Whilst 2020 has been the year of COVID cancellations, it has also been the year of virtual racing.
Going Virtual
Virtual racing isn't new. Arguably Strava segments are the original virtual races as runners and cyclists alike battle to top the table for the Happy Hill of Pain or the Fast Flat Flyer 1K.
But 2020 has seen an explosion of virtual racing as we saw real races cancelled one by one following the March lockdown.
RaceBest listed virtual races before 2020, but the growth this year showed that we could do better. Having listened to organisers we've introduced new features to enhance the experience for entrants and reduce the workload for organisers.
Raise the profile
Select "Virtual" as the race type in the organiser dashboard and your race will be flagged for entrants as Virtual with a ribbon across the banner image
Open the window
Virtual races rarely start at a specific date and time (unlike their real counterparts). So when you select "Virtual" as the race type in the organiser dashboard, you can now set the start and finish for the participation window and ensure that entrants can continue to enter right up until the end of the participation window.
Capture results
Some of the most successful virtual races have created leader boards and finish results. Now using RaceBest's results collector, you no longer need to wade through Facebook posts and assorted emails to capture and publish entrants' results. Using a bespoke form, collect times or distances from entrants by means of a unique link for them to submit their results. From there, you can curate their returns and publish results just like a real race.
It's so easy
Virtual racing is here to stay, both as an alternative and an extension to real races. These new features make it easier for entrants find and enter virtual races, and make it easier for organisers to manage virtual races.