A sportive (or gran fondo) is a timed mass-participation activity, not a race. Every athlete gets their own time from crossing the start line to crossing the finish line, using the same start-to-finish timing as a time trial, but Aster never publishes a ranking or a position for these events. That's built in, not a setting you have to remember, so a sportive stays a sportive. This walkthrough sets one up end to end.
1. Create the event as a "Sportive / Gran fondo"
When you create the event, pick the Sportive / Gran fondo card. It's near the top of the list on purpose: many organisers reach for "Race" out of habit when they actually mean this. On Aster this format:
- Times each athlete from their start-line crossing to their finish-line crossing.
- Publishes personal times only, no overall or category positions anywhere.
- Shows neutral live status: athletes appear as on course or finished, with elapsed time, never as ranked positions.
- Never sends "you're 3rd" or gap-to-leader style notifications.
If you genuinely want a competitive event with placings, choose Race or Time trial instead.
2. Route, start and finish
Build or upload your route and set the start and finish lines. Because timing runs from each athlete's own start crossing, place the start line where athletes are up to speed and the line is unambiguous. Timed formats need this timing geometry in place before the event can go live.
3. Categories and waves
Add your categories if you're running distances or start groups. Categories still let athletes filter to their own group; they just don't produce a ranking. If athletes set off in waves, set wave start times.
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 — whichever fits how you want to treat someone who didn't get round in time. Paused athletes aren't caught by the cut-off.
5. Registration
Set registration to Open for one-tap sign-up, or Managed for capacity, a deadline and a form. Ballot is there if you're oversubscribed and want to run a draw.
6. On the day
- Athletes start when they cross the line and are timed individually.
- They're finished automatically at the finish line.
- The live view shows everyone as on course or finished with their elapsed time, no leaderboard positions.
- An athlete who pulls out early is recorded as DNF — a sportive doesn't rank finishers, but it's still a challenge someone can fail to complete.
- Handle any alerts from your dashboard: see Handling alerts.
- If an athlete's start crossing was missed, you can set their start time by hand from the roster. See Running the event on race day.
7. After: results
Publish results. For a sportive the published page is neutral: athletes find their name and read their own time; there are no positions, and the CSV export carries none either. Athletes can filter to their own gender or age group and optionally sort those by time for context, but Aster never awards a place.
Things to get right
- It's a timed activity, not a race. No positions, no podium, no gaps. That's the whole point of the format, and it's why UK sportives can use it.
- Start-line placement is the timing point, just as in a time trial.
- Set the timing lines before going live. A timed format needs them.