From the dashboard, click on the side menu.

3. Under Race Maps, click Create/Edit Maps.

4. From here you can click either create or upload.

5. Check out “Building Your Map” below for more details when creating your map.

Building Your Map

The first thing you will do when you build your race map is enter the category name for which you’re creating the map. This could be your 5K or Marathon and you can create a map for each of your categories.

Next, you will create your route. You can start by clicking the point on the map where your starting line is. Once your starting point is set, you can click along the route of your course. The map will automatically put the route in the nearest main road. If your race will cut through a park or an area that goes off road, you can turn on Off-Road Mode and can click through the map wherever you want (including a lake portion of a route for a swim leg when applicable).

If your race is one that is out and back, you will simply create the half of the map and click the out and back button and it will automatically double the distance for you and place the finish by the start without the need to re-trace your 2nd half of the race course. Other options you have are to clear the whole map if you need to start over, or you can click the undo button to erase your last move. If you want the distance markers to show you can select that box as well.

Once you are done creating your route, click continue. The next screen will allow you to add icons if you’d like. We have several different options for you to choose from, such as: water stations, a-z letters, 0-9 numbers, bus stops, restrooms, scenic locations, music spots, parking areas, etc. If there is an icon you’d like to use and we don’t have it, feel free to contact us and we can get that added for you.

Contact us here!

Embedding the Map

After creating your map, adding icons, and saving your map, you will be brought to a page to customize how you’d like your map to look on your website. You can choose to see just the map or the map and elevation. You can select the size so it best fits your needs. You can even change the color of the route and elevation to match your race! One you’ve completed your options, you will click Copy to clipboard, and then you can paste the html to your website. 

Race Entry Experience App

Race Entry has created an app to track where a runner is on the race map. This can be used for a live race, or even a virtual race. When you use the Race Entry Experience app, participants and family members can see where they are at on the course. For an in person race, participants have the option to send an email or text with their personal tracking information along with a pin. This pin is for the runner’s security so the runner’s location is protected and only seen by those with access. 

For virtual races, the runner tracking allows you to track your progress on the course while being anywhere. Virtual races often have you run your own course, while using the app you would be able to see where you are as if you were running on their course. When a race has a challenge that spans over multiple days, you can see exactly how far you have gone on their map. You could even have it sent to family members so they can see your progress too. 

Even More on Race Entry

When you create a race map you can also have a marketing page on our race calendar. The marketing page is free to use for people even if they don’t use us for registration. This marketing page can be yet another exposure for race maps to be found on the web for runners. The more touch points you have on the web about your race the more people become aware and sign up for your race. Your marketing page can have photos, videos, sponsor logos, a description of your race and much more. The marketing page will also link back to your race website. This hub for finding your race map is on top of the HTML code we give you to place your race map on your very own race website.