A race is the classic competitive format: everyone's clock runs from the gun, and the first across the finish line wins. This walkthrough takes you through one end to end. For the at-a-glance version see the Quick-start checklist.
1. Create the event as a "Race"
When you create the event, pick the Race card. Aster will ask you to confirm, because a race means every athlete's clock runs from a single gun. If your athletes actually set off in their own time, it nudges you towards Sportive / Gran fondo instead. Choose Race for a true mass start.
2. Route and finish line
Build or upload your route. For a loop course, a single start/finish point is enough; for a point-to-point route, set separate start and finish lines. Check the finish-line detection radius is generous enough that every athlete's GPS registers the crossing, but not so large it triggers early.
A finish line is required before you can start a race.
3. Start time, time zone and categories
Set the start time in the event's local time zone. Add your categories (Pro, Open, age groups). If different categories set off in waves, give each its own wave start time.
4. Cut-off (optional)
If there's a course-closing time, set a cut-off and choose whether athletes still out are marked DNF or finished. Paused athletes aren't caught by the cut-off.
5. On the day: start the gun
From your race-day dashboard, press Start to fire the gun. That single moment becomes every athlete's start time, so the leaderboard reflects the race, not when each person tapped Start in the pen.
- If you forget to press it, the event auto-starts at the scheduled start time so the clock is still honest, but press it yourself if you want the gun on your own signal.
- You can't start before a finish line is set, and you can't restart a finished race.
6. During the race
- Athletes are finished automatically as they cross the line; their time and position lock in at the crossing.
- Watch the live map and leaderboard. Standings show progress along the course with time gaps to the leader.
- Handle any alerts from your dashboard: see Handling alerts.
- For an athlete whose phone was offline at the line, set their status to Finished by hand from the roster. See Running the event on race day.
7. After: results
Publish results to rank finishers within each category, and export a CSV for your records. Publishing works from whatever timing data you've recorded for the event; if you're running chip timing, those times can be brought in through Aster's results integration.
Things to get right
- The gun is the clock. Everyone shares the start time you set by pressing Start (or the scheduled auto-start). Don't expect each athlete's clock to begin at their own tap.
- Finish radius. Too small and someone skirting the edge won't register; too large and they could be finished early. Tune it to the venue.
- Laps. For a circuit, set the lap count and lap zone so laps are counted as athletes pass.